ask: How do I remove ear wax from my plugged ear?
I have excessive wax in my ear - Iused to use qtipos but stopped 4years ago - I use them only 1x a month if I feel the extreme need. 1 week ago today - I took a shower - I got water in my ear - a lot - so I used a q tip to try and soak up the water.
I thought that it would clear later like it usually does but it is still plugged and beginning to throb and hurt.
I have taken ibuprophin to reduce swelling which seems to help.
Last night it was real bad so I put some olive oil drops in and hoped it would help soften the wax. It is still plugged this a.m.
what can I do?
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Hi Lori
Great question - thanks!
You are right not to use q-tips as they can actually push ear wax further into the ear.
Your doctor can remove excessive ear wax for you with a solution he or she commonly has in her office.
Our pediatrician recommends we use hydro peroxide in the ears of our kids if they have a build up, and the same method is employed for adults.
Simply pour some of the solution into your ear and lean to the opposite side so that it stays in your ear. It might feel a little weird because a) we're not used to having a liquid in our ear and b) you may hear a kind of very mild popping or fizzy sound - this is the peroxide actually break up all the wax. Don't keep the peroxide in you ear longer than half a minute (lean back the other way for it to come out) and you should see the wax coming out of your ear! Then repeat on the other ear. Doing this a few times a year should really help you and it's very effective.
Please try this method (no q-tips and no doing what you did in the shower!) and I think you'll have very good news for us.
Will you give it a try and let us know?
February 5, 2010 - 2:26pmThis Comment