@j4yx0r I have to clean my ears out once a year or so when I notice they start sticking – it’s a consistent (and annoying!) problem for lots of people. Never had an ear infection though. You want to use warm water and preferably let some Debrox sit for 5 minutes beforehand to loosen things up a bit.
@j4yx0r@troy I’m one of them people also. I’ve had it done at the doctor’s office many times & they use 50/50 hydrogen peroxide & warm water.
The first time I was 25 years old & nearly deaf. I stopped in at a rural clinic when I was on the road & some good looking lady doctor did it herself. Only cost me $25 as I did not have insurance. I could hear again! Back on the road I was startled by the sounds of cars around me.
Debrox is a must though. Before my annual this year I am going to soak my ears with it so they can get that crap out.
@j4yx0r@troy
The Debrox you use [preferably alone and undiluted]- is a form of peroxide and is likely what keeps the [outer] ear infections at bay. Hydrogen peroxide is also acceptable, but with both, you have to leave them in the ear canal until they stop bubbling.
If someone is determined to use one of these “ear cleaners”, there might be some benefit to adding bit of vinegar to whatever water is used, which may reduce the infection risk. There is an OTC ear drop for “Swimmer’s Ear”, AKA outer ear infection tat reasonably effective with acetic acid as its main active ingredient.
Luckily, unlike with Navage/Neti pot use there is only a very minimal risk of contracting a brain-eating amoeba with this. [The primary risk being if you have or cause a perforated eardrum.]
TLDR edit:
Unlike most of the human characters that are used to demonstrate simple genetics principles, wet vs. dry earwax really is controlled by one gene with two alleles.
@j4yx0r@PhysAssist I want to argue otherwise. I’ve had dry earwax all my life, until I became a bachelor and had wet earwax. Once I boomeranged back to my parent’s house, my earwax went back to being dry.
@j4yx0r@pakopako
I can’t argue with your personal experience because reality trumps theory.
But, that said, it could’ve been something in the water or other variables that caused the changes.
we use a similar device in my medical office. water should be close to body temperature or can cause vertigo, nausea and vomiting. also, the usually excellent write has a small error: woot! wrote:
“First off, you shouldn’t use Q-tips to clean your inner ear” when they mean your external ear canal. THAT IS 100% TRUE! Irrigation like this is much safer. don’t use if you have bleeding or a discharge from your ear- you might have a hole in your eardrum causing it!!!
@docflash one time, one clinic used one of those standard squirt bottles with warm water & H2O2. They had a really tough time getting one last chuck & squirted it a bit too hard & it hurt like hell. My ear leaked liquid for weeks. I do not recommend that.
I’ve been looking at lot of coffee grinders lately and that first photo really had me thinking this was a manual crank grinder. I’m less interested now.
@hchavers I have hearing trouble, and I’d probably feel indifferent. Doesn’t matter how clean my ears are, they still suck. An ENT could be looking right in my ear, tell me it’s clear, and I’d still have trouble hearing.
Wouldn’t be an offensive gift IMO, but I don’t know if it would be a particularly helpful gift either. Honestly, with ear troubles my whole life, I’d probably just be hesitant to ever use it, in fear of messing up my ears even more. Someone mentioned bad reviews, which would be something I’d look into before using it for my ears, personally.
@LaserEyes
Do you also have Tinnitus?
Because just reading your post made my tinnitus flare- which happens whenever something makes me think about my hearing.
My hearing aids, in addition to their main function of normalizing my hearing spectrum, do a pretty good job of distracting me from it by providing a relatively normal hearing environment- even though they aren’t specifically intended for that purpose [tinnitus suppression].
@PhysAssist yep, I also have tinnitus. I really need to schedule another appointment with my ENT to talk about getting hearing aids. That’s great to hear that they help you with the ringing! Because sometimes it’s absolutely maddening! Thank you!
@LaserEyes
Love your screen name!
You’re welcome for the HA news- they really do help with both the hearing impairment and the tinnitus, [mine are both from noise exposure].
