DD1 seems to build up a lot of wax in her ear. A few weeks ago she said her ear was hurting so I took her to the pedi and they said it was just wax (that was embarassing). We did the debrox drops, but she *hated* them and it was a huge issue to get her to do it. Her ear is hurting again and I can see a chunk of wax in there (ewww). Any other suggestions on how to get it out gently? Or how to prevent the build up? Do some kids just have really waxy ears? Thx!
Post by maudefindlay on Apr 13, 2021 11:33:30 GMT -5
You may need to go to an ENT if it is impacted and deep in the ear canal and then after that I would try the gentle flushing or softening drops routinely to prevent more build up.
Eta yes some people are more prone to wax build up. Do not feel foolish about going to the doctor. Some pediatricians are comfortable and would have used a tool to clean them out for you, other pediatricians are not.
It’s nothing to be embarrassed about. We take my daughter to an ENT to get hers cleaned out once or twice a year. She has tiny ear canals (couldn’t even do newborn hearing test at hospital because they didn’t have equipment small enough). We were told when she was a baby we may need to have them cleaned out occasionally because of the size. When she complains about them starting to feel clogged we make an appointment. We’ve tried the home remedy stuff, but none of it has worked for us.
My SIL has the same problem, but my ILs weren’t aware of it when she was a child until they realized she was so clogged she couldn’t hear much. By that point it had affected her speech and she started kindergarten late due to being behind in speech. After that they got them cleaned out every 6 months. She’s a doctor now so being a bit behind at the beginning didn’t affect her in the long run.
Post by starburst604 on Apr 13, 2021 13:48:02 GMT -5
Don't be embarassed to see the doctor for that - it's safest for doctors to clean the ears. You could have her see an ENT 2-3 times a year for a cleaning, and yes some people just produce a lot of wax. Also don't clean the inside of the ears with q-tips, it can just push down and impact the wax. The ears are self-cleaning and the wax is actually part of that, for trapping dust and particles but it can get stuck with overproducers.
My husband has this issue. He first had a problem around age 32 - pain and infection due to excess was buildup. He had no idea he had a problem prior to that. Now he goes to the ENT more regularly for cleaning. The pediatricians tell me they see extra wax in DD, but she has not had any problems yet.
I had excessive wax buildup as a kid and had it removed by my GP a few times. Usually when things started to sound a bit fuzzy. I’ve used the drops and my mom did the water squeeze bulb over the years but what I’ve found has worked best is just letting the shower spray get directly into my ears a bit every time I’m in there. Helps to break it all up and keep things from drying out and getting stuck. Haven’t had a problem since I started doing that in my mid-teens, although that may have corresponded with my ear canals getting big enough for that to work as well.
I have lots of wax. I do all the things that are listed--the drops, gently flushing my ear out after, but nothing actually "comes out" like everyone seems to indicate would happen. Am I doing something wrong? How does the wax actually come out??
I have lots of wax. I do all the things that are listed--the drops, gently flushing my ear out after, but nothing actually "comes out" like everyone seems to indicate would happen. Am I doing something wrong? How does the wax actually come out??
For most people it comes out as the skin in the ear slowly grows outward and carries wax and debris with it, and gets cleaned away when you clean the outer ears each day. What you're doing can help keep the excess wax from hardening but you won't really see it come out unless there's excess and a doctor removes it. The irrigation they sometimes use is very powerful, or they use an ear curette or suction. Just don't use q-tips, it will jam it all in there.
Thx all! DD1 has a well visit coming up so I'll ask about the removal then.
shauni27, this most recent time with DD1, I could see large chunks of wax when I looked in her ear with a flashlight. It was pretty close to the surface. I used the debrox drops and had her lay down for 10 mins to let it go in. When that was done, I wiped out her ear with a tissue and a big chunk came out. Otherwise I've never actually seen it come out.
aprilsails, I'm definitely going to try the shower sprayer!
I have lots of wax. I do all the things that are listed--the drops, gently flushing my ear out after, but nothing actually "comes out" like everyone seems to indicate would happen. Am I doing something wrong? How does the wax actually come out??
I think the drops softens the wax that is in there and it flushes out. Solid chunks likely won't be coming out unless the doctor is removing them.
Our pedi said to have my 6yo put regular soap in his ears at the beginning of his shower and work it in with his pinkies. Then rinse it at the end of the shower. He has been doing it for a few weeks and they are definitely looking better.
I get my ears suctioned every 3 months, and my ENT has me use a few drops of mineral oil 2x a day for a few days prior. You let it sit for a little bit, then tilt your head and wipe away the oil. It makes a huge difference (even over peroxide) in softening/loosening the wax. If there’s a lot, or if it’s stuck, you may have to have a visit to have it removed, though.
Thx all! DD1 has a well visit coming up so I'll ask about the removal then.
shauni27 , this most recent time with DD1, I could see large chunks of wax when I looked in her ear with a flashlight. It was pretty close to the surface. I used the debrox drops and had her lay down for 10 mins to let it go in. When that was done, I wiped out her ear with a tissue and a big chunk came out. Otherwise I've never actually seen it come out.
aprilsails , I'm definitely going to try the shower sprayer!
Have you tried using the bulb and flushing her ear out with water after the drops? IME the drops won’t make it come out on their own.
Hmm we usually do the drops at bedtime while she’s lying down. We do the bulb at bath time the next day. Should I be doing the bulb/flushing like right after doing the drops? My pedi gave me the impression the drops take a few days to work, so I didn’t think the timing mattered so much.
DS had this problem and the dr recommended getting colace (yes the constipation medicine) gel capsules and squeezing it in his ears. It worked surprisingly well. I don’t know if that will be better than the debrox. We didn’t have to flush but we did have to pull some out once it started coming out
We bought an ear flushing kit on Amazon and flush our DDs ears semi regularly. Her wax is very dry and flaky and gets compacted very easily. The first time, we used the debrox drops for a couple of days prior, used warm purified water in the bottle with a tbsp of hydrogen peroxide and flushed them. We also have an ear looking tool (too lazy to Google the real name) which I can use periodically to check status of the flushing. The first time her ear was so compacted she couldn’t hear. I flushed out an alien the size of my pinky nail (barf) and she’s been great ever since. Now we do it periodically so we don’t end up there again.
I will add that when it happened to my husband 9 years ago, I used my loupes to see what was inside and tried to photograph the canal with my fancy DSLR with a macro lens and flash from work. Then I tried to look up how to do the removal at home because I figured I had some comparable dental instrument we could use.
I can't unsee the stuff removed from ears so you've been warned if you go to YouTube.