1. Home
  2. misc-audio
  3. 198147-141093

Improving My Hearing

I was going to post this as response to another’s question, but then thought I should make a new thread so more people could see it. 
 

I have seen comments here regarding hearing difficulties as we get older.  At 71, I am not immune (though I have friends whose hearing is worse).  While I was seeing my doctor regarding another issue, I told her about a clicking noise from one ear — I thought maybe I had water stuck and tried to get it out, to no effect.  She asked me if I wanted to have my ears cleaned — “You do that here?  Sure!” 
 

She had a nurse that cleaned ears as a specialty.  The lady came in with her kit, examined my ears and then started flushing them with fluid.  She probed my ears with tweezers and had to flush them again.  Whatever was in there had adhered itself to my ear canals, and as she pulled and pried, I felt pinching pains.  Eventually she gets a grip and extracts a wad of furry content — it looked like a bee had died in my ear.  That was the ear I had problems with.  But then she removed a wad the same size from my other ear.  I was astounded!  I had tried on my own to clean my ears and felt the same pinching, but never produced much debris.  This was really stuck in there!  Afterward, I noticed that I could hear better. 
 

A friend my age has noticeable hearing loss and I was telling him about this.  He expressed interest and I asked the nurse about his getting such service.  She said my friend should ask his doctor, who would either have someone on staff to do it or could refer him to an ear-nose-throat specialist.  I thought maybe this information would be beneficial to members here.  We got to take care of our own equipment too!  

bob540
mark200mph
848 posts
 

As a ear nose and throat doctor for over 40 years I mined alot of wax. 50% rubbing alcohol with 50% white vinegar is a good start for slow gentle irrigation with a bulb syringe. It was always a great return for me and the patient when they had hearing loss due to wax because I could fix it. So go see your audiologist or a local MD for a checkup. If it's too difficult they will send you to a ent. Some required a cochlear implant or middle ear surgery. Keep the q tips and other things out of your ear canal. For those with hearing aids sometimes wax get stuck in the hearing aid opening. Good luck k stay healthy and enjoy the music

mahler123
4,001 posts
 

I had a few patients that used olive oil in their ears that wound up with gooey oatmeal like concretions that were difficult to clean out.  Of course if most people use it successfully and only a few outliers get some type of issue, those are the ones we wind up seeing and having to help.

  Wax doesn’t dissolve in water so you need some other kind of solvent.  Hydrogen peroxide is 98% water and so weak that it won’t hurt anyone.  That is why it is sold over the counter ear cleaning preparation.  With all due respect to the ENT in Oregon I saw many patients with perforated ear drums that had tried the OTC peroxide solutions before they ever sought medical attention.  It’s definitely uncomfortable to pour into a perforated tympanic membrane but now one ever did themselves lasting damage.

newton_john's avatar
newton_john
558 posts
 

@bob540 

Earol is olive oil in a spray bottle. If I remember correctly, there’s an almond oil version, too.

​​​I have tried a hydroxide solution, but it felt too harsh for my taste.

I have seen the spiral device advertised. Personally, I wouldn’t risk putting any such device in my ears.

If the liquid didn’t work, I’d go back to the audiologist or another professional. Our ears are too valuable to risk damage.

It is nearly three years since I had my ears cleared out professionally and occasional use of olive oil has kept them clear so far. If I feel like there’s an accumulation of wax, I give them a couple of extra applications. That’s seems to be enough to soften and loosen the wax so it falls out.

More to discover