Anybody have good ideas about getting wax and other stuff our of your ears? Thanks.
It seems like the usual advice and web searches come up with having your doctor do it. The usual advice is to also not do it yourself. But when you're climbing out of the swimming pool twice and thrice a day... I confess to gently using q-tip's with much fear and concern so as not to go in too deep. There's thoughts of rubbing alcohol too... Does anybody else deal with this?
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Former Member
I have bad ears that are prone to infection, and this works for me.
First, I use cotton-lanolin-beeswax earplugs. (You can get them at earplugsonline.com.) They seal better than any other earplug I've used, and I've tried all kinds, including the Speedo silicons. And they're comfortable.
Second, after getting out and showering, I put a couple of drops of rubbing alcohol into each ear (one at a time, of course), let it settle in for a few seconds, then let it drain out and follow up with a Q-tip. If you don't like the heat of the straight isopropyl alcohol, you can buy an alcohol-based solution at the drug store or swim shop.
And yes, I use Q-tips specifically. For my money, they've got the softest stem and the most padding.
If you use them properly, you don't have to worry about the swabs. Just gently swab the outer area of the canal (don't get anywhere near the drum) and the outer ear. What you want to avoid is tamping any wax deeper into the ear, or contacting any of the delicate structures in the inner part of the canal.
That does it for me.
If you have a problem with wax build-up, just pony up for an appointment with a good ENT, have him/her look at your ear and recommend a course of maintenance.
I have bad ears that are prone to infection, and this works for me.
First, I use cotton-lanolin-beeswax earplugs. (You can get them at earplugsonline.com.) They seal better than any other earplug I've used, and I've tried all kinds, including the Speedo silicons. And they're comfortable.
Second, after getting out and showering, I put a couple of drops of rubbing alcohol into each ear (one at a time, of course), let it settle in for a few seconds, then let it drain out and follow up with a Q-tip. If you don't like the heat of the straight isopropyl alcohol, you can buy an alcohol-based solution at the drug store or swim shop.
And yes, I use Q-tips specifically. For my money, they've got the softest stem and the most padding.
If you use them properly, you don't have to worry about the swabs. Just gently swab the outer area of the canal (don't get anywhere near the drum) and the outer ear. What you want to avoid is tamping any wax deeper into the ear, or contacting any of the delicate structures in the inner part of the canal.
That does it for me.
If you have a problem with wax build-up, just pony up for an appointment with a good ENT, have him/her look at your ear and recommend a course of maintenance.
