Ear Irrigation

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Preparation for having your ears syringed

If you have made an appointment to have your ears syringed, please follow these simple instructions:

  1. You will need to apply olive oil twice a day for two weeks. You can purchase olive oil drops at your local chemist, or use olive oil that you use for cooking – you can apply this yourself.
  2. Warm the oil before use. You can do this by standing the bottle in a cup of hot water for five minutes. Please ensure that the oil is not too hot.
  3. Ask somebody else to put the oil in for you if possible, and lay down on a bed with the ear to be treated uppermost.
  4. Pull the ear backwards and upwards, fill the dropper full of oil, then return to starting position. You can also press rapidly on the small piece of cartilage near the ear canal. This will ensure that all of the ear canal is coated with the drops.
  5. Lie on your side for at least 20 - 30 minutes (time it by the clock) – this gives the drops time to sink in. DO NOT USE COTTON WOOL.
  6. Sit up slowly.
  7. If both ears need drops, wait for a while before treating the second.
  8. A towel may be needed in order to protect your pillowcase.

It is important that you follow these simple instructions; this is because it will soften and loosen the wax. This will ensure the procedure is safer, quicker, more effective and comfortable for you and may reduce the need for syringing – syringing hardened wax increases the risk of complications.

 

Caring for your ears after syringing

When washing, never attempt to clean the inside of your ears with flannels or cotton wool buds. The ear is designed to clean itself. If you put anything in to it, not only do you encourage it to produce more wax, but you will impact what is there already. Never put cotton wool in your ear.

Please note: Once you are using the olive oil regularly, the wax will swell and may become more bothersome for a while. Do not be put off by this as this makes the wax much easier and safer to remove, and, in some cases, the wax will come out itself.