Wookie inspired me to look it up, and I think I’ll give it a go. This fellow recommends a bulb syringe:

Safety advice on DIY ear syringing

Syringing the ears to remove ear wax is a common procedure in general practice. Although the task may be delegated to a practice nurse, it can still be time consuming. A study in England has therefore investigated whether patients can effectively irrigate their own ears.

Patients whose ears were blocked with wax were recruited from seven practices. They were all given a package containing ear drops to soften the wax. Some packages also contained a bulb syringe and instructions for its use.
The control group patients were not given a syringe but used the drops, then had their ears irrigated by a nurse.
After two weeks, 206 patients were assessed. The wax had been successfully syringed from the ears of 63% of the control group. It also cleared from the ears of 48% of the patients given a bulb syringe.

Two years later, the patients’ records were reviewed to see if there had been long-term ear problems. This review found that patients who had used the bulb syringe had fewer subsequent consultations. While 73% of the patients treated by the nurse had returned with wax, only 60% of the self-treatment group presented again.

COMMENT

Patients who have ear wax removed in a general practice are likely to reconsult if their ears block up again.
Teaching them to treat themselves could reduce the workload of the practice.

Although there are few adverse effects from ear syringing, there could be less risk of a perforation with a bulb syringe. Patients are unlikely to squirt themselves with excessive force.

Dr John Dowden, Canberra

http://www.medicalobserver.com.au/news/safety-advice-on-diy-ear-syringing

i do mine periodically

normally if as i’ve mentioned i’ve been doing dirty work or have been wearing ear plugs

you can use the syringe if you are careful

doctors i find make some big thing about ear syringing , usually they have some fancy bit of equipment that essentially does the the same thing as a syringe

if you suspect the ear drum is perforated then go to the doctor , especially after some infection

>doctors i find make some big thing about ear syringing , usually they have some fancy bit of equipment that essentially does the the same thing as a syringe

The GP ones are connected by a hose to a tap to provide a continuous flow of water.

I’ve got one of those bulb syringes. Came with a new borns care kit when we had the first sprog. Yes, I do use it for keeping the ears semi wax free.

I use it in the shower, normally near the end, so the wax has had time to soften up. Never had a problem.

I’ll visit the chemist tomorrow and see if they stock them.

I’m in the fortunate position where I can just stick a 6mm dowel in my right ear and push it all the way out the left.

party_pants said:

I’m in the fortunate position where I can just stick a 6mm dowel in my right ear and push it all the way out the left.

Ah, double jointed.

Bubblecar said:

>doctors i find make some big thing about ear syringing , usually they have some fancy bit of equipment that essentially does the the same thing as a syringe

The GP ones are connected by a hose to a tap to provide a continuous flow of water.

the penultimate time i allowed a doctor near my ears was an infection

the stupid bastard poured iodine in my ear and then rammed cloth into it, the pain was excruciating. i stepped out the office pulled the cloth out and went straight down the road to the emergency healthcare place. i mentioned to this chinese doctor that the previous doctor had told me it was wax! “that my friend is puss” he commented. after cleaning out the ear he gave me some antibiotics and it was all good.

after that point i decided to simply head off the problem by trialling methods to stop the infection

colloidal silver is the best so far i found

if you’ve got feet that stink put some in your trainers – it will be the last time you’ll feet or shoes will stink – it kills off the problem

one experiment i would like to do is find some really stinky person (there are some poor saps that just simply stink – they can’t help it.) i’d like to paint them with colloidal silver to see the stink could go away by killing off the bacteria that make them stink

coillidal silver will also get rid of eye infections

you can drink the stuff but it won’t do you any good, it won’t kill you if you drink it but you’ll just be wasting it

the best way to use the colloidal silver is externally

Bubblecar said:

Wookie inspired me to look it up, and I think I’ll give it a go.

lol

wookiemeister said:

coillidal silver will also get rid of eye infections

lol

a word of caution

don’t use any water beyond lupe warm to rinse the ear

i had mentioned the rinsing thing to some tart at one place i worked at and warned him not to use hot water

he then stuck his head under the hot tap and was surprised when hot water came out the tap!

take the water from a cup of water that you know the temperature of

Yes I think we needn’t concern ourselves with the colloidal silver, if you don’t mind. This is an ear-pumping thread.

neomyrtus_ said:

wookiemeister said:

coillidal silver will also get rid of eye infections

lol

yes

done it

they sew silver into cyclists clothing to kill bacteria – it stops the stink

its a very , very old method of disinfection

edit

lukewarm

neomyrtus_ said:

Bubblecar said:

Wookie inspired me to look it up, and I think I’ll give it a go.

lol

I know it sounds like famous last words :) But the GPs do seem to be relaxed and comfortable about people doing it themselves (and it saves them a rather disgusting chore).

