Clogged ears

[Bateluer]

My left ear has been clogged with something since last friday. All the sound sounds muffled in the left ear. So far, I've tried this stuff for swimmer's ear, and an ear wax removal kit. Neither seems to work, although blue ball flush/plunger seemed to alleviate it a little bit.

I've never had a history of ear wax build up or ear infections either, so this a first. Any ides on how to unclog this stupid ear? Preferably cheap/home remedies.

 

[her209]

Drop alcohol in your ear?

 

[Sundog]

H2O2---hydrogen peroxide (over-the-counter stuff). $1.50 for a big bottle


Alcohol willnot do anything to help get the wax out.

 

[hg321]

liquid plumber?

 

[tomt4535]

Originally posted by: hg321
liquid plumber?

:thumbsup:

 

[SLU MD]

see at doctor?

ENT (ear nose and throat doc) will take it out in a sec

SLU MD

 

[Ornery]

Antibiotics for sinus/ear infection?

 

[xEDIT409]

Aw man, I had my right ear clogged for a week last year. It was hell.

I did some weird ass things, like take a suction to the ear to suck it out.

One day, I had this silly idea that maybe big soundwaves can break up the wax. So I turned my PC speakers up to the FULLEST, and closed my left ear, put my right ear RIGHT NEXT to the speaker, and pressed play. I didn't effect it one bit... but it was kinda cool.

Just rough it out. That's what I ended up doing.
Good luck!

 

[Bateluer]

Originally posted by: Sundog
H2O2---hydrogen peroxide (over-the-counter stuff). $1.50 for a big bottle


Alcohol willnot do anything to help get the wax out.

I thought about getting some H2O2, but a co-worker told me it caused extreme dryness and irritation. I thought I remembered my Mom using it to clean my brother's ears out years ago. Coworker made me second guess myself, thought it was something different. I just saw them at the Pharmacy for 89 cents too. Drat, I'll stop by on saturday after I work out and pick some up.

SLU MD, I'd rather not have to see a doctor about this for two reasons. 1) The only available appointments are usually at O' Dark thirty in the morning and I work swing swift. And 2) I hate going to the hospital/doctor's in general. Ugh.

 

[dighn]

that really sucks... i had my ear clogged last year and it was horrible. felt like i was underwater all the time and got dizzy. went to the physician, he tried to syringer it out and he thought he did get it out but i realized it was still there after i returned home... finally pulled out the plug myself with an ear pick, dangerous i know but at least it worked. it was so hard and tightly lodged in there that there was no way syringing could have gotten it out

 

[AreaCode707]

Get a small syringe, like one that they would use to clear out a baby's nose or ears. Suck warm water into the syringe and then inject the water into your ear. Use your judgment so that you don't do it too violently. It may take a while but this should loosen the wax and eventually bring it to the front of your ear where you can get it out.

 

[Juice Box]

whats that? Cant hear ya !

 

[aplefka]

Originally posted by: HotChic
Get a small syringe, like one that they would use to clear out a baby's nose or ears. Suck warm water into the syringe and then inject the water into your ear. Use your judgment so that you don't do it too violently. It may take a while but this should loosen the wax and eventually bring it to the front of your ear where you can get it out.

I twitched with anticipation of pain/tickliness from this one.

 

[yhelothar]

Don't listen to anyone here, they have no idea what their talking about. Wax doesn't clog up your ear like that.
What you have is middle ear infection, also known as ottis media. It happens when your eustachian tube, which is a tube connecting your nasal cavity to your middle ear, gets clogged up after fluid from your nasal cavity gets into your middle ear(usually from blowing your nose really hard, nasal cavitiy flooded with fluids, or sneezing).
The remedy is to see a doctor, and have a tube surgically installed onto your eardrum to drain out the fluids.
After the tube is removed, you will experience about a 10% permanent hearing lost on your ear.
Speaking from experience, I had it three times.

 

[AreaCode707]

Originally posted by: virtualgames0
Don't listen to anyone here, they have no idea what their talking about. Wax doesn't clog up your ear like that.
What you have is middle ear infection, also known as ottis media. It happens when your eustachian tube, which is a tube connecting your nasal cavity to your middle ear, gets clogged up after fluid from your nasal cavity gets into your middle ear(usually from blowing your nose really hard, nasal cavitiy flooded with fluids, or sneezing).
The remedy is to see a doctor, and have a tube surgically installed onto your eardrum to drain out the fluids.
After the tube is removed, you will experience about a 10% permanent hearing lost on your ear.
Speaking from experience, I had it three times.

Um, wax can interfere with your hearing and it can clog up your ear.

WebMD link
Impacted earwax may cause some hearing loss or other problems, such as ringing in the ears (tinnitus), a full feeling in the ears, or vertigo. Poking at the wax with cotton swabs, your fingers, or other objects usually only further compacts the wax against the eardrum.