OTOH, you might could get away with seeing an audiologist, that’s who diagnosed mine and prescribed the HAs.
I’d seen the infomercial for this unit for a while and thought I could really use it. This is probably the cheapest I’ll ever see it…I should probably buy one, shouldn’t I?
I need this device. I am one of those people that gets ear gunk chronic. Likewise, I assume I’ll mix the water with peroxide because I’ve never seen just warm water on its own work.
@AaronLeeJohnson
I am really a PA, but without knowing your medical history, I cannot offer medical advice.
That said, it is really the best approach- key being leaving it in long enough, and repeating it a couple times daily for up to 4 days before waiting a week to repeat, if necessary.
Um … what’s so hard about just turning your head in the shower and letting the warm water flush out your ears?? I do it all the time and it works for me!! I just use a Q-Tip afterwards to soak up the water and any leftover wax.
@IndifferentDude wax gets compacted in the canal and it’s too stubborn for just plain water to flush it out. Q-tips also have a tendency to compact whatever’s in your ear further down, eventually causing a blockage. Built-up wax needs to be softened and blasted with pressure – the tri-jet tips on this unit (and some other dedicated ear cleaners) blast water in all directions of the canal but not directly at the ear drum.
@IndifferentDude People like me who have to wear earplugs when they swim shouldn’t do that. If I do I have water in my ear for days and I risk ear infection. It’s a lot more common than you’d think.
This device targets the side of the ear canal and offers a lot more control than just letting warm water go directly into your ear.
@IndifferentDude@marvelljones
OMG, OUCH! Swimmers ear is the worst pain ever! I’d actually forgotten about that since I haven’t had it since I was a kid!
@Lynnerizer
It bothered me almost as much as my [nontraumatic] femur fracture- and was certainly more painful- like a monster bug chewing and squirming in my ear.
@ponagathos Definitely not fun! I’ve had it done at the doctor’s as well, and whatever device they used definitely didn’t guard against direct eardrum pressure… painful and dangerous! But these tri-jet nozzles don’t hurt at all.
@ponagathos@troy
I have good memories of having mine flushed as a kid. No pain, just a little pressure and a huge pea sized wax nugget pinged in the metal cup when it came out. Fun times… Lol And I could hear again!
Honestly? I don’t recommend this to a Layman. The mention of Debrox is correct. Follow directions, have heard of using “Sweet Oil”. Not sure what that is. And they say don’t put anything smaller than your elbow in your ears. Ppl have been known to puncture their eardrums, or pack wax in further. We have body substances that protect us, but sometimes need maintenance. I recommend your DR. or an ENT if you have problems. From your friendly RN . Happy Holidays!
I’ve used this for a couple of years. I wear hearing aids which contribute to moisture and wax in the ear canal. When used as directed this is great tool to help clear things out. I use it once a week while I’m in the shower so I don’t have to mess with the ear cup to catch run off.
I’ve used one of these before. For those concerned, it’s not coming out at laser speed, but it’s certainly stronger than your shower. I didn’t find it had much impact for me, but I also don’t have impacted wax concerns. I tried it basically out of curiousity. Very easy to use, so if you’re someone who feels they get exceso wax and you want to avoid using qtips, give it a run.
Oh wow I was already planning on doing my semi-regular ear cleaning this morning in prep of a long flight, how weird.
FWIW a regular plastic syringe or one of those booger suckers will do just as well as this device, with significanly less risk of accidentally puncturing your own ear drum. Let a peroxide solution sit for a while and fizz away beforehand, and tug your ear back and up at you shoot the water in.
I got a little USBC wired otoscope. Cool to look at live video of your eardrum that you’ve never seen before, and comes with a tiny rubber coated spoon to clear as needed. Though it’s probably not needed.
And since you can see, you shouldn’t need to worry about any damage unless you’re ham fisted.