Bubblecar said:

I know it sounds like famous last words :) But the GPs do seem to be relaxed and comfortable about people doing it themselves (and it saves them a rather disgusting chore).

I’m aware of that – I had ear problems from frequent summer scuba diving sessions and discussed this with a diving GP. So, talk to your GP about it and gets some input from our forum doktars, but teh Wookster Report must be taken with a homeopathic grains of colloidal silver salt.

Bubblecar said:

Yes I think we needn’t concern ourselves with the colloidal silver, if you don’t mind. This is an ear-pumping thread.

its ok bubbles its only a suggestion

its a way of preventing infection if you are prone to it or are in a situation where you have dirt in your ear

swimming on some beaches of the eastern suburbs isn’t a good idea. they pump it all out to sea and it washes back. i rang them up one day and somehow riled the fellah at the end of the phone.

WM i asked him how they “processed’ the crap.

X they just chop it all up and pump it out and filter out the condoms

WM doesn’t that mean that all that stuff is going into the ocean untreated?

X well what are you meant to do with it!!

WM well wouldn;‘t it be a better idea to treat this stuff properly so you aren’t polluting the ocean?

etc etc

beware of sea water near major cities, its not good stuff

I know our wookie, but in this case he offered what seemed like reasonably sensible advice about the ear pumping which inspired me to Google diy syringing.

As it happens I’m not prone to ear infections, just to build-ups of wax, which can muffle the hearing.

Bubblecar said:

I know our wookie, but in this case he offered what seemed like reasonably sensible advice about the ear pumping which inspired me to Google diy syringing.

yes but use caution

don’t try to blast the ear too much with the water jet

make sure that you are only using mildly warm water or you’ll burn your ear

I get the same problems, Car. You can get syringes from your gp to DIY. I know you don’t have a shower but turning your head under the water helps soften the wax. Audi Clean from the chemist claims to help but I’ve not had success with it. There are ear drops (of course, I forget the name) which are very good and over the counter at the chemist. You put them in, stick a tissue there and wait for the wax to drip out.

Divine Angel said:

You put them in, stick a tissue there and wait for the wax to drip out.

Excuse me while I throw up :/ I’m trying to eat my breakfast.

I syringe out my ears myself. It is quite simple. As mentioned, lukewarm water. I pre-treat the ear with drops for a couple of day before hand. You can purchase the syringe at a pharmacy.

Alternatively, I have at times gone to the local hospital where I can get immediate service and a nurse will do it for me. No point in wasting the valuable time of a GP for such a basic procedure.

morrie said:

I syringe out my ears myself. It is quite simple. As mentioned, lukewarm water. I pre-treat the ear with drops for a couple of day before hand. You can purchase the syringe at a pharmacy.

Alternatively, I have at times gone to the local hospital where I can get immediate service and a nurse will do it for me. No point in wasting the valuable time of a GP for such a basic procedure.

No.. you bake an onion and strap it on your ear while hot… ;)

roughbarked said:

No.. you bake an onion and strap it on your ear while hot… ;)

Have you been hanging around with people from the local Steiner school?

kii said:

roughbarked said:

No.. you bake an onion and strap it on your ear while hot… ;)

Have you been hanging around with people from the local Steiner school?

hot potato yeah.. yeah.

no.. not really.

roughbarked said:

hot potato yeah.. yeah.

no.. not really.

Hmmm….some of the parents I met at one told me to use the juice squeezed from a baked onion to clear up ear infections. The warmth is nice but your ears stink a bit afterwards. I have no idea if it worked or not as I took my kid to the doctor for drugs.

kii said:

roughbarked said:

hot potato yeah.. yeah.

no.. not really.

Hmmm….some of the parents I met at one told me to use the juice squeezed from a baked onion to clear up ear infections. The warmth is nice but your ears stink a bit afterwards. I have no idea if it worked or not as I took my kid to the doctor for drugs.

