Super Cheap Upgrade

It's way back there. They had to use this giant metal syringe thingy that shoots hot water in to soften the wax and then a stick with a hook on the end to disengage the ball of wax. Sound more painful than it is. Just mildly annoying with a bit of dizziness thrown in when they shoot the water against your eardrum.

Just buy Murine ear drops and warm water sprayer bulb from any pharmacy.

As a loud musician for years, I learned a while back (from necessity...maybe a doctor recommended it) about the ear drops/bulb thing. I'm amazed more people aren't hip to it as it's really safe and easy and gets amazing results. Takes a while but man...you remove wax, old car keys, maps of Cuba, a lost cat...and it really tweeks your hearing.

It is ok to have your ears cleaned once in a while, but you shouldn't do it too often. Your body produces ear wax for a reason. It is there to trap dust particles, serve as a water repellent and prevent infection.

If you do not have an excessive amount of ear wax you can get similar results by putting ear plugs or cotton balls in your ears for an extended period of time. When you remove the ear plugs you will be amazed at what you can hear. This is a fun experiment if you haven't done it before.

Some years ago I developed a wax buildup in one ear which was severe enough to cause difficulty hearing people on the telephone, when it was used with that ear. I tried the Murine self-treatment multiple times and it was ineffective. A visit to the ENT dr. fixed the problem immediately and completely. Surprisingly, he found no wax buildup at all in the other ear. I now see him annually, and each time he removes a significant amount of wax from one ear or the other, usually not both.

He has indicated that in his experience there is no predictability or consistency as to when, how, or in which ear this tends to occur, even for the same person from one year to the next.

Regards,
-- Al