 

[darkamulets]

had this happen once or twice, hydrogen peroxide just a few drops did it. you'll here a popping noise and 1 min or 2 later you will hear again and then just rinse out gently with water

 

[AlienCraft]

Originally posted by: virtualgames0
Don't listen to anyone here, they have no idea what their talking about. Wax doesn't clog up your ear like that.
What you have is middle ear infection, also known as ottis media. It happens when your eustachian tube, which is a tube connecting your nasal cavity to your middle ear, gets clogged up after fluid from your nasal cavity gets into your middle ear(usually from blowing your nose really hard, nasal cavitiy flooded with fluids, or sneezing).
The remedy is to see a doctor, and have a tube surgically installed onto your eardrum to drain out the fluids.
After the tube is removed, you will experience about a 10% permanent hearing lost on your ear.
Speaking from experience, I had it three times.

You cannot diagnose an infection over the intarweb. I can, however, tell you with 99% certainty that given the symptoms he has descibed, he has an ear wax blockage. I get them in the fall & winter as a result of increased indoor sedentary activity.
A bit of warm water squirted into the ear with the ear bulb, should do it. Some Hydrogen peroxide will also help the process.
I have seen blobs as big as a pencil erasure come out of my ear.
If it doesn't come out with a few applications, go see a doctor and make sure you don't have an infection.

 

[datalink7]

I've heard dawn dish soup actually works really well (from an ear doctor).

 

[Schrodinger]

Seems like H2O2 is quite popular.

Maybe I'm just weird but I've never ever had to clean my ears out with such measures. I've never found clumps, lumps or chunks the size of erasers of ear wax.

The most wax I get is when I use a q-tip in the morning...I dip the q-tip in hot water after a shower and then wiggle it in each ear and the q-tip turns yellowish.

Could this H2O2 thing clear my hearing more? Perhaps I'm deaf and don't even know it

 

[Bateluer]

Originally posted by: Schrodinger
Seems like H2O2 is quite popular.

Aye, wish I'd bought some on my way home from work today with the ear bulb and wax removal stuff.

 

[shimsham]

Originally posted by: Sundog
H2O2---hydrogen peroxide (over-the-counter stuff). $1.50 for a big bottle

worked for me.

 

[BannedTroll]

Originally posted by: Sundog
H2O2---hydrogen peroxide (over-the-counter stuff). $1.50 for a big bottle


Alcohol willnot do anything to help get the wax out.

 

[AlienCraft]

Originally posted by: Schrodinger
Seems like H2O2 is quite popular.

Maybe I'm just weird but I've never ever had to clean my ears out with such measures. I've never found clumps, lumps or chunks the size of erasers of ear wax.

The most wax I get is when I use a q-tip in the morning...I dip the q-tip in hot water after a shower and then wiggle it in each ear and the q-tip turns yellowish.

Could this H2O2 thing clear my hearing more? Perhaps I'm deaf and don't even know it

If it turns yellowish, theres wax in there. If you go to a doc and have him irrigate your ears, you'll have more chunks coming out than you think.

 

[yhelothar]

Originally posted by: AlienCraft

Originally posted by: virtualgames0
Don't listen to anyone here, they have no idea what their talking about. Wax doesn't clog up your ear like that.
What you have is middle ear infection, also known as ottis media. It happens when your eustachian tube, which is a tube connecting your nasal cavity to your middle ear, gets clogged up after fluid from your nasal cavity gets into your middle ear(usually from blowing your nose really hard, nasal cavitiy flooded with fluids, or sneezing).
The remedy is to see a doctor, and have a tube surgically installed onto your eardrum to drain out the fluids.
After the tube is removed, you will experience about a 10% permanent hearing lost on your ear.
Speaking from experience, I had it three times.

You cannot diagnose an infection over the intarweb. I can, however, tell you with 99% certainty that given the symptoms he has descibed, he has an ear wax blockage. I get them in the fall & winter as a result of increased indoor sedentary activity.
A bit of warm water squirted into the ear with the ear bulb, should do it. Some Hydrogen peroxide will also help the process.
I have seen blobs as big as a pencil erasure come out of my ear.
If it doesn't come out with a few applications, go see a doctor and make sure you don't have an infection.

I've had HUGE pieces of wax in my ear before. One that required small tweezers to remove. And even that didn't affect my hearing much. Ear wax can cause marginal hearing loss. But what he's discribing is muffling. Muffling usually indicates ear infection.

 

[dighn]

Originally posted by: virtualgames0

I've had HUGE pieces of wax in my ear before. One that required small tweezers to remove. And even that didn't affect my hearing much. Ear wax can cause marginal hearing loss. But what he's discribing is muffling. Muffling usually indicates ear infection.

i had a wax plug in my ear that made me nearly deaf in that ear. it was so bad that it caused vertigo. actually that happened to me twice.

it was the wax because after getting the plug out my hearing was instantly restored. in fact it was for a brief moment ultra sensitive.