• FinishingDutch@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    1
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    18 days ago

    DO NOT stick anything in your ears. Absolutely not.

    Your ears are self cleaning. Earwax is a cleaning mechanism, that’s designed to trap dirt and things and remove them from your ear. It works with your jaw movement, which slowly moves the wax to the outermost part of the ear.

    If you use Q-tips, your ears produces more wax because it thinks there’s something that needs cleaning. Basically, you’re making things worse by doing that.

    If you’ve got a clogged ear: first try a few drops of olive oil and let it sit for a minute or two. That’ll soften the wax and make it easier to get out. Usually you’ll need to do it a day or two.

    If your ear remains clogged, get it irrigated at your doctor’s office. They squirt lukewarm water in it to flush out your ear canal. You’ll have awesome superhero hearing for a day or so afterwards. It’s quick and painless if done properly.

    Do not fuck with your ears yourself. It’s not worth it.

    • Resonosity@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      18 days ago

      I have my own irrigation bulb and had to do this the other week when my earwax was basically blocking my ability to hear at all. Think I got soap or water in my eyes before that to cause the issue.

      I loved the superhuman hearing afterwards though, god haha

      • FinishingDutch@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        18 days ago

        Honestly though… irrigation to me is just as enjoyable :D

        It’s like scratching an itch in a spot you didn’t even know was itching. And you’re going to love how clean it feels. Definitely get it done at least once if you’ve never experienced it.

    • Katana314@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      2
      ·
      18 days ago

      My ears do not self clean. You’re right about the oiling, in fact there’s a pharmaceutical product that does the same loosening. But, once that’s done, water irrigation generally does almost nothing, and most people don’t have a spare $8 trillion to keep visiting their clinic for those procedures.

      Instead, there are specialized ear cleaning tools (definitely not Q-tips) designed to scoop wax rather than push it in; keep to up/down/side motions rather than inward and you can collect a fair chunk of it out. It has done far more for me than simply squirting water.

      PS: Even squirting water is not uniformly safe. I have gotten an infection before by trying to use too much pressure with the hand bulbs.

      • FinishingDutch@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        18 days ago

        Basically, every method has its pros and cons. For me, a few drops of oil and irrigation work fine. But I also know some people require manual curette and suction to get it cleaned.

        And yes, the ear bulb has its own cons. For example, you shouldn’t do it if you’ve ever had ear related trauma like a blown eardrum or ear tubes. And it should always be done with lukewarm water, as cold water can lead to dizziness.

        For me, here in the Netherlands, it’s a free doctor’s visit to get it done. Only costs me the ten minute wait in the waiting room.