I use a 1:1:2 mix of water, vinegar and hydrogen peroxide to clean my ears, and sadly I haven’t been able to get around to it in a while. Tonight, I decided, was the night. Mixed up the solution, got it to body temperature and dropped some in my right ear, waited 5 minutes while it bubbled, and rinsed with warm water. The wax came out in chunks like usual.
Then, I did my left ear. As I rinsed, I saw some small crumbs come out but none of the larger crumbs I would expect. So I irrigated a bit more until I felt a definite clunk. I shook my head a bit, and squirted a bit more water. Then this…thing…dropped into the sink. Feeling a need to share, I put a dime next to it.
Believe it or not. A friend of mine had a live MOTH dive into his ear one night. You couldnt see it from the outside, but boy o boy did he FEEL it fluttering around on the inside.
Jesus christ, I can’t believe I’m going to post this, but there’s a TMI right in the title…
I have really waxy ears. My mom does too - I just found this out recently, because it’s not something that comes up a lot, you know? But I guess it’s genetic.
In…2005 or so, I was having a lot of pain in my ear, so I went to the doctor. The RN told me she couldn’t even see into my ear, it was so waxy. She tried to irrigate it, but hardly anything came out. I got wax dissolving drops and was sent on my way. And thus began a months-long saga of trying to get all of the wax out of my ear so the doctor could figure out why it was in pain. It fucked sucked, because the wax would come loose and then plug my ear up, so that the left side of my head felt like it was under water.
Anyway, after all several trips to the doctor for irrigation, LOADS of stuff - stuff that looked just like that thing in the picture - finally started coming out of my ear. It was fantastic. I wish I’d had my camera on me.
The best part of all was that when the doctor could finally see into my ear, he couldn’t see anything wrong with it. He sent me to an ENT, who took five minutes to determine that the problem wasn’t actually in my ear at all, but in my TMJ, which is right under my ear.
Anyway, ears are remarkable things. I think I need to try that irrigation thing you’re doing. I’ve got a neti pot now…is there such a thing as an ear neti?
Just did a search and found this Ear Wax FAQ. It says:
Some home remedies are safe and effective. A vinegar-water-peroxide solution (1:1:2) can be warmed to body temperature and applied to the ear canal to soften wax. A drop of baby oil can be placed in each ear canal on a regular basis (typically, once or twice per week) to soften hard, painful wax. People who have a history of middle ear infections, swimmer’s ear, or a hole in the ear drum should NOT try these remedies, nor should they allow a physician to irrigate their ears, as such methods can lead to a painful and/or dangerous ear infection. As a rule, people with a history of any ear disease should go to an ENT for wax problems and not try treating the problem themselves.
Works for me! I am not a doctor, but the author of the FAQ is.
Good luck! I do this to maintain my hearing and to keep my earbuds from getting all nasty. I don’t do it too often, because ear wax does serve a purpose. The very through Wikipedia page on ear wax asserts that a 10% solution of baking soda is very effective as well, but that would seem like a bit of a pain to fully dissolve compared to mixing three liquids, and the one I’ve been using seems very effective indeed.
After getting this huge, solid lump out of my ear, I have to wonder - how in the hell was I able to hear anything via that ear while it was in there? It’s not as if the sensitivity of my hearing doubled after it came out. The TV volume indicator is at the same number as before. But if I were to stick this lump of goo onto the windscreen of a small microphone I’m sure it would completely muffle the sound it picked up.
I’ve had the same thing on a couple of occasions. I get lazy about using solution in my ears until my hearing starts to go, then I usually get one of those out of my ear.
The first time it happened a doctor blasted it out of my ear with a Water Pic. He called it a “cigar butt”, for obvious reasons.
I also have a problem with ear wax. Despite my best efforts… since I was about 16, every few years or so- I need to have a doctor actually irrigate out a waxy plug that is too much for me to do at home.
Those suckers are freakin’ huge. The last time this happened, my wife went with me because she was really curious. She hasn’t been the same since. It is truely vile.
What, no one else thought that?