Improving My Hearing

FWIW, just yesterday, I was at my ENT doc — he’s the Division Chief of Otology at Oregon’s only teaching medical center, so i take what he says seriously — and he is strongly against people using hydrogen peroxide for ear cleaning at home. Hydrogen peroxide can be damaging if overused and is definitely dangerous if you have a perforation in your eardrum or ear tubes, or have an active infection.

His recommended method is just 2-3 drops of either olive oil or mineral oil in each ear 2-3 times a week before bed. (You need only a tiny bit; you don’t want oil dripping out on your pillow cases.)  The oil is entirely safe, even should you have a hole in your eardrum, and as a natural organic solvent, it will dissolve or soften any wax build up and allow it to be discharged from your ears naturally without suction, flushing or other invasive measures. He’s also in favor, of course, of regular hearing check-ups and cleanings by a professional if needed.

@kirkwallace   I don't understand how/where the wax gets discharged using this method--does it drip out on your pillow?

Although if you're just using a couple drops 2-3x/wk., I guess there wouldn't much of anything discharged; maybe it would just collect in the ear?

As my doctor explained it to me, the ear is designed to naturally discharge wax so that it never builds up. Obviously this works better or worse depending on the individual; and (surprise) it works less well as one ages.

All the oil approach is doing is to help that process along; so, according to him, you never really notice any discharge. (I am guessing that he is assuming that one is showering and washing one’s hair and around one’s ears with some regularity.)  This is not a solution for dealing with ears that have a current excess build up, although I guess it might help even in that case. The ideal situation seems to be that one is starting the few drops a night 2-3 times a week method with a clean set of ears (e.g., post-professional cleaning). 

@drmuso Even with all the build-up in my ears, I would sometimes feel a piece of wax about to fall out, so I must make at least my share of ear wax, that my ears try to evict.  I think it is all about softening the wax, using some kind of liquid, but I don’t know if I want to be on a regimen of oiling my ear canals regularly.  I consider my body mostly set-it-and-forget-it and think it should be enough that I have to take daily medications and apply cream to my eczema flare-ups.  But getting older does demand more maintenance!  

Interesting discussion.  I have friends that go to a spa and have ear candling done.  Expensive but they swear by it.  I clean my own ears and use a hydrogen peroxide and isopropyl alcohol mix after swimming to clean out any water and to prevent ear infections.  My Dad who was a doctor always said never stick anything in you ear smaller than your elbow.