Maddy 🏳️⚧️ - ADHD-powered 
maddy@thegayagenda.fans
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I’ve got a cotton swab, a plugged ear and a bad idea. 
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@maddy yeaaah friend of my partner punctured her eardrum like that
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Maddy 🏳️⚧️ - ADHD-powered
maddy@thegayagenda.fans
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@jiub I have no doubt it’s been the cause of numerous ear/sinus infections I’ve had in the past. 
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@maddy yeaaah ear/sinus stuff sucks so much
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Sebastian Crane 🏳️⚧️
seabass@social.seabass.systems
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@maddy @jiub I'm lucky to live in one of the few places in the UK where ear wax removal is available for free. However, I have also had success with commercially-available solutions of 5% sodium bicarbonate in glycol. Put a few drops of that in your ear daily and it will get better in a week or so! :)
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Sebastian Crane 🏳️⚧️
seabass@social.seabass.systemsShow content
@maddy @jiub Oops, I nerdsniped myself again!
So I found this systematic review of medical studies which failed to find any difference in efficacy between different types of ear wax removal drops:
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6492540/
However, anecdotally, I've had much better success with the "dissolving" formulas (hence sodium bicarbonate) than the "softening" formulas (like olive oil). I think the reason for this is that, by the time I realize that I've lost my hearing in one ear, it's so fully blocked that the oil can't get in to soften the wax - and what wax is softened can't get out. In either case, washing the ear with warm water a while after using the drops is essential :)
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@maddy hydrogen peroxide. Seriously. If you don’t dilute it it might feel a mild burny after that but you will hear it bubble and fizz and eat away at the wax. Does a really good job. Then remove it gently with q-tip.
Also invest in ear spoons. They won’t compact it . Be very careful and gentle when learning to use them though
I’ve been dealing with ear wax problems my whole life.
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Sebastian Crane 🏳️⚧️
seabass@social.seabass.systems@noisytoot @jiub @maddy Sadly not; there's a lot of variation when it comes to healthcare services considered 'elective' - not that there's anything optional about losing one's hearing.
The Royal National Institute for Deaf People published a report on ear wax removal last year; see pages 6-7 (ahem) for a map of where it's available through the NHS in England.
https://rnid.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/stop-the-block-2025-ENGLAND-report.pdf
Here's the one for Wales:
https://rnid.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/stop-the-block-2025-report-WALES-1.pdf
I don't think they've published one for Scotland or Northern Ireland.
It's a pretty wild experience getting one's hearing back suddenly after having had an ear blockage for weeks. Ironically, it felt and sounded like I was under water for the first hour or so afterwards! Once my brain got used to it again, music sounded blissfully clear. Getting distracted by distant sounds comes back too though 
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Sebastian Crane 🏳️⚧️
seabass@social.seabass.systems@noisytoot @jiub @maddy To clarify, if ear wax removal is provided by the local NHS ICB, it's free of charge. But if there's no provision of that service, the alternative is going to a private clinic; those charge about £100 for microsuction in both ears.
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@noisytoot @jiub @maddy In theory, yes - I believe that this is always the case for any kind of NHS service, at least in England (Right to Choose). But you'd probably have to go through your GP to negotiate a referral to the remote clinic. For instance, there's one NHS ear wax removal clinic in Wales which accepts self-referrals (Hywel Dda University Health Board) but doesn't give you an option to submit a home address outside its catchment area.
For an unrelated health issue, I discussed referrals to distant clinics with my GP. He only had forms for a handful, which suggests that it's still a very manual process if you're wanting to exercise your "Right to Choose".
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