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?
If you are worried about Otitis Externa (swimmer's ear) that's really not related to wax build up but is an infection with a variety of bugs. The best thing is a 50/50 mix of white vinegar and rubbing alcohol to irrigate your ear(s) after swimming for prevention. This works to treat infection too, but has to be done more frequently. It works as well if not better as anything you get by prescription.
If it's wax build up that is bugging you, this isn't a problem unless it impacts your hearing. The old hydrogen peroxide works great and anything you get a pharmacy (like debrox) is just hydrogen peroxide in a fancy and much more expensive form. After letting the hydrogen peroxide sit for a few minutes, irrigate the ear with a syringe of warm water. Don't use cold tap water or you can induce vertigo and, possibly, vomiting (we used to do this to each other in Med School as a treatment for boredom).
If you are worried about Otitis Externa (swimmer's ear) that's really not related to wax build up but is an infection with a variety of bugs. The best thing is a 50/50 mix of white vinegar and rubbing alcohol to irrigate your ear(s) after swimming for prevention. This works to treat infection too, but has to be done more frequently. It works as well if not better as anything you get by prescription.
If it's wax build up that is bugging you, this isn't a problem unless it impacts your hearing. The old hydrogen peroxide works great and anything you get a pharmacy (like debrox) is just hydrogen peroxide in a fancy and much more expensive form. After letting the hydrogen peroxide sit for a few minutes, irrigate the ear with a syringe of warm water. Don't use cold tap water or you can induce vertigo and, possibly, vomiting (we used to do this to each other in Med School as a treatment for boredom).