Hot potato doesn’t stink.. Onions contain sulphur

kii said:

I took my kid to the doctor for drugs.

Was it a fair swap?

Kingy said:

kii said:

I took my kid to the doctor for drugs.

Was it a fair swap?

Meh…

This is an interesting thread. I’ve found that most people find ears and what comes out of them disgusting (cf kii’s comment about throwing up), but apparently not around here.

I don’t use a pump, but about 20 years ago a Malaysian friend gave me a small metal object he said was common in Malaysia, and used for cleaning ears. It’s shaped a little like a small soup spoon with a long handle, the bowl being the part that goes into the ear. It’s quite small, with the bowl part about 3mm across, and the stem about 7cm long. I call it an auriclave (for obvious reasons), but it’s the only one I’ve ever seen. I’ve searched online for something similar, and asked friends going to or in Malaysia to look for one for me, but never had success.

Go to Viet Nam. Plenty of those things available there.

Wocky said:

This is an interesting thread. I’ve found that most people find ears and what comes out of them disgusting (cf kii’s comment about throwing up), but apparently not around here.

I don’t use a pump, but about 20 years ago a Malaysian friend gave me a small metal object he said was common in Malaysia, and used for cleaning ears. It’s shaped a little like a small soup spoon with a long handle, the bowl being the part that goes into the ear. It’s quite small, with the bowl part about 3mm across, and the stem about 7cm long. I call it an auriclave (for obvious reasons), but it’s the only one I’ve ever seen. I’ve searched online for something similar, and asked friends going to or in Malaysia to look for one for me, but never had success.

If you find the right teaspoons with the correct handle size and shape.. you can have a drawer full of them.

try not to poke around inside the ear – its asking for it. unless they are a trained physician AND they are known to be competent don’t risk it.

you can let some warm water sit in your ear to soften the ears before you syringe them, it will feel a little weird but softening it up with warm water will help the syringe

Didn’t have any bulb syringes in the chemist, but she’s ordered one for me.

I live in a tropical area and often had mushrooms growing in my ears in the wettest periods of the year.

I have discovered that using cotton buds to gently clean and dry my ear canals after every evening shower has pretty much eliminated this problem and has not impeded my hearing or caused any injuries whatsoever. I’m in my late 40s and can still hear some microbat chirps if it’s really quiet.

I just carefully use a standard BIC biro lid.

(just bring your own biro if you want to visit)

i’ve grown an extra long fingernail about an inch long

wookiemeister said:

i’ve grown an extra long fingernail about an inch long

I thought people did that to snort coke?

Jing Joh said:

I live in a tropical area and often had mushrooms growing in my ears in the wettest periods of the year.

We want photos.

We want photos.

be careful of what you ask for when i’m around.

;-)

Boris said:

We want photos.

be careful of what you ask for when i’m around.

;-)

Do you grow mushrooms in your ears?

kii said:

Boris said:

We want photos.

be careful of what you ask for when i’m around.

;-)

Do you grow mushrooms in your ears?

Spuds, I was told as a kiddlet:)

My local pharmacist has been unable to source a bulb syringe. I’ll have to buy one online.

Bubblecar said:

My local pharmacist has been unable to source a bulb syringe. I’ll have to buy one online.

As I mentioned, I just use a regular plastic plunger type syringe.
The nurse at the hospital uses a plunger syringe as well.
I am not sure exactly what a bulb syringe is, and maybe it has some slight advantage in self-use, but it is not essential.

Bubblecar said:

My local pharmacist has been unable to source a bulb syringe. I’ll have to buy one online.

Bugger.

http://www.kbmedicalsales.com.au/catalogsearch/result/?q=syringe&x=-361&y=-767

morrie said:

Bubblecar said:

My local pharmacist has been unable to source a bulb syringe. I’ll have to buy one online.

As I mentioned, I just use a regular plastic plunger type syringe.
The nurse at the hospital uses a plunger syringe as well.
I am not sure exactly what a bulb syringe is, and maybe it has some slight advantage in self-use, but it is not essential.

The fellow in the link in the OP recommends them for safety reasons.

Bubblecar said:

morrie said:

Bubblecar said:

My local pharmacist has been unable to source a bulb syringe. I’ll have to buy one online.

As I mentioned, I just use a regular plastic plunger type syringe.
The nurse at the hospital uses a plunger syringe as well.
I am not sure exactly what a bulb syringe is, and maybe it has some slight advantage in self-use, but it is not essential.

