Clean Ears

[B_Think_Kink]

I was sitting on the bus today and the man in front of me had dried wax coming out of his ear canal. I was instantly drawn to it because I find that so disturbing. I am a compulsive ear cleaner, I do it everyday after I come out of the shower. I have 13 piercings in my ears and they make my ears dirtier than normal and I want people to look at my ears and see clean ears.


What about the rest of the LPSG population, what are your ear cleaning habits?

 

[jakeatolla]

I swim a lot, so the chlorine tends to remove any ear wax I might build
up. Never had a problem since I started swimming.

 

[Mem]

I've had to have my ears irrigated (I think that's what they call it) twice. They take a large syringe and fill it with water and shoot it into your ear. The first time the wax was big, like the size of a pencil eraser.

 

[Meniscus]

People have earwax for a reason. It's supposed to be there. The inside of your ears are not meant to be squeaky clean. The American Academy of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Sugery, advises against cleaning the ears on a daily basis. See the fact sheets below.

http://www.entnet.org/AboutUs/upload/what-is-earwax-Fact-sheet.pdf
http://www.entnet.org/AboutUs/upload/ewarwax-dos-and-donts-Fact-sheet.pdf

If you can't open pdf files, try this link:
Earwax

I never had a problem with excessive earwax, but somehow I got in the habit of frequently cleaning my ears. As a result, a few months ago, I began developing a problem with extremely dry skin inside my ears. My previous doctor said it was like having "ear dandruff." My new doctor used the word "eczema" but he also said that wasn't really an accurate term.

Now, if I leave my ears alone, they very quickly fill up with dry flakes of skin. Then I can't leave them alone and I end up using a fingernail to pick and scrape away all the dead skin (which is probably the wrong thing to do). I wonder if the guy in front of you on the bus had a problem like mine, instead of too much ear wax. I've tried several different rememdies, including ear drops (prescription and homemade), dandruff shampoo, glycerin, and vitamin E. My new doctor recommended using unscented Lubriderm. So far it only works if I apply it several times a day. Maybe if I stick with it the problem will eventually get better and I won't need to use the lotion so often. If that doesn't work, the next step is to go back to my doctor for topical steroids.

 

[B_Think_Kink]

Not to challenge you, I know you aren't supposed to clear your ears every day, but with 13 rings in my ears and some deep cartilage piercings, there is no option for me. I'd rather suffer from dry ears than have disgusting ear wax.

 

[killerb]

I clean the outsides and behind my ears daily...I don't ever irrigate or anything like that...the way I get rid of excess wax is to create a vacuum by pressing my finger against my earhole & pulling it out quickly - that sucks out any excess, but leaves what is necessary...

 

[unabear09]

I only clean the outsides. When I was 15 or so, I started having really bad hearing, and my ears started to hurt really bad. I thought it was another ear infection (I've had probably 5 surgeries on both of my ears as a child), and went to the ENT Dr. He looked in my ear and asked me if I cleaned my ears with q-tips. I told him yes, and he ripped me a new one. He told me that was one of the worst things you could do to your ears.

He sent one of his nurses in with a syringe to clean my ears out. The nurse did that twice and nothing ever came out. I didn't have any infection, and I still couldn't hear properly. The nurse got the Dr. and they both came back in and he took another look in my ears, said some medical mumbo jumbo to the nurse, and next thing I know she comes in with some sort of stainless steel tray with all of these devices that looked frankly terrifying to me.

Well...he rolls up next to me with one of these devices, grabs my head, and turns it so that he is eye level with my ear. He sticks one of his instruments in there and fools around, mumbles a few things, and then turns around and picks up this instrument of torture. This little device looked like a 3 pronged hook with some sort of horrid thing coming out of it. He sticks this little device in my year and tells me stay still.....there is going to be some discomfort (for future reference, if a doctor ever tells you this....what he really means is its gonna hurt like a mother fucker!) as he sticks this thing down my ear. Next thing I know, theres a loud pop in my ear (apperently this little instrument from hell was spring loaded), and the doctor pulls the device out of my ear, and in the process I'm in tears from the pain. After he pulls it out, he shows me what he pulled out. Attached to the little hook thing was a ball of brown and red ball of wax the size of a marble.

I was horrified, and he looked at me and said 'that is the largest ball of wax I have ever pulled out of anyones ear.' "Dont you ever put anything in your ear to clean it again. That is dangerous, and the ear naturally drains wax out while you sleep."

