The ongoing Saga of Anna's Ears

[trouble]

It's apparently wax buildup. So much wax buildup they can't see my ear drums. Ew.

Also, I have very very good hearing even with wax buildup, but that's why I can't hear my alarm clock in the mornings. All the wax shifts or something, I don't know. Wax.

I guess this means I can stop snorting steroids into my brain, yes?

Comments

[wrdnrd]

Sympathies. I have "unusually high wax buildup" myself and it's a nuisance. I've found the over-the-counter kits to work pretty well -- you get a bulbous syringe you fill with water to flush out the wax, and also drops to help loosen the wax a bit. (When it gets *really* bad i use the drops. Otherwise, i find the water-filled syringe to be perfectly sufficiently for monthly maintenance.) Doctor's office can give you a nice thorough clean-out, but if they try to come at you with a curette see if you can hold out for a water rinse, because no matter how hard they try to avoid it the curette always seems to bump the eardrum and then you go down like a ton of bricks and wind up flat on your back for 20 minutes waiting for the world to stop spinning.

I hope this clears up soon!

[synecdochic]

This! I get this too, and after a few times at the doctor's, I do it at home now. If it's really bad and you've gotten water behind the wax plug there can be infection and swelling, in which case five days of antibiotic drops first helps a bunch, but after that you just can get the OTC drops and syringe and do it yourself. Just be careful to use warm water and not hot, or else you'll get the massive dizzies.

Hurrah for an easy explanation!