I got an “Elephant Ear” which is like a hand pump version of this, basically a spray bottle with a special hose attachment that goes in your ear a very limited depth. It works great when I have wax blockages, I joke that after my ears are cleaned I can hear colors. I’m not sure if I’d trust an electronic version to have the right pressure, and I don’t think it’s really the kind of thing where not doing it manually is beneficial.
@walarney
Using my sterilized stainless steel curette, I have “magically” [per the patient] cured some profound deafness of more than a few years duration, simply by removing something with the approximate size and shape of a stubby pencil from their ear canal.
More than once [on different patients].
Usually composed of cerumen [the medical name for ear wax], and fiber- likely including cotton from Q-Tips, as well as from clothing and hair- some of which probably grew there- by visual analysis.
Isn’t this basically the thing that Drew Pickles pitched to and lead to bankrupting Chas Finster after he won the lottery in Rugrats because it increased the ear wax production?
Amazing that they figured out what the issue was and fixed it since the 90s, going to buy 2 for friends who get impacted wax yearly.
Dumbest thing every. I’ve been using Q-tips, carefully, post-shower, to clean any was or debris from my ears for ~60 years. My audiologist says my canals look clean & happy. My wife, per family tradition, has used a bobby pin for 50+ years. Never had a problem. Jetting water into your ears sounds, to quote an idiotic sports talk show host, like “a remedy for disaster.”
@MrNews
Same, except that my Family MD always looks and says that I need to stop w/ the once-a-day Q-tips , as if that’s the problem, and not the stethoscope ear pieces that I use many times a day.
@PhysAssist They probably have a point: vigorous daily cleaning with Q-tips may remove ALL ear wax, which leaves the canals more vulnerable. Ear wax is a protective coating, so a gentle cleaning 1-2 times a week is probably sufficient. In between, I use the Q-tips to just blot excess water after a shower…
@MrNews
If I was CLEANING my ear canals daily, maybe, but I don’t.
I also don’t have any choice about how many times a day I need to use my stethoscope, which is significantly more likely to abrade the lining.
My daily routine is essentially the same as yours otherwise.
Specs
Product: Wush Pro Original Deluxe Water-Powered Ear Cleaner
Model: 31769
Condition: New
How to Use
What’s Included?
Price Comparison
$59.99 at Amazon
Warranty
90 days
Estimated Delivery
Thursday, Dec 26
/giphy DAFUQ?
@IndifferentDude
Exactly!
A candle making kit?
/showme a candle made out of yakkoTDI’s earwax
Sounds like a great way to get an ear infection.
@j4yx0r I have to clean my ears out once a year or so when I notice they start sticking – it’s a consistent (and annoying!) problem for lots of people. Never had an ear infection though. You want to use warm water and preferably let some Debrox sit for 5 minutes beforehand to loosen things up a bit.
@j4yx0r @troy I’m one of them people also. I’ve had it done at the doctor’s office many times & they use 50/50 hydrogen peroxide & warm water.
The first time I was 25 years old & nearly deaf. I stopped in at a rural clinic when I was on the road & some good looking lady doctor did it herself. Only cost me $25 as I did not have insurance. I could hear again! Back on the road I was startled by the sounds of cars around me.
Debrox is a must though. Before my annual this year I am going to soak my ears with it so they can get that crap out.
@j4yx0r @troy no Debrox for me. That ear drops make my ears so unbearably itchy.
@j4yx0r @troy
The Debrox you use [preferably alone and undiluted]- is a form of peroxide and is likely what keeps the [outer] ear infections at bay. Hydrogen peroxide is also acceptable, but with both, you have to leave them in the ear canal until they stop bubbling.
If someone is determined to use one of these “ear cleaners”, there might be some benefit to adding bit of vinegar to whatever water is used, which may reduce the infection risk. There is an OTC ear drop for “Swimmer’s Ear”, AKA outer ear infection tat reasonably effective with acetic acid as its main active ingredient.
Luckily, unlike with Navage/Neti pot use there is only a very minimal risk of contracting a brain-eating amoeba with this. [The primary risk being if you have or cause a perforated eardrum.]
