ear blockages are drving me crazy.

Chewing gum is one thing they recommend on planes. Sounds like your case may be more serious, but, hey, the treatment costs under a buck, so you're not out much if it doesn't work. I recommend Orbit citrusmint, orange flavor, which is really tasty. CHEW it, DON'T STICK IT IN YOUR EAR (I know that warning is probably not needed, but hey in this litigous society you've got to cover your butt).

The doctor told you what the problem was, but didn't remove the wax? He should have.

If the problem is the wax drying out, perhaps you need more humidity in your environment, then the wax wouldn't dry out as fast, and hence would have a greater ability to "flow" out of the ear.

Yes, if you have wax that is causing you to be unable to hear, why on earth didn't the doctor take it out?

If he wasn't confident about his wax-removing skills, why not get a referral to an ENT (Ear, Nose and Throat doctor)?

Do NOT put any objects in your ear. Definitely don't put q-tips in it. All that does is compact the wax -- shove it further in, closer to your eardrum, and more tightly packed -- as well as being dangerous.

Some months before my mom died, she was complaining that she was having difficulty hearing. Now my mother, in the past, could hear a pin drop at 100 yards. Although I was 30 years younger than she was, and have good hearing, I would increase the volume on her TV, when I went to her house.

Anyhow, she had been complaining, and one night we found ourselves in the ER, for another reason. I asked the doctor if he could check her ears for wax. He did, and pulled a plug out of both ears that must have been at least 1/2 inch square. Immediately, she said that her hearing improved tremendously!

I am suprised that the doctor did not clean them out.

DO NOT be sticking q-tips in your ear or anything else. You are only succeeding in stuffing the wax further in.

Get yourself back to the doctor with an appointment for an ear cleaning.

**duh, this is exactly what soz said... sorry...pregnant brain at work here...**

My son had the same problem with hard ear wax. On the doctor's advice we started putting a few drops of warmed olive oil in his ears a couple of times a week -- problem solved!

boomer- I think that the problem is that once a plug of ear wax is large and firmly established, it needs to be removed manually. Otherwise your olive oil idea sounds good to me!

Did that get the initial wax out, or just keep it from building up after it was removed?

My daughter had wax in her ears and our pediatrician wasn't confident about fishing it out (it's a difficult skill, to apply pressure in exactly the right way without damaging anything) and we tried all of that stuff with no success, because he wanted to see her ear drum and couldn't because of the wax. Warm olive oil, special drops, warm water rinse, etc. Nothing, nothing, nothing.

Eventually we went to the ENT and he got it out manually (using a special tool, it looks sort of like a rounder thicker bigger eye of a needle -- the part where you put the thread, not the pointy part).

One other thing that seems to help prevent a build-up is swimming in a chlorinated pool.

Soz- What you are referring to is a curette. In a pinch, if a person is very careful, the rounded end of a bobby pin will do nicely.

By "person" you mean "trained otolaryngologist," right?

Really, it's super easy to make a horrible mistake with this stuff. (My daughter's pediatrician wouldn't do it.) Keep out of own ears.

Can you see another doctor?

I had this problem when I was in college. The doctor used this fancy metal irrigation thing (basically the profession version of those plastic bulbs they sell) that worked really well.

I also remember the doctor suggested "stool softener" (sold over the counter) is better than the ear drops they sell. I never could bring myself to put something called stool softener in my ears.

I have been using an implement that was part of an old manicure set for years, with no problems. I clean my ears with it right after I shower, when the wax has been softened by the water. I don't think that I would attempt to use it on a child.

The point is that if you are the least bit uneasy about what you are doing, go to an ENT.

:-)

Phoenix, I agree about going to the ENT if uneasy. Just would also stop short of recommending, even with caveats, putting a bobby pin in one's ear.

On one occassion we had to have the ear wax removed.

The next time it started getting bad they told me about the olive oil and we started using it. One morning shortly after I was making Mo's bed and discovered a ear shaped stain on his pillow so I took him to the doctor in a mom-panic.

Yep -- the oil had done it's job and helped the wax work loose.

I'm guessing it works both ways - the clear the wax and to then prevent it from building up.