Earwax-eeeeew! Has anyone DIY syringed?

Well, my DH is increasingly "mis-hearing" things we say to him and is in complete denial that his usually over-abundant ear wax could be backing up. He won't go to the doctor to get it checked (men!). I persuaded him to use oily ear-wax removal drops which he did for a day or so, but no improvement.

I've since been reading about a product called Ear Clear and it has a companion DIY syringe - anyone done this at home? I've only ever heard of getting it done at the doctors but I'll give anything a go if it will help what I'm saying reach his brain correctly!!!

:D Marydean - I had to have a giggle!! Sorry! I haven't done this myself but I did have friends who used to do ear candling themselves and said it was easy, painless and worked! Basically a candle (duh) that you stick in your ear, light the other end and it draws all the wax out. You should be able to get kits from a health store I think!
Good luck and happy hearing!;)

Are you sure it isn't selective hearing like my DH seems to have? hehehe

I was going to suggest ear candles. I think Jodie sells them - maybe she will pop in and advice you.

Have you tried the ear spray like on the ads? I have no idea what its called but we have it and it's great.

Feels a bit wierd at first!

ETA - to check if it's selective deafness, say the word "beer" at a normal speaking volume while he is watching telly...

My hubby went to the doc's about 2 weeks ago for the same thing. We decided not to DIY as it can be a bit dangerous with the delicate hairs inside the ears being at risk of damage.

He walked around for two days afterwards complaining about everything being so loud. This from a man who hasn't been able to hear a child crying in the next room for the past 3 years!!!:p

Marydean - I think we are living parallel lives with us both having SPD and earwaxy partners. My DP is banned from the Quiet Room at work because he talks so loudly and I'm convinced that it's because he has bad hearing possibly caused by glugged up ears.

Let me know what you end up trying and whether it works.

After I've launched Operation Earwax, I need to move on to Operation Snoring!

We diy syringe all the time ;) I've even done it for my gf... We were told it was fine with the type of syringe we were given.

Lulu- ROFL @ your selective deafness test!

Never syringed, but DH and i candle each others ears occasionally. Last time an earwig came out of my ear. I am deadly serious, it was the most disgusting thing i have ever seen!

We do ear candling too!! And OMG that is revolting abou the earwig.. I wouls have freaked out!!

My mum has ear candled me...and i like the feeling of it all clearing out!! And its amazing to see all the wax that comes out.
DP is a bit intrigued by them, thought i was joking when i first told him about it, but he knows they exist now...and even has shown some sort of interest in using them. He just says he doesnt wanna spend 25 dollars for a set. Maybe ill buy them for him as a present.

where do you get these ear candles from?

I think i need to do it, i think i am seriously going deaf.

Ok, true confessions, I have a good girlfriend who introduced me to the delights of ear candling - she does it by herself with a mirror - eek! It's very relaxing and therapeutic. Not forgetting the bit where you peel it open when you're done to see how much junk has been sucked out. But I'm pretty sure we need to irrigate first, then we'll candle afterwards as a maintenance program.

Lulu - ear spray?? Haven't seen that on the telly but I will look at the pharmacy. LOL at your test. 'Beer' doesn't work and neither does 'coffee'!

Fiona - LOL at parallel lives! Get him to try some Fess nasal spray, it worked to stop snoring when I was pregnant, give it a go...

Cailin, do you use warm or just tepid water (I just wanna see those chunks o' gunk fall out for myself). I know what I'm in for, I used to have to clean the ear syringing sink at the doctors where I worked.

Falguni - OMG at the earwig!?! Definitely right up there with the guy who had the giant nepalese leech up his nose! LOL

Tannedangel, if you start, make sure you get a multipack instead of just a pair because sometimes you need to do it twice.

ETA - Yael you can get them at the health food shop.

Thanks everyone for your replies. I'm looking forward to much less incomprehension at my house soon!

Yael, most health food shops carry ear wax removing candles.

Tepid water is fine, it takes a while if its built up but when the big black globules come out its ever so rewarding LOL gross but a good gross. I tried ear candling and it never really worked for marc, had it done at a few places and syringing works best for us.

LOL Cai, I hear you on that one. Erin has the msot shocking ears I have ever seen on a child, but she wont let me near them anymore, so I think syringing is next for her too. I have used a syringe myself and some warm water and I tell you what it is the best feeling ever to do it. You know how good it can feel to clean your ears with a cotton bud? Well this is sooo much better LOL. The syringe I had was one used for dentistry and it had a long curved end (I suppose proboscis would be one way to describe it) and was very effective at getting in the right spot to do it.

Aha! All the closet ear syringers are coming out! LOL

Sherie, if you love the syringing, you'll be in heaven with an ear candle!

BTW do you just do one syringe for each ear or do you need to do it a few times?

I had to do it a few times each ear :)

OK girls. My 13 year old has the worse ears you have ever seen. I am really keen on doing either the syringing or the candling. How do I do it ??

Hmm I love cleaning my ear's, I do it daily with cotton buds, bad I know. Perhaps I can get mine done too.

my dp cleans his ears with a cotton bud everyday... he works in a cardboard factory.. and is always complaining of dust and gunk in his ears and nose..! i might have to candle him! ive never heard of it before!!!

Just get a packet at the health food shop and read the instructions carefully. You will need two ppl to do it properly. Just don't jam the candle in your ear too hard as it can hurt afterwards.

I have had it done once MD, but not in a long time and yep, it was lovely LOL. I never had much in there to come out though. When I did the syringing, it would take few goes sometimes if I could *feel* that there was still some in there.

I have to syringe DH's ears several times a year. I always do his after he has a had a shower (the steam softens it up making it a little easier to get out) and I use tepid water. Cold water makes it hard again and more work; hot water is too painful. It always takes 3 or 4 syringes to get results with DH's ears. It is gross what comes out. I might try candelling on him... but there is something just SO satisfying about cleaning his ears with a syringe!!! His wax is so thick and sticky that cotton buds do nothing for him...
I think DD's ears are going to be similar as she gets older as I have to clean her ears every second week on average...

this thread is grossing me out! hehehe

its grossing me out too!

I am a cotton bud addict and clean mine daily, but I freak out at the sight of other peoples wax. weird I know!

Ds has a problem :(

I think I'm going to be asked to be buried with a box of cotton buds. If there's an afterlife I don't want to take any chances of being caught cotton budless!

The mobile servo round the corner from us sells ear candles on the front counter, But it'd probly be cheaper from a health food shop.

I have the smallest ear canals that my Dr has seen. Ever since falling pregnant, I have had 1 ear constantly bloked.. I thought that it might have been a symptom of pregnancy. Obvisously not!!! He washed my ears out (not sure if it is the same as syringing), but now I can hear properly. I tried Waxsol and it did nothing for me excpet make a mess on my pillow at night time. I would suggest going to a Dr rather than doing it yourself.
Good Luck
ps... at least it is not selective hearing.

ladies,i suggest investing in some ear candles and doing them at home.eve the person that cleans out daily will be shocked at the gunk that comes out with these beauties.I paid $12 for a set,much cheaper than gettnig them done professionally.i am now able to hear much better lol