Best way to clean earwax?

[mhardy6647]

Not any ENT, you need an audiophile ENT... BTW, how come there are no audiophile grade q-tips available? I bet Audioquest could convince audiofools to pay up to 10$ per each q-tip...

I think the audiophile swabs were requisitioned for emergency use for COVID test sample acquisition.

 

[muslhead]

H2O2

 

[daftcombo]

Warm water does it for me.

Keep in mind that a bit of earwax is a natural way to tame speaker brightness.

 

[raindance]

Rinse your ears in the shower to soften the wax. Wear soft foam earplugs inserted deeply for an hour or two. Remove gently. I found this out riding motorcycles

 

[Wes]

I get rid of excess ear wax by sending high amplitude sound waves down the ear canal. I use the resonant frequency of the canal to really "get the Q on"

 

[JSmith]

View attachment 99297

JSmith

 

[Ear-Wax]

Look for a Ear irrigation flushing system on Amazon. I was able to remove a SUBSTANTIAL amount of cerumen quickly and easily. 50+ years worth in fact. I could post a photo of the insane plug that was discharged but it would probably get me banned...

Best and most cost effective HiFi upgrade ever!

 

[dezza]

Try taking Cod Liver Oil Pills. It worked for a family member. A large plug of earwax dislodged itself after
using this oil for a short time.
I think omega 3 oils in general are helpful for ear wax.

 

[Oldasdrt]

Few drops of hydrogen peroxide 50/50 with water,let sit for ten minutes or so,for four days,flush,
Mine was mostly dead skin, but definitely helped,

 

[GeorgeWalk]

Look for a Ear irrigation flushing system on Amazon. I was able to remove a SUBSTANTIAL amount of cerumen quickly and easily. 50+ years worth in fact. I could post a photo of the insane plug that was discharged but it would probably get me banned...

Best and most cost effective HiFi upgrade ever!

Thanks for not posting a photo, I almost puked just reading this.

 

[Phorize]

Actually, it depends on the nature and consistency of the earwax. Micro suction is clinically favoured, but the most stubborn wax needs something like a Jobson Horne. 2 things to avoid are putting anything like earbuds in you own ear, and letting anyone other than an ent or a degree qualified audiologist do likewise. It’s frighteningly easy to acquire physical damage to the ear drum or noise induced tinnitus from these procedures, run from any practitioner who doesn’t explain this, routine doesn’t mean trivial or risk free.

 

[Phorize]

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A couple of drops of olive oil. Let it sit for 10-15 minutes, then flush with water. You might have to do this 3 or 4 times depending on how much or hard the earwax is.

There’s a reason why the otoscope was invented, The ear is a sensitive, delicate system. Blindly chucking water into it is not a good idea. Sure, if you have minimal, soft ear wax to begin with you’ll get away with it, but with this approach (the water rather than the olive oil bit) a percentage of people will end up with water trapped between the ear wax and the ear drum. A percentage of those ending up here will acquire an ear infection, some easily treatable, some serous with ensuing hearing damage.Over the counter drops are fine but for the love of god see a professional for anything more.

 

[Phorize]

The one from Lord of the Rings?

I can’t recommend this, it takes ages to get an appointment

 

[Phorize]

It's a very popular meme at least...

If your ears are already stuffed with earwax and you just shoved a qtip in there the wax could get impacted or something which I why I recommend some sort of liquid cleaning solution first. Once they're mostly clean, further mechanical "maintenance" cleaning should be just fine.

Whether anyone even needs to do this depends on personal physiology (how much earwax and what consistency) and habits (Do you use IEMs several hours a day?).

Sure, it would be better to not stick things into your ears because something might happen and someone might be able to put together some sort of epidemiological study showing sore some sort of small risk but the same is true or driving or crossing the street on foot.

That is fantastically bad advice. The risk is not trivial as you suggest,

 

[Phorize]

I have been using Q Tips, in my ears, very regularly for over 55 years and have not hurt myself. On the rare ocassions when Drs look into my ear I tell them that I have the cleanest ears that they will ever see which is likely true. Occasionally I will apply medications to the Q tips such as NeoSporin (one of the great inventions of western civ) ,Fluticasone or USP white mineral oil (instead of olive oil).

The notion that you should never insert a q tip, is very silly, in my not humble opinion. Why would you think your own hand is less steady than someone elses? I would never let anyone else clean the earwax out of my ears. That is much much more hazardous.

BTW flushing your ears with cold or warm water results in "caloric" testing of your otoliths and in many individuals will result in violent vertigo. The water should be between 93 and 99 degrees fahrenheit. Measured with an accurate thermometer.

In the USA a typical ENT office visit will result in about a $300 bill. Even if his nurse does the deed.

The advent of modern miniaturized electronics means you can buy a tiny earcam outfit and watch what you are doing. But I have been doing it by feel for more than half a century. (They are down to $27)

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Harupink...l5=9022896&wl6=144818718613&wl7=&wl8=&veh=sem

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=earcam&g...937979&tag=googhydr-20&ref=pd_sl_87iaatqu30_e

I have 3 words: Dunning-Kruger effect.

 

[Phorize]

Why is it that Internet forum health questions always leave me acutely aware of the fact that QAnon is far fewer degrees of separation from where I stand than I would like?

 

[TheBatsEar]

But how do you clean your ears without damaging them?

Connect your CD players line-out to pre-amp-in on the power amp. Will also loosen up kidney stones.

Ask me how i know ;-)

 

[gene_stl]

Over the counter drops are fine but for the love of god see a professional for anything more.

Soon we will require degreed and licensed healthcare professionals to wipe our heinies. Keeping your ears clean is personal hygiene. I don't want to pay in the form of taxes and higher healtchare fees for idiots that can't or won't clean their own ears.

I have had training in microvascular repair under the surgical microscope and operated on hundreds of dogs in surgical research. I think I can manage a q tip. But thank you for your concern.

 

[Phorize]

Soon we will require degreed and licensed healthcare professionals to wipe our heinies. Keeping your ears clean is personal hygiene. I don't want to pay in the form of taxes and higher healtchare fees for idiots that can't or won't clean their own ears.

I have had training in microvascular repair under the surgical microscope and operated on hundreds of dogs in surgical research. I think I can manage a q tip. But thank you for your concern.

 

[TheBatsEar]

Soon we will require degreed and licensed healthcare professionals to wipe our heinies. Keeping your ears clean is personal hygiene. I don't want to pay in the form of taxes and higher healtchare fees for idiots that can't or won't clean their own ears.

I have had training in microvascular repair under the surgical microscope and operated on hundreds of dogs in surgical research. I think I can manage a q tip. But thank you for your concern.

Yeah, mayhaps. I'm still gonna have to ask you if you have a loicense for that Q tip, luv.