I've got water trapped in my ear

holnrew

I know cotton buds are bad, but I get so much wax. I haven't used them for ages until tonight and got out two massive nuggets in the affected ear. What are you supposed to do instead?

Bellycaster

not_the_dj said:

wax has swelled up with the water....all the medical advice is to not put anything smaller than your elbow into your ear....you can cause more damage with a cotton bud so just give it time and use some drops to soften it.  

Follow this advice.

RandallFlagg

lean over sink and syringe warm water in over and over quite firmly, eventually the wax lump will drop out

Sarge

hold your hand an inch from the ear then get someone to blow hard in your other ear.... 

chrispy108

NSFW or life Don't just jam stuff in your ears. Get some Otex.

thermionic

Go to a GP to get them syringed.

I had this when I was about 15. Tipped my head all sorts of angles to try and tip the water out (which usually works) to no avail. GP gave me drops to try and dissolve the wax but a week of next to no hearing in one ear later I went back, where the nurse syringed them. The massive lumps of dark wax that came out was frightening. While I was there she did the other ear - and even more came out of that one!

A little disgusting, but the relief of getting my hearing back was great.

holnrew

chrispy108 said:

NSFW or life Don't just jam stuff in your ears. Get some Otex.

That was amazing

not_the_dj

As well as possibly damaging the sensitive eardrum and inner ear lining (which needs a degree of wax to keep itself dirt free) using cotton buds will increase the chance of getting an ear infection, and you'll most likely inadvertently push some of the wax deeper in. Personally I find otex a bit too harsh, olive oil is better, but there's also produces like audiclean that work well...and boots cell syringe's for ears that you can use to regularly give them a bit of a flush (the nozzle/outlets point outwards not straight into the ear). 

jaytmon

chrispy108 said:

NSFW or life Don't just jam stuff in your ears. Get some Otex.

That's not earwax. That person is having their brain scooped out through their ear.

fretmeister

Boil it out with a soldering iron or blow torch.

Ro_S

holnrew said:

I know cotton buds are bad, but I get so much wax. I haven't used them for ages until tonight and got out two massive nuggets in the affected ear. 

yum

boogieman

holnrew said:

chrispy108 said:

NSFW or life Don't just jam stuff in your ears. Get some Otex.

That was amazing

Err, nope. That was disgusting! 

Mkjackary

Spoke to GP today, I have some wax in my ear, she said I could go to a pharmacist and get something but she has found that 2 drops of olive oil in each ear will do it just as good (and you will have  some already), the wax dissolves into it, it won't dissolve in water. Just put two bits of kitchen roll in your ears (not far, just barely enough that they dont fall out).
Do that once a day and that should help with ear wax (particularly crusty old wax, or wax that is too far in the ear to get at with a cotton bud.

IvisonGuitars

boogieman said:

holnrew said:

chrispy108 said:

NSFW or life Don't just jam stuff in your ears. Get some Otex.

That was amazing

Err, nope. That was disgusting! 

That's some major abscess or infection I'd say! Fucking grim regardless!

BahHumbug

I tend to have quite a bit of earwax and get a bit clogged from time to time. Olive oil is the best stuff for softening and loosening it. I also use earplugs for motorcycling/vacuum cleaning....they will either pull wax out with them or wedge it in further.....so a bit random really.....

CabbageCat

Get your ear syringed. Not because you need it, just because it's the best experience ever. I love it.

richardhomer

BahHumbug said:

I also use earplugs for motorcycling/vacuum cleaning....

Jeez - how loud is your Hoover?

Emp_Fab

Be VERY VERY careful with your ears.  I managed to perforate my left eardrum with a cotton bud, which subsequently led to an inner-ear infection when I got water in my ear in the bath.  This gave me the most awful dizzy spells for months.  It's only just resolved itself in the past few weeks.  Months of severe dizzy spells is fucking awful.

Nitefly

Don't put any beans in there:

holnrew

Is sunflower oil acceptable?