Ways to prevent wax build-up??

My ears block up with wax regularly and for years I have been going to the doctor every 6 months and getting one ear or the other syringed. The wax is very compacted – it doesn’t come out easily when the doctor tries to flush it out and it is a painful business. I’m worried that one day one of my eardrums is going to get damaged.

I was wondering if anyone has any experience of a way to prevent the wax build-up in my ears, so that I don’t have to go to the doctor and get syringed.

I think once you start syringing you need to carry on. Since I started swimming the wax seems not to be such a problem though.

Do you regularly put anything in your ears...easpecially hearing aids, or ear plugs or earphones? These can constantly push the wax back into the ear and so compact it.      Your pharmacist should be able to advise you about ear drops that can be used,but you may just be one of those people who produce a lot of earwax. ask your doctor if a weekly treatment of  few drops of olive oil may help. You could do this yourself. 

Thanks Marina - I do put things in my ears. My wife is a heavy snorer and I'm a light sleeper - it's either move to another bed or use earplugs, and I don't want to move. Anyway, I had the problem with wax for many years before my wife's snoring stared to bother me - probably the ear plugs have made it worse.

My doctor did suggest putting a few drops of olive oil into my ears regularly as you suggest, but he said he had no idea if it would work. I was just wondering if there was anyone here who had actually tried it (or anything else).

I'll probably try doing that, and then maybe go to the doctors before the wax has built up to be a problem, and ask him to check my ears. Maybe syringing at that point will not need to be so forceful. Anyway, thanks for the response

I appreciate your concern Jack - syringing is unpleasant - I hate it !

However las time I had my ear syringed the nurse suggested I put a few drops of Olive Oil into the ear every month. I did this using a product called EAROL which is an olive oil spray which has a simple yet unique delivery system capable of delivering a discrete unit dose  of Olive oil to the ear canal, enhancing ease of use, reducing over application and significantly reducing spillage/mess. Suffice it to say I have not had any problem or the need for syringing since I started using Earol spray.

Hope this is helpful.

colin63860

Hi Colin

That's great, exactly the sort of help I was looking for. It's not sold in  Australia where I live, but I looked on eBay and I can get it delivered. How often to dyou sray it into your ear. I'm thinking perhaps once a week as Marina suggested.

Thanks for your kind help, Colin

Jack

Good information Colin. 

Glad you found it helpful Jack.  I apply the Olive Oil spray every month and that does the trick for me. You may of course wish to apply it more frequently as suggested by Marina. 

Best Wishes,

Colin63860

hi jack.  the thing is with de waxing - it does the job.  But for me the final thing to do is to have a real hot bath, immerse your ears in clear hot water.  the heat should enable the wax to escape. So you end up with de - waxed ears.  Then after fully drying, apply a few drops of de wax ear solution as the second attempt - the de - wax is entering totally de- waxed ears. Well hopefully de-waxed to remove any remnants.