@j4yx0r
This goes into way too much detail [even for me] but it explains why some folks have frequently have wax problems, and some [like me] never do:
https://udel.edu/~mcdonald/mythearwax.html
TLDR edit:
Unlike most of the human characters that are used to demonstrate simple genetics principles, wet vs. dry earwax really is controlled by one gene with two alleles.
@j4yx0r @Joedetroit @troy
I’m not sure I’d go see a gynecologist about my ear problems, but I’m glad it worked out for you.
@j4yx0r @PhysAssist I want to argue otherwise. I’ve had dry earwax all my life, until I became a bachelor and had wet earwax. Once I boomeranged back to my parent’s house, my earwax went back to being dry.
@j4yx0r @pakopako
I can’t argue with your personal experience because reality trumps theory.
But, that said, it could’ve been something in the water or other variables that caused the changes.
Say what?
@Kyeh I CAN"T HEAR YOU!!
@yakkoTDI
@Kyeh @yakkoTDI
Huh?
/giphy Huh?
we use a similar device in my medical office. water should be close to body temperature or can cause vertigo, nausea and vomiting. also, the usually excellent write has a small error: woot! wrote:
“First off, you shouldn’t use Q-tips to clean your inner ear” when they mean your external ear canal. THAT IS 100% TRUE! Irrigation like this is much safer. don’t use if you have bleeding or a discharge from your ear- you might have a hole in your eardrum causing it!!!
@docflash one time, one clinic used one of those standard squirt bottles with warm water & H2O2. They had a really tough time getting one last chuck & squirted it a bit too hard & it hurt like hell. My ear leaked liquid for weeks. I do not recommend that.
I’ve been looking at lot of coffee grinders lately and that first photo really had me thinking this was a manual crank grinder. I’m less interested now.
@highonpez That would interest me a lot more too.
@highonpez at first glance, I thought: coffee grinder.
@highonpez @Joedetroit My, what an interesting flavor.
If you look on Amazon at the recent reviews, they are quite terrible
@shirlema earwax has never had good reviews
If I get this as a present for someone hard of hearing, do they get offended or totally disown me? Asking for a friend.
@hchavers earwax is rarely the cause of hearing issues.
@hchavers I have hearing trouble, and I’d probably feel indifferent. Doesn’t matter how clean my ears are, they still suck. An ENT could be looking right in my ear, tell me it’s clear, and I’d still have trouble hearing.
Wouldn’t be an offensive gift IMO, but I don’t know if it would be a particularly helpful gift either. Honestly, with ear troubles my whole life, I’d probably just be hesitant to ever use it, in fear of messing up my ears even more. Someone mentioned bad reviews, which would be something I’d look into before using it for my ears, personally.
@LaserEyes
Do you also have Tinnitus?
Because just reading your post made my tinnitus flare- which happens whenever something makes me think about my hearing.
My hearing aids, in addition to their main function of normalizing my hearing spectrum, do a pretty good job of distracting me from it by providing a relatively normal hearing environment- even though they aren’t specifically intended for that purpose [tinnitus suppression].
@PhysAssist yep, I also have tinnitus. I really need to schedule another appointment with my ENT to talk about getting hearing aids. That’s great to hear that they help you with the ringing! Because sometimes it’s absolutely maddening! Thank you!
@LaserEyes
Love your screen name!
You’re welcome for the HA news- they really do help with both the hearing impairment and the tinnitus, [mine are both from noise exposure].
OTOH, you might could get away with seeing an audiologist, that’s who diagnosed mine and prescribed the HAs.
I’d seen the infomercial for this unit for a while and thought I could really use it. This is probably the cheapest I’ll ever see it…I should probably buy one, shouldn’t I?
@PooltoyWolf UPDATE: Yeah I bought one.
/giphy chilly-decent-scrooge
I need this device. I am one of those people that gets ear gunk chronic. Likewise, I assume I’ll mix the water with peroxide because I’ve never seen just warm water on its own work.
