Your Ears

[crosscutred]

Sorry dude, caught me at a low ebb.
No worries, it's all good.
Look after your ears, it matters.....
No matter what you're listening to.

Cheers.

[joeq]

Originally Posted by Baz

I've used an ear candle a couple of times. The stuff it extracts is pretty nasty

sorry no

the "stuff it extracts" has been scientifically proven to be 100% coming from the candle itself, and not your ears.

no candle flame has the draft or 'suction' to pull wax out of your ear, it's absurd; and if it did, it would pop your eardrums in the attempt. When you light a candle at the dinner table, does it suck the food off your plate?

ear candles are dangerous new-age quackery. Some doctors report seeing more ear damage in a year from ear candling (hot wax burns, etc) than any other cause, including wax buildup and excessive volume.

BTW, ear candles are not some "ancient tradition" that has stood the test of time, either. The Hopi Native Americans never heard of them, the Egyptians never heard of them, it's 100% hippie marketing bullshit.

I warn any person who cares about their hearing to stay completely away from them.

[Erik Thomas]

Ive had major allergies all my life and sinus issues. A couple years ago, I got an MRI on my head at a local hospital to see what my sinus cavities looked like. They were all swelled up more than 75% not good. Later that summer I had some fluid backup in my left ear which cut off most of my hearing in that ear... it went on for a month so I went to see an ENT specialist. She punctured the ear drum lightly and sucked out the fluid with a suction device. This fixed the problem.

Since then, Ive been on daily claritin, use a nasal flush devise and nasal spray to cut down on the fluid in the nose and ear canals. Once it gets up in the eustachian tubes and stays there, then its time to see an ENT specialist... in fact in my opinion all sound pros should see one at some point in their career to get evaluated, particularly if they have allergies.

[Space Station]

No need for a specialist in the UK at least, just go down the docs and say you'd like your ears checked for excess wax. They'll check your ears and if they need it they'll book you in to have them syringed..they use an electric pump to blast out the wax with warm water..they may ask you to put olive oil in there for a week before you go..I have to have mine done every 2-3 years. Worth checking if your ears are your job. I'd advise against sticking anything in your ears yourself, extremely risky.

[Kim Bjäle]

IF (and only if) you want that perfect sound in your ears you have to get rid of those nasty things lurking there & and when you do be sure they`re triangled formed... Good night from Sweden...

[Baz]

Originally Posted by joeq

sorry no

the "stuff it extracts" has been scientifically proven to be 100% coming from the candle itself, and not your ears.

no candle flame has the draft or 'suction' to pull wax out of your ear, it's absurd; and if it did, it would pop your eardrums in the attempt. When you light a candle at the dinner table, does it suck the food off your plate?

ear candles are dangerous new-age quackery. Some doctors report seeing more ear damage in a year from ear candling (hot wax burns, etc) than any other cause, including wax buildup and excessive volume.

BTW, ear candles are not some "ancient tradition" that has stood the test of time, either. The Hopi Native Americans never heard of them, the Egyptians never heard of them, it's 100% hippie marketing bullshit.

I warn any person who cares about their hearing to stay completely away from them.

Whats that? I can't hear you ..

I've burnt a candle by itself . There was nothing there at the butt end when I did 'solo' it. There's also no vacuum to speak of, so no idea why you insinuate that it's like sticking a Hoover™ nozzle on ones ear. ROFL!

Thanks for your opinion, random useless Hopi Indian reference and all! Oh and the dinner table candle! Again, ROFL! Seriously, for real. That's funny stuff

But in all seriousness, I've only done it once. I tend to go with those that said let the ears clean themselves. So if you're not down with the candles, stick with the program and see it through because I spoke to a Dr that said putting anything in your ear smaller than your elbow is BAD! So ya, if you're in, you're ALL in, Dude....

Oh, I also use a Neti Pot now and then. Hope I don't melt my sinuses

[JP06]

It should be noted that healthy ears take care of themselves and don't require any maintenance. As the saying goes, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it".

But if wax buildup is a problem, regular steps to prevent it from building up would be to:
A. Clean your ears with luke-warm water while shovering
B. Use moisturizing/wax softening product a couple of times a week
There are products like Ceridal lipolotion for this but plain olive oil works too.

To clean them, the best option would be to get an appointment at health center to get them irrigated. Soften the wax before you go:
- Oroclean®, works fast
- Remo-Wax®, slower (use overnight for example)
- Olive Oil, also slow

Or you could flush them with water yourself:
1. Soften the wax
2. Fill a syringe with luke-warm water
3. Straighten the ear canal by pulling the ear behind and up
4. Aim the water stream at back ceiling of the ear canal with medium pressure (don't block the ear canal with the syringe as the build up of pressure might rupture the eardrum)
5. Flush as many times as needed to get the wax out

Note: I'm not a specialist on the subject. This is partly a guide for myself on how to treat my ears.

[zorf]

Just was reading post #33 above and was
Concerned for Erik.
It sounds like he is going through a lot of discomfort
Erik, have you thought about trying to figure out
The problem at the root by addressing your allergies?
Could be food, pollin, dander, molds, etc.
Hope you find some relief.

[DavidH]

Originally Posted by Erik Thomas

Ive had major allergies all my life and sinus issues. A couple years ago, I got an MRI on my head at a local hospital to see what my sinus cavities looked like. They were all swelled up more than 75% not good. Later that summer I had some fluid backup in my left ear which cut off most of my hearing in that ear... it went on for a month so I went to see an ENT specialist. She punctured the ear drum lightly and sucked out the fluid with a suction device. This fixed the problem.

Since then, Ive been on daily claritin, use a nasal flush devise and nasal spray to cut down on the fluid in the nose and ear canals. Once it gets up in the eustachian tubes and stays there, then its time to see an ENT specialist... in fact in my opinion all sound pros should see one at some point in their career to get evaluated, particularly if they have allergies.

When i was a kid (14 or thereabouts) i had my sinuses drilled due to chronic infections (they add drainage holes at the base of the sinuses to keep them clear), never had any form of congestion since, it worked wonders. Maybe there's a surgical procedure that could help you.