i’ve been pouring hydrogen peroxide in my ears for years and it really does give you a tickleing sensation. would this method be a bad way of flushing out earwax?
ray ~rancho cucamonga, ca
Asian, welcome to the boards, we’re glad to have you here. You had posted this topic in the forum called COMMENTS ON MAILBAG ANSWERS, but as far as I am aware, this is not, in fact, in response to a Mailbag Answer. I have therefore moved the topic to Great Debates. No sweat, you’ll get used to the forums in time. Again, welcome!
I wouldn’t think so. I think that’s what’s in packaged ear-cleaning kits, along with the water bulb.
My mom used to use methiolate to disinfect cuts that I got as a kid, but that stuff stung like crazy. When she ran out of it once, she started using H[SUB]2[/sub]O[SUB]2[/sub] instead. I thought it was cool, because it would fizz.
I imagine it’s doing a similar thing in your ears. As long as you flush it out well, I don’t think there should be a problem.
According to my doctor, yes it is a bad thing. As sold as a disinfectant, hydrogen peroxide is in a 3% solution with water. Putting this in your ears is pretty much like putting water in your ears. Despite its disinfectant properties, this can lead to irritation and infection. There is also the possibility of it getting caught near or behind your eardrum and fizzing loudly for a maddening long time.
My doctor said that if you think you have water in your ear, a couple drops of rubbing alcohol may help it to dry. It would evaporate quickly and cause the water to evaporate a bit faster with it and/or wick the water out a bit breaking the surface tension that traps water in place and let it drip out. This has worked for me.
Consult you own doctor before putting anything in your ear, for all i know my doctor is a quack or there could be something that makes this lousy advice for you.
I once washed a cockroach out of a guy’s ear with hydrogen peroxide. The resident told me to do it – get 3% H2O2 in a 50 ml syringe and squirt away. Pretty gross seeing the thing come out though.
:eek:
now there’s an image I won’t soon forget