And thats my story lol

 

[killerb]

I have a friend who's a chronic q-tip abuser...I've warned him against it, but he swears by them...

come to think of it, he never listens to any advice I give him!

 

[prepstudinsc]

I love my Q-tips. I am compulsive about ear cleaning, too, and like Meniscus, I get dry flakes in my ears. I put a little Vaseline or Neosporin on the Q-tip and rub it in the inside of my ear to keep it moisturized.

 

[B_Hickboy]

I let the dog have a lick every now and then.

 

[Northland]

what are your ear cleaning habits?

On a daily basis I wash the outer and inner parts as well as possible. Soap and water on the outer parts, and then for the best drying a soft piece of cloth and then the dipping-slowly inserting the cloth into the ear hole and blotting the outer moisture away. Then it's off to the cotton swabs and gently inserting, going very slowly so as not to go too deep and puncture anything (a friend of mine did that once-punctured the eardrum-and bled like a pig on Easter Sunday). Periodically throughout the day and evening I will again insert the cotton swab to tend to any built up gunk. Additionally, I have found inserting the finger and pressing inwards and then releasing the pressure, frees any hidden moisture which may be further down. After the pressing, I use the swab to swab away waxy moisture.

During the night, I often awaken as well, and have some swabs nearby to dry out the ear canal as moisture seems to accrue as my head lays tight against the pillow. My doctor advised me to take Sudafed to counteract that; but, I found the Sudafed made me queazy.

 

[2322]

On a daily basis I wash the outer and inner parts as well as possible. Soap and water on the outer parts, and then for the best drying a soft piece of cloth and then the dipping-slowly inserting the cloth into the ear hole and blotting the outer moisture away. Then it's off to the cotton swabs and gently inserting, going very slowly so as not to go too deep and puncture anything (a friend of mine did that once-punctured the eardrum-and bled like a pig on Easter Sunday). Periodically throughout the day and evening I will again insert the cotton swab to tend to any built up gunk. Additionally, I have found inserting the finger and pressing inwards and then releasing the pressure, frees any hidden moisture which may be further down. After the pressing, I use the swab to swab away waxy moisture.

During the night, I often awaken as well, and have some swabs nearby to dry out the ear canal as moisture seems to accrue as my head lays tight against the pillow. My doctor advised me to take Sudafed to counteract that; but, I found the Sudafed made me queazy.

That is the most extraordinary ear cleaning regimen I've ever heard.

 

[Smartalk]

Oh you can't beat giving your ears a good Jimmying with a Jimmy Stick (Q tip, Cotton bud) done it for years and never had any problems.

However, A GP friend of mine had a lady go to him, who had been in the process of cleaning her ears with a Q tip. When unexpectedly the door she was standing next to, suddenly opened, banging her elbow, causing her to perforate her ear drum with the Q tip. She presented with the Q tip protruding from her ear in excruciating pain. He immediately referred her to the ENT department at the local hospital.

 

[Deno]

Which is more natural, ear wax or 13 holes in your ear.

 

[curious n str8]

Which is more natural, ear wax or 13 holes in your ear.

Sorry I can't resist this one. Whats more natural your ass or toilet paper? :boggled: BTW I hate when ppl have way to many pericings.

 

[Mr. Snakey]

I was sitting on the bus today and the man in front of me had dried wax coming out of his ear canal. I was instantly drawn to it because I find that so disturbing. I am a compulsive ear cleaner, I do it everyday after I come out of the shower. I have 13 piercings in my ears and they make my ears dirtier than normal and I want people to look at my ears and see clean ears.


What about the rest of the LPSG population, what are your ear cleaning habits?

The thought of someone having wax dripping out of their ears is not a pleasent thought at all.

 

[Deno]

Sorry I can't resist this one. Whats more natural your ass or toilet paper? :boggled: BTW I hate when ppl have way to many pericings.

actually your ass and my foot(long)

 

[B_Nick8]

I don't know, Kink, I mean I love you, but I'd really rather not weigh in on this one at all.

 

[D_Chaumbrelayne_Copprehead]

Wow ... people are waxing prolific on this topic ....

 

[B_Think_Kink]

Which is more natural, ear wax or 13 holes in your ear.

Natural to want to have clean parts, I would say, irregardless of how many piercings I have, I want clean ears.