The fellow in the link in the OP recommends them for safety reasons.

Fairy nuff. I suppose you don’t want to blow your brains out. :-)

I’ll have to wait until there’s money in my PayPal account. I put some in there on Wednesday but it won’t actually be there until early next week.

PayPal would be much more convenient if you could add and withdraw funds instantly.

Bubblecar said:

I’ll have to wait until there’s money in my PayPal account. I put some in there on Wednesday but it won’t actually be there until early next week.

PayPal would be much more convenient if you could add and withdraw funds instantly.

You don’t use a credit card connected to PayPal then? If you do, then you can add money instantly.

Bubblecar said:

I’ll have to wait until there’s money in my PayPal account. I put some in there on Wednesday but it won’t actually be there until early next week.

PayPal would be much more convenient if you could add and withdraw funds instantly.

I use it with a low limit credit card, works quickly.

I don’t have any credit cards.

Bubblecar said:

I don’t have any credit cards.

You can link to a bank account too.

morrie said:

Bubblecar said:

I don’t have any credit cards.

You can link to a bank account too.

I transfer money from my bank account to PayPal. While you can use PayPal to pay by e-cheque from your bank account, it takes much longer than transferring money from your bank account to PayPal. And sellers won’t ship goods until the e-cheque enters their account.

Get yourself a prepaid Visa from the post office. Stick a hundred or so dollars on there, and shop online all you want. Your name will be Valued Cardholder and you don’t lose fees to PayPal.

My local medical centre will not syringe ears out…

Why not?

• Why not?

They don’t want to take the responsibility should they cause damage, or some such. They did recommend using olive oil though. I am not sure if I want to put olive oil in my ear…

Bubblecar said:

morrie said:

Bubblecar said:

I don’t have any credit cards.

You can link to a bank account too.

I transfer money from my bank account to PayPal. While you can use PayPal to pay by e-cheque from your bank account, it takes much longer than transferring money from your bank account to PayPal. And sellers won’t ship goods until the e-cheque enters their account.

Comes back to not having a credit card to back up the bank account.

Olive oil gets cockroaches out of ears.

Divine Angel said:

Get yourself a prepaid Visa from the post office. Stick a hundred or so dollars on there, and shop online all you want. Your name will be Valued Cardholder and you don’t lose fees to PayPal.

You only pay PayPal fees if you’re the seller.

Oil would be easy enough to get out from your ear. Wash your hair, lets the suds go into your ears, rinse under shower.

• Olive oil gets cockroaches out of ears.

You know this because?

Olive Oil is ok for ears, it’s comparable to all the other treatments on the market for ear wax removal – although, now that I type that, something in my brane tells me there was some reason not to use it…

poikilotherm said:

Olive Oil is ok for ears, it’s comparable to all the other treatments on the market for ear wax removal – although, now that I type that, something in my brane tells me there was some reason not to use it…

It could get stuck in there and go rancid?

furious said:

• Olive oil gets cockroaches out of ears.

You know this because?

I read it somewhere. Someone had a massive earache, turns out a cocky had died in there. Can’t offhand remember if it was a doctor, but they recommended putting oil in the ear and the dead cocky floated to the surface. it was probably in a Dr K book.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1324923/

“On current evidence, there is little to choose between water-based and oil-based preparations; non-water-, non-oil-based preparations appear promising at both clearing earwax and facilitating successful syringing, but further large trials are needed. Although immediate ear syringing is effective and convenient for patients, it may be less cost-effective than using eardrops and perhaps avoiding syringing. Most of the evidence regarding such a common and time-consuming problem is not of high quality.”

• it was probably in a Dr K book.

In that case, I definitely wouldn’t do it…

I have never, in my life, had to clean or flush out my ears… no poking, picking, prodding, pushing.. ever.

the ears are meant to be great self cleaners aren’t they?
does excessive use of headphones (the ear ones) or some other human routine warrant ear cleansing?

Arts said:

I have never, in my life, had to clean or flush out my ears… no poking, picking, prodding, pushing.. ever.

the ears are meant to be great self cleaners aren’t they?

Yes, but sometimes it gets impacted.

I never used to have to have my ears cleaned out. It’s only in the last 5 or 6 years they’ve been prone to wax build-ups, I don’t know why. I’m just counting it as one of those middle age things.

