The Menace of Ear Wax…

I had micro suction one week ago, carried out by a ENT doctor. There was some pain and wincing, also some loss of hearing, which now seems to be improving. What concerns me here in the UK is, a number of hearing aid clinics, and some high or main street retailers, jumping on the band wagon offering micro suction wax removal, because GP clinics do not offer syringing any more. Considered too risky, although they have carried out that procedure for decades. Is micro suction any less risky, and what qualifications are required to be deemed proficient?

I understand fully.
20+ years of use. I hurry too. These hearing aids are 3 years old with the new 5.0 Receivers. Bless Phonak for making this change.
I worry about running out of wax guards and domes. So I have a stash. Looking back my dispensing audi would use old containers with the wrong label when he handed me domes.

I’ve been discrimated against at work with this disability

At times with him I would do without wax guards when I had the 4.0 Receivers on. I just couldn’t handle that little container. Almost every time my new wax guard was in crooked when i changed the wax guard next time. No wonder I couldn’t hear.

Hi @DaveL My Costco aids are in for repair and new power receivers, so hoping they will be 5’s.

It makes a huge difference for me. I talked a lot here about issues.with the 4.0 Receivers & horrible wax guards.
It was a deal breaker for me. In two years if I see the “frisby” case wax guards I’ll change hearing aid brands.

My wonderful hearing instrument specialist requested them. My replacement hearing aids came back from Phonak brand new, but without Receivers on them. I’m covered by workman’s compensation.

@Jeffrey_J said:

when she went to do the left ear I felt pain and winced.

Yes, I had one ear done one time, and it cured me of that procedure. No thanks. SO loud. SO painful. UGH! I didn’t have hearing loss, but I could believe getting loss from that evil thing.

WH

ENT can do wax removal manually using a currete. They still do that here in the USA.

We see 100-200 people a month for Microsuction, by trained and experienced staff including me.

We were properly trained, use the right kit and are dispensing audiologists already. It’s very unusual to cause physical pain with the proper technique; though occasional vertigo can happen.

My only advice if you’re looking for someone to do it, is to find someone who has been doing it a while and who’s seeing lots of clients with no rush in their book system.

If your wax is badly impacted or immovable, they should send you away for more oil impregnation, but inexperienced/overly profit motivated/pride-ego orientated people will try to press on in a bad situation. It’s like the surgeon’s paradox. The unregulated side in the U.K. is worrying; especially in respect of the lack of treatment liability insurance.

Never heard of micro suction before now. When I started wearing ha daily I used to get ear infections a lot. Then a kind audi told me to clean my ha with peroxide when I take them out of the dryer. Still do that. Get an ear infection on a rare occasion. Lost a lot of my hearing because of an major infection in the right or left ear in 2010. Now about ear wax, I experience it pretty regularly with season changes and temperature changes. About every six weeks I clean my ears out with a product called EAR WAXMD. I think, I learned about this on this forum. You put several drops in the ear and let it set for 15 to thirty min and then flush the ear with warm water several times. Also I don’t know about other people but the brand also makes EAR ITCHMD which comes in handy for people when their ear canals itch like crazy. One other thing, when I lose partial sound in one of my ha I use a fine instrument cleaner to run through the ear mold to clean any wax from the mold and tubing. Works like charm. That product is called NANO CLEAN was provided to me from the VA. Last year I did have several bouts with head congestion and mucus which mostly likely caused an ear infection. Was treated with 10 day drops. I cannot remember the name of the tube that runs from the back of the throat to the ear. For me when this tube gets stopped up this is what causes my ear infections. This can be seasonal for me. When the tube gets stopped up this prevents the flow of ear war. Just my experience with ear wax. Maybe someone can tell me the purpose of ear wax. I heard its purpose is to clean the ear canal. Don’t know! I just know I need to keep my ear canal and hearing molds clean.

Irrigation is still used as a secondary procedure, but we generally find that there’s more risk of Vertigo if we lead with it.

Poor technique with either procedure can cause problems.The main risk issue for Microsuction is usually a fidgety or shifting patient: it’s surprising the number of people who can’t sit still as instructed when someone is sticking a metal tube a few mm from their eardrum.

@Um_bongo said:

it’s surprising the number of people who can’t sit still as instructed

It is not all that surprising…Some folks just can’t stand it for whatever reason. I for one have a major gag relfex…I just use debrox and warm water flush to keep the wax down.
Dan

Greetings.

I just joined and this is my very first post. I am 72 and have always had ear wax problems. So does my identical twin brother. When I lived in south east Florida it never was a problem since I would swim in the Gulf. But having moved away, I know have to irrigate my ears every couple of months.

" A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) associated with earwax type is located in the ABCC11 gene. This gene plays a role in determining whether a person has wet earwax (dominant trait) or dry earwax (recessive trait).

The specific SNP, known as rs17822931, has two variants:

• G allele: Linked to wet earwax.
• A allele: Linked to dry earwax.

This variation has evolutionary and geographic significance, as the A allele (dry earwax) trait is more common in East Asian and Native American populations. : The G allele (wet earwax) is most common in African, European, and South Asian populations.".

It’s funny you say this. I have a perforated eardrum, it’s beyond repair, anyway I get my ear cleaned out with the suction and every time I have it down, it’s leaves me with this noise or minor hearing issues, and this can usually last for month just feels like the procedure aggravates my ear.

They do syringing I think still, but unlike me, I have to have it suctioned due to having imperforated eardrum,

@godavid_d said:

About every six weeks I clean my ears out with a product called EAR WAXMD. I think, I learned about this on this forum. You put several drops in the ear and let it set for 15 to thirty min and then flush the ear with warm water several times.

Hi, I am considering to use that, so far I clean my ears by applying mineral oil for 4-5 days ad the flush it with warm water. I have to do this every 3 months.