Help I have a blocked ear.

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The other day I found some otex ear drops in the cupboard and thought let me use them I used to do it the past occasionally, I don't appear to have ear wax problems so I used them.

This morning I was clearing my ears as usual and now I've gone deaf in my left ear like it's blocked. It's driving me mad I feel dizzy, I bought a spray from boots hoping it may fix the problem now it's only got worse.

Do I just wait a while or go to the GP? I've tried all the yawning, blowing my nose stuff.

and I am in the office now too so it's not ideal. 
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Comments

  • not_the_djnot_the_dj Frets: 7306
    edited January 2018
    The otex will have started to work and a loose bit of softened wax has blocked the ear canal. It’s not a one use only product, you need to use to a couple of times a day for a few days, then the body’s natural process will clear it. 

    Personally I find otex a bit too harsh but I have used it in the past. 

    It’ll be a good idea to get some chewing gum. The chewing motion helps to clear the ears and gradually transport the wax out. 

    Don’t put anything larger than your elbow in your ear. That’ll just push loose wax further in and can easily cause infections in the delicate ear lining. 
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  • randellarandella Frets: 4088
    If you do go to the doc (or nurse) and it is properly blocked with wax, they'll likely send you off again to put olive oil in there twice a day for a week or more.

    The NHS advice (last I read) is to use olive oil and not Otex, but if it's bothering you, go to the doc and take their advice, not mine!
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  • adamm82adamm82 Frets: 448
    randella said:
    If you do go to the doc (or nurse) and it is properly blocked with wax, they'll likely send you off again to put olive oil in there twice a day for a week or more.

    The NHS advice (last I read) is to use olive oil and not Otex, but if it's bothering you, go to the doc and take their advice, not mine!
    is it a particular olive oil drops for ears or I can use regular stuff?

    I have just brought back 3 litres of top end Olive oil from Italy.

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  • randellarandella Frets: 4088
    I've just re-read the NHS page and it says olive or almond oil, as long as you*haven't* got a perforated ear drum.

    FWIW my doc told me the same and I just used supermarket olive oil out the kitchen cupboard.  It does work unless you're properly bunged.
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  • FretwiredFretwired Frets: 24601
    My dad suffers with ear wax. I take him to his GP and a nurse uses a neat gadget to clean the wax out of his ears. Takes a couple of minutes per ear. He can then hear again for about 6 months until his ears clog up again .. the pain of getting old.

    Remember, it's easier to criticise than create!
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  • WezVWezV Frets: 16543

    I recently went docs with a similar complaint.  I had been using otex for a week or two but no difference.   There was no wax at all by the time I went in to see them and I was totally deaf in one ear


    Turned out I had an infection behind my ear drum and a block eustachion tube.   4 different courses of antibiotics for the infection as none would shift it.   they recommended an anti allergy nasal spray to help clear all the sinuses so the infection could drain away

    It got quite painful and took ages to shift

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  • LegionreturnsLegionreturns Frets: 7965
    edited January 2018
    I use regular olive oil when this happens, have done since I was a kid. It's saved me a fortune in the snake oil variants at boots that cost a bomb and don't fucking work! 

    Just get some regular olive oil and put a couple of drops in your ear before bed. You might want a towel on your pillow. Do this for a few days and you'll be sorted, unless it's something more serious. 

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  • NeillNeill Frets: 941
    Use warmed up olive oil, twice a day let it sit in the ear for at least 2 mins. A few days of that will almost certainly clear any wax, but you can probably get your ears looked at without making a GP appointment, a nurse normally does ear syringing these days.  