@AaronLeeJohnson
This is a non-medical recommendation that instead you should try OTC Debrox= Carbamide peroxide formulated specifically for use in ear canals.
https://www.debrox.com/how-does-debrox-work
@PhysAssist You know what. I’ll give that a try.
@AaronLeeJohnson
I am really a PA, but without knowing your medical history, I cannot offer medical advice.
That said, it is really the best approach- key being leaving it in long enough, and repeating it a couple times daily for up to 4 days before waiting a week to repeat, if necessary.
/showme tasty, delicious oishi earwax
boo, no show me for me
The /showme command is a member feature. Join membership to try it out.
@kus I got your back.
/showme tasty delicious oishi earwax
@Michaelforman
EWWWWWW!
Um … what’s so hard about just turning your head in the shower and letting the warm water flush out your ears??
I do it all the time and it works for me!! 
I just use a Q-Tip afterwards to soak up the water and any leftover wax. 
@IndifferentDude wax gets compacted in the canal and it’s too stubborn for just plain water to flush it out. Q-tips also have a tendency to compact whatever’s in your ear further down, eventually causing a blockage. Built-up wax needs to be softened and blasted with pressure – the tri-jet tips on this unit (and some other dedicated ear cleaners) blast water in all directions of the canal but not directly at the ear drum.
@IndifferentDude People like me who have to wear earplugs when they swim shouldn’t do that. If I do I have water in my ear for days and I risk ear infection. It’s a lot more common than you’d think.
This device targets the side of the ear canal and offers a lot more control than just letting warm water go directly into your ear.
@IndifferentDude @marvelljones
Swimmers ear is the worst pain ever! I’d actually forgotten about that since I haven’t had it since I was a kid!
OMG, OUCH!
@Lynnerizer
It bothered me almost as much as my [nontraumatic] femur fracture- and was certainly more painful- like a monster bug chewing and squirming in my ear.
@PhysAssist Ugh…
I can imagine! And that’s the kind of pain you NEVER forget! 
Can I just use my Waterpik?
I remember needing to have my ears flushed when I was a kid. Not fun.
@ponagathos Definitely not fun! I’ve had it done at the doctor’s as well, and whatever device they used definitely didn’t guard against direct eardrum pressure… painful and dangerous! But these tri-jet nozzles don’t hurt at all.
@ponagathos @troy
And I could hear again!
I have good memories of having mine flushed as a kid. No pain, just a little pressure and a huge pea sized wax nugget pinged in the metal cup when it came out. Fun times… Lol
@troy
Not really dangerous unless you use tap water contaminated with amoeba… Just potentially painful… Thus distilled water may be safer.
It’s like a neti pot, but for your ears
@heartny
…and equally usefully- which is to say not much…
Honestly? I don’t recommend this to a Layman. The mention of Debrox is correct. Follow directions, have heard of using “Sweet Oil”. Not sure what that is. And they say don’t put anything smaller than your elbow in your ears.
Ppl have been known to puncture their eardrums, or pack wax in further. We have body substances that protect us, but sometimes need maintenance. I recommend your DR. or an ENT if you have problems. From your friendly RN . Happy Holidays!
@Mandamm Sweet Oil is basically olive oil. At least the last time I read ingredients on a package it was.
@Mandamm
We say nothing EXCEPT your [own] elbow- not a size thing, just that nothing else, barring ear plugs or ear buds belongs in there.
@Mandamm @PhysAssist The reason it’s acceptable to put your own elbow in your ear is that you CAN’T put your own elbow in your ear.
@Mandamm @Trinityscrew
Exactly!
I’ve used this for a couple of years. I wear hearing aids which contribute to moisture and wax in the ear canal. When used as directed this is great tool to help clear things out. I use it once a week while I’m in the shower so I don’t have to mess with the ear cup to catch run off.
Come on! You know people are going to use this on their Corn-Holes!!!
This made me laugh out loud
@agnesnutter
For anyone who hasn’t read the box, it says “Do not insert in ear canal.”
PS: Agnes, I love Terry Prachett and Diskworld!
