Can You Hear Me Now??

What's that? Are your ears filled up with wax, making it difficult to hear? Well, the good news is that a recent study has validated our long standing recommendation regarding use of a bulb syringe to remove pesky ear wax. The study, Randomized Trial of Bulb Syringes for Earwax: Impact on Health Service Utilization was published in the Annals of Family Medicine this month. The trial was performed in the United Kingdom, with 237 patients who showed up at primary care clinics. They were randomly assigned to receive supplies and education on how to flush out their own ears, or simply treated by staff in the clinic. Not surprisingly, the study found that those who learned how to clear their ears with a bulb syringe had half the number of return visits for the same problem in the next couple of years compared with those who were treated but not educated on home therapy. Obviously this saves time and money for all involved!
What is the technique? You simply fill a sink with luke-warm water; cold or very hot water will cause dizziness, so check that temperature. Then, fill up your bulb syringe with that water, and lean over the sink, pulling the earlobe out and towards the back of your head (which straightens/opens the ear canal). GENTLY insert the tip of the bulb syringe into the ear canal and squeeze the bulb so the water squirts into your ear canal and spills into the sink, carrying waxy particles with it. Repeat this process up to roughly a dozen times. You will typically see the offending wax particles floating in the water, telling you that your mission was successful.
I advise following this process with adding a few drops of half and half vinegar and rubbing alcohol, which removes any remaining moisture from the canal. If you STILL feel the sensation of a blocked ear canal the next day, go ahead and schedule an appointment with your doctor and let her take a look inside. And oh yes, please STAY AWAY from the q-tips! They either pack the wax in tighter or cause damage to the ear canal and/or ear drum.
BOTTOM LINE: Using a bulb syringe to remove earwax is a simple, proven remedy that doctors officially recommend.

Can You Hear Me Now??

Have you noticed that you've got the tv or radio volume all the way up, but it still sounds muffled? Or are your friends and family getting annoyed that they need to repeat anything they say to you? Don't ignore this issue! It may be something as simple as a buildup of wax (cerumen is the medical word) in your ear.

What can you do about ear wax buildup yourself? Do NOT, repeat, DO NOT use Q-tips! All that q-tips manage to do is to pack the wax down harder against your eardrum. Additionally, while people do not intentionally shove the q-tip in too far, often they are startled by a kid, dog, or other distraction, and accidentally jab the q-tip in deep, often damaging their ear drum or canal. Please, save the q-tips for putting on makeup!

Instead, you MAY flush out your ear with water. Use a bulb syringe (pictured above with friendly witch) and luke-warm water. (If you make the water too hot or too cold, you will get very dizzy!) Lean over the sink, gently pulling your outer ear back and out, and insert the tip of the bulb syringe in your ear canal and squeeze the water. Repeat this up to a dozen times if necessary- you will see the wax pieces flush out into the sink (sorry, I know that sounds yucky.) Do not persist beyond roughly a dozen, though, or again- you can cause more irritation and feel off-balance.

When you are done, put a few drops of homemade ear solution- half alcohol/half vinegar- in your ear. This will dry out any remaining water (step away from those q=tips!) and also help reduce any fungal elements.
Can you hear me now? If not, schedule an appointment with your physician!

BOTTOM LINE: Ear wax is a common cause of muffled hearing- try flushing out your ears and stay AWAY from q-tips!

Stuffy Head? Ears? Nose? Try this!

What else do I keep in my medicine cabinet? Well, we've covered pain medicines (aspirin, tylenol and ibuprofen), anti-histmine for an allergic reaction, cough syrup, and the two basic creams- steroid and antibiotic. What about something for stuffy head/nose/ears?

While I certainly stock the plain old little red pills "sudafed" (generic pseudoephedrine), we also rely on the old-fashioned remedy of Vaporub. A dab of that on your neck & chest goes a long way towards clearing your head. A new product I really like is Sudacare Shower Soothers (we call them the "hockey pucks" in our house)- large tablets that you pop onto the floor of your shower, then as the water hits it, you are enveloped in a steam shower of menthol that works wonders on clearing your head!

Cool mist humidifiers- with or without any menthol product added- can make a huge difference during the winter when your house is dried out from using the heater. Don't underestimate the relief these old-fashioned remedies can provide!

BOTTOM LINE: Basic decongestants like pseudoephedrin (sudafed) or home remedies such as menthol products can provide relief from stopped up ears, nose or sinuses.