I’ve had my ears syringed twice. I don’t normally use earbuds. I think Wen had issues using earbuds though?

poikilotherm said:

Arts said:

I have never, in my life, had to clean or flush out my ears… no poking, picking, prodding, pushing.. ever.

the ears are meant to be great self cleaners aren’t they?

Yes, but sometimes it gets impacted.

by what we do as daily routine, or it just does?

The local medical centre also recommends using “tissue spears”…

furious said:

The local medical centre also recommends using “tissue spears”…

Dipped in metho?

Just get some Cerumol and lie down for 10 minutes.

• Dipped in metho?

No, justed twisted bits of tissues introduced into the ear in a twisting motion…

• Just get some Cerumol and lie down for 10 minutes.

Don’t know what that one is but there is one that gets all bubbly in the ear like popping lollies and it requires immense will power to not start scratching around there…

furious said:

• Dipped in metho?

No, justed twisted bits of tissues introduced into the ear in a twisting motion…

• Just get some Cerumol and lie down for 10 minutes.

Don’t know what that one is but there is one that gets all bubbly in the ear like popping lollies and it requires immense will power to not start scratching around there…

nitric acid

nitric acid

red fuming?

I love rooting around in my ears to get the wax out with a boobypin.

Boris said:

nitric acid

red fuming?

best stuff for organics.

Peak Warming Man said:

I love rooting around in my ears to get the wax out with a boobypin.

Why do you have bobby pins at home?

Peak Warming Man said:

I love rooting around in my ears to get the wax out with a boobypin.

a frigatebirdneedle works in a similar way

Those flightless frigate birds were impressive on telly the other evening.

The popping one is peroxide. Very low concentration. I’ve used it recently. It’s an odd sensation. Works though.

(poikilotherm will be amused that I actually uses AOsept, not the proper ear formulation)

Bubblecar said:

Those flightless frigate birds were impressive on telly the other evening.

None such things

flightless cormorants, yes

Sorry, I meant cormorants.

but frigatebirds, by very definition, are the pirates of the skies. The ultimate kleptoparasites.

Any of those birds could conceivably be used to clean out your ears, in an emergency.

Divine Angel said:

Olive oil gets cockroaches out of ears.

That’s all kinds of ick :(

ear cleaning service, savanna style

• Any of those birds could conceivably be used to clean out your ears, in an emergency.

I am not much up with the likes of birds and such but in what way would you use one to clean your ear? They the type that eat ticks off elephants backs or something?

wouldn’t a waxbill be better?

If humans were more placid we could have our own grooming birds attending to our needs like that.

Bubblecar said:

If humans were more placid we could have our own grooming birds attending to our needs like that.

if humans were more robust…

The Pug Puppy likes to lick Babuschka’s ears. She seems to have no objections.

(Sorry SP, I don’t have a picture of that…..)

that kangaroo has a bit of spinach on it tooth.

Bubblecar said:

If humans were more placid we could have our own grooming birds attending to our needs like that.

I’ve sat and had South Island Robins hop around and peck sandflies off me leggings

buffy said:

The Pug Puppy likes to lick Babuschka’s ears. She seems to have no objections.

(Sorry SP, I don’t have a picture of that…..)

please do so. Skeppy pet would love to see that.

neomyrtus_ said:

A whisper in your shell-like.

Jeez, I go to lunch for 30 minutes and there’s too many damn posts to read upon return…

poikilotherm said:

Jeez, I go to lunch for 30 minutes and there’s too many damn posts to read upon return…

Can’t you get the slattern wench to read them for you, when you’re at lunch?

sibeen said:

poikilotherm said:

Jeez, I go to lunch for 30 minutes and there’s too many damn posts to read upon return…

Can’t you get the slattern wench to read them for you, when you’re at lunch?

I can barely get the wench to do what she was created for…cleaning. Let alone reading.

poikilotherm said:

Jeez, I go to lunch for 30 minutes and there’s too many damn posts to read upon return…

Tell me about it…I go sit over there ——> for an hour and it’s like someone opened the fucking gates!

Alright, everyone, time to take a break; kii’s turned up.

sibeen said:

Alright, everyone, time to take a break; kii’s turned up.

That’s what I thought…..Big Ears.

>Big Ears.

Incorrect!

Only one of them is enlarged.

sibeen said:

>Big Ears.

Incorrect!

Only one of them is enlarged.

Prove it. We await photos.