    That Otex stuff should be banned, it doesn't do anything that olive oil doesn't and this is not the first time I've heard of it actually causing problems.
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  • p90foolp90fool Frets: 31368

    Don’t put anything larger than your elbow in your ear. 
    Thanks a bunch, I've just tried this, now I've tied myself in a knot and I'm having to type this with my nose... 
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  • randellarandella Frets: 4088
    p90fool said:

    Don’t put anything larger than your elbow in your ear. 
    Thanks a bunch, I've just tried this, now I've tied myself in a knot and I'm having to type this with my nose... 
    Probably needs clarifying.

    if(pokeyThing.size >= (new Elbow()).size)
    {
        try
        {
            bool result = TryInsertPokeyThing(pokeyThing);
        }
        catch(PokeyThingException ex)
        {
            throw new Exception("Don't put your actual elbow in your ear, you'll have to type with your nose.");
        }
    }
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  • CarpeDiemCarpeDiem Frets: 275
    It may take a number of days for the olive oil ear drops to soften the wax sufficiently to come out. I bought an ear syringe from Boots, which I used in conjunction with olive oil last time I had a blocked ear. This allowed me to control the warm water pressure when I used it. Tempting as it may be, I would avoid using ear buds as they tend to push more debris into the ear.
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  • CHRISB50CHRISB50 Frets: 4287

    I had a blocked ear, used Otex and ended up with a perforated ear drum.

    Just go to the doctor.

    I can't help about the shape I'm in, I can't sing I ain't pretty and my legs are thin

    But don't ask me what I think of you, I might not give the answer that you want me to

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  • KiniooKinioo Frets: 19
    Or go Thailand they will sort it out on the street....
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  • spark240spark240 Frets: 2073
    Well...Im just at the end of my Ear infection antibiotics, 4 weeks treatment, 3 times a day. Prior to that I had 2 sessions of micro suction ( documented in another thread)...

    Use the oil 2-3 times a day, just small drops, dont fiddle with your ear or pull it around, it feels good but does nothing and dont stick anything oin like paper clips ( thiough they are very satiofting ! ) 

    It should start to ease after a few days, personally I wouldn't bother with having it flushed out at the walk in, look up a microsuction place and go there.   


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  • SRichSRich Frets: 762
    edited January 2018
    adamm82 said:

    I have just brought back 3 litres of top end Olive oil from Italy.

    Er.....not the whole three litres please.......

    "There's things I want, there's things I think I want 
    There's things I've had, there's things I wanna have" 
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  • SassafrasSassafras Frets: 30273
    adamm82 said:
    randella said:
    If you do go to the doc (or nurse) and it is properly blocked with wax, they'll likely send you off again to put olive oil in there twice a day for a week or more.

    The NHS advice (last I read) is to use olive oil and not Otex, but if it's bothering you, go to the doc and take their advice, not mine!
    is it a particular olive oil drops for ears or I can use regular stuff?

    I have just brought back 3 litres of top end Olive oil from Italy.

    Should be enough to do both ears.
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  • JezWyndJezWynd Frets: 6021
    Neill said:
    Use warmed up olive oil, twice a day let it sit in the ear for at least 2 mins. A few days of that will almost certainly clear any wax, but you can probably get your ears looked at without making a GP appointment, a nurse normally does ear syringing these days.  

    That Otex stuff should be banned, it doesn't do anything that olive oil doesn't and this is not the first time I've heard of it actually causing problems.
    Absolutely correct. Olive oil, lightly warmed for a couple of days will likely clear the problem without any further intervention. Otex never worked for me, except to irritate my ear and make it more painful.
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  • notanonnotanon Frets: 604
    People mentioned drying properly I always make mistake or not spending time drying carefully. In the night I awake scratching my ear with my finger (yep the right hand with longer finger nails for picking - sigh).

    The last time this happened I got the usual infection. Antibiotics didn't move it turned out to be fungal infection. Worth checking at doctors.

    Careful with micro suction. I had that and 15 minutes later toppled over as some kind of pressure released and my balance went  - I felt like I was pinned to the ground. Just another 10 minutes I could have been driving!!! Next time I have that done I ain't gonna drive for at least 24 hours it was that frightening.
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  • IamnobodyIamnobody Frets: 6887
    edited January 2018
    Olive oil to loosen the wax - then GP for a syringe if necessary.

    PS never confuse ear drops for eye drops.

    Unless you actually want to spend a few hours in A&E getting your eye irrigated by a camp male nurse absolutely ripping the piss out of you for being an idiot...
    Previously known as stevebrum
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