I’ve used one of these before. For those concerned, it’s not coming out at laser speed, but it’s certainly stronger than your shower. I didn’t find it had much impact for me, but I also don’t have impacted wax concerns. I tried it basically out of curiousity. Very easy to use, so if you’re someone who feels they get exceso wax and you want to avoid using qtips, give it a run.
looks like he’s having an eargasm…
Oh wow I was already planning on doing my semi-regular ear cleaning this morning in prep of a long flight, how weird.
FWIW a regular plastic syringe or one of those booger suckers will do just as well as this device, with significanly less risk of accidentally puncturing your own ear drum. Let a peroxide solution sit for a while and fizz away beforehand, and tug your ear back and up at you shoot the water in.
@pikelet
If I feel the need, I just use a teaspoon and fill my ear canal that way while laying on my side.
I hate when I convince myself to buy something I helped decide to sell.
/buy
@dave It worked! Your order number is: green-candlelit-gravy
/showme green candlelit gravy
I got a little USBC wired otoscope. Cool to look at live video of your eardrum that you’ve never seen before, and comes with a tiny rubber coated spoon to clear as needed. Though it’s probably not needed.
And since you can see, you shouldn’t need to worry about any damage unless you’re ham fisted.
Mom told me not to stick this kind of junk in my ear.
I got an “Elephant Ear” which is like a hand pump version of this, basically a spray bottle with a special hose attachment that goes in your ear a very limited depth. It works great when I have wax blockages, I joke that after my ears are cleaned I can hear colors. I’m not sure if I’d trust an electronic version to have the right pressure, and I don’t think it’s really the kind of thing where not doing it manually is beneficial.
So, can this be used as a travel bidet? Asking for a friend.
@shrewsbury huh, portable douche might be possible if you can stop and refill
won’t bother with my long only semi-relevant story, but imagine someone pulling something like a birthday candle out of your ear
/showme pulling a candle out of my ear
@mediocrebot yeah… not so much like that
@walarney
Using my sterilized stainless steel curette, I have “magically” [per the patient] cured some profound deafness of more than a few years duration, simply by removing something with the approximate size and shape of a stubby pencil from their ear canal.
More than once [on different patients].
Usually composed of cerumen [the medical name for ear wax], and fiber- likely including cotton from Q-Tips, as well as from clothing and hair- some of which probably grew there- by visual analysis.
Isn’t this basically the thing that Drew Pickles pitched to and lead to bankrupting Chas Finster after he won the lottery in Rugrats because it increased the ear wax production?
Amazing that they figured out what the issue was and fixed it since the 90s, going to buy 2 for friends who get impacted wax yearly.
Whenever I get water in my ears it inevitably gets stuck in there and it takes days for it to come out/evaporate.
Hard Pass for me.
@Trinityscrew That’s most likely because the water is getting trapped behind some wax. I have the same issue until I clean out my ears
Dumbest thing every. I’ve been using Q-tips, carefully, post-shower, to clean any was or debris from my ears for ~60 years. My audiologist says my canals look clean & happy. My wife, per family tradition, has used a bobby pin for 50+ years. Never had a problem. Jetting water into your ears sounds, to quote an idiotic sports talk show host, like “a remedy for disaster.”
@MrNews
Same, except that my Family MD always looks and says that I need to stop w/ the once-a-day Q-tips , as if that’s the problem, and not the stethoscope ear pieces that I use many times a day.
@PhysAssist They probably have a point: vigorous daily cleaning with Q-tips may remove ALL ear wax, which leaves the canals more vulnerable. Ear wax is a protective coating, so a gentle cleaning 1-2 times a week is probably sufficient. In between, I use the Q-tips to just blot excess water after a shower…
@MrNews
If I was CLEANING my ear canals daily, maybe, but I don’t.
I also don’t have any choice about how many times a day I need to use my stethoscope, which is significantly more likely to abrade the lining.
My daily routine is essentially the same as yours otherwise.
This works for me
@ItalianScallion
Owwie