Microsuction ear wax removal - is it any good?

Sammy2018

I wouldn't advise this on a regular basis. Ear wax is there for a reason. Only when there's too much and it's affecting your hearing or causing pain, is when you'd require removal.

BrassicWoman

yes, suction is clean, instant and great value!

Ben_eficialFriend

You can also check out ear wax removal kits for a safe and affordable way to get rid of  ear wax. 

cbrown372

NeilCr said:

Yes.

Really good. I had to have it done privately as our GPs syringe system broke and I had an audiology appointment which required wax free ears

It didn't hurt - tickled a bit and is a lot less uncomfortable than a syringe. It cost me £70 for both ears but I got a half hour appointment when I wanted it plus free follow up - they had to have another go at one ear.

As said I thought it worth the money for the convenience and service. That's not a go at my GPs practice as they are great - but rather overrun.

I read this thread a couple of weeks ago and while my docs would normally refer me to a clinic after a nurse checked my ears they aren't doing it at the moment so booked an appointment and happy to pay. Think it was to be £80 for both ears but when they checked only one ear needed it done so the cost was £50. Sadly I have very narrow ear canals and I had to go back last week and again this week as there is an annoying little bit of wax that they couldn't get at despite changing the size of the tools they used. No charge for the second/third appointments and very happy with the service, House of Hearing if anyone is in Scotland/Borders.

50Twuncle

I use a rubber ball syringe roughly monthly - it works best after a hot shower - the wax comes out in a single large mass !!

Cost about £5

bobblebob

My right ear is completely blocked according to the nurse. Drops seemed to have made it worse (wax expanded?). GP surgery wont do them, was told to ring Specsavers as they do. They said because its fully blocked they cant touch it, get a hospital referral. So rang GP up, who said we arent doing hospital referrals because of COVID, try a private place again

Managed to get in for it doing in a few week at a cost of £70 for both ears if needs be. NHS is telling people to not delay if they have issues, yet when you do go up they cant do anything and tell you to go private

Undervalued

bobblebob said:

My right ear is completely blocked according to the nurse. Drops seemed to have made it worse (wax expanded?). GP surgery wont do them, was told to ring Specsavers as they do. They said because its fully blocked they cant touch it, get a hospital referral. So rang GP up, who said we arent doing hospital referrals because of COVID, try a private place again

Managed to get in for it doing in a few week at a cost of £70 for both ears if needs be. NHS is telling people to not delay if they have issues, yet when you do go up they cant do anything and tell you to go private

Although uncomfortable and annoying it is not harmful unless there is an infection. In fact ear wax protects against infection.

In the current situation working a few inches from the patient's face puts the nurse / audiologist at risk of picking up the virus and them passing it to another patient who does need immediate treatment. Having had to be seen by my GP twice this week for something far more urgent I was reassured to see the level of care they were taking. However obviously there was still a risk, both ways, but in this case it was judged to be a risk that had to be taken. 

I suspect these type of elective procedures will get ever harder to obtain on the NHS. 

bobblebob

Undervalued said:

bobblebob said:

My right ear is completely blocked according to the nurse. Drops seemed to have made it worse (wax expanded?). GP surgery wont do them, was told to ring Specsavers as they do. They said because its fully blocked they cant touch it, get a hospital referral. So rang GP up, who said we arent doing hospital referrals because of COVID, try a private place again

Managed to get in for it doing in a few week at a cost of £70 for both ears if needs be. NHS is telling people to not delay if they have issues, yet when you do go up they cant do anything and tell you to go private

Although uncomfortable and annoying it is not harmful unless there is an infection. In fact ear wax protects against infection.

In the current situation working a few inches from the patient's face puts the nurse / audiologist at risk of picking up the virus and them passing it to another patient who does need immediate treatment. Having had to be seen by my GP twice this week for something far more urgent I was reassured to see the level of care they were taking. However obviously there was still a risk, both ways, but in this case it was judged to be a risk that had to be taken. 

I suspect these type of elective procedures will get ever harder to obtain on the NHS. 

I would have thought with PPE for both of us, the risk is minimal, especially as i wont actually be facing the nurse when she does it. She did look in my ear at the time to make sure it was blocked, so was close to me then - albeit not for a long time

Undervalued

bobblebob said:

Undervalued said:

bobblebob said:

My right ear is completely blocked according to the nurse. Drops seemed to have made it worse (wax expanded?). GP surgery wont do them, was told to ring Specsavers as they do. They said because its fully blocked they cant touch it, get a hospital referral. So rang GP up, who said we arent doing hospital referrals because of COVID, try a private place again

Managed to get in for it doing in a few week at a cost of £70 for both ears if needs be. NHS is telling people to not delay if they have issues, yet when you do go up they cant do anything and tell you to go private

Although uncomfortable and annoying it is not harmful unless there is an infection. In fact ear wax protects against infection.

In the current situation working a few inches from the patient's face puts the nurse / audiologist at risk of picking up the virus and them passing it to another patient who does need immediate treatment. Having had to be seen by my GP twice this week for something far more urgent I was reassured to see the level of care they were taking. However obviously there was still a risk, both ways, but in this case it was judged to be a risk that had to be taken. 

I suspect these type of elective procedures will get ever harder to obtain on the NHS. 

I would have thought with PPE for both of us, the risk is minimal, especially as i wont actually be facing the nurse when she does it. She did look in my ear at the time to make sure it was blocked, so was close to me then - albeit not for a long time

Be that as it may, you are missing the point.

It was necessary to look into the ear to make sure it was wax and not an infection. Ear infections can under some circumstances be serious. So that was a properly considered risk - both ways. However, having established that it was just wax (which I know can be very annoying) it is not medically urgent.

Many GP surgeries had stopped offering routine ear irrigation long before the Covid 19 crisis, because the procedure is not without risk (to the ear) and ENT departments usually advise against in the majority of cases.

Microsuction, which few NHS GP surgeries offer, is as I understand it considered significantly safer (for the ear). There are some concerns about the level of training "audiologists" receive but then a lot of GP's delegated ear irrigation to a Health Care Assistant when in the past it was at least a fully qualified nurse.

bobblebob

Undervalued said:

bobblebob said:

Undervalued said:

bobblebob said:

My right ear is completely blocked according to the nurse. Drops seemed to have made it worse (wax expanded?). GP surgery wont do them, was told to ring Specsavers as they do. They said because its fully blocked they cant touch it, get a hospital referral. So rang GP up, who said we arent doing hospital referrals because of COVID, try a private place again

Managed to get in for it doing in a few week at a cost of £70 for both ears if needs be. NHS is telling people to not delay if they have issues, yet when you do go up they cant do anything and tell you to go private

Although uncomfortable and annoying it is not harmful unless there is an infection. In fact ear wax protects against infection.

In the current situation working a few inches from the patient's face puts the nurse / audiologist at risk of picking up the virus and them passing it to another patient who does need immediate treatment. Having had to be seen by my GP twice this week for something far more urgent I was reassured to see the level of care they were taking. However obviously there was still a risk, both ways, but in this case it was judged to be a risk that had to be taken. 

I suspect these type of elective procedures will get ever harder to obtain on the NHS. 

I would have thought with PPE for both of us, the risk is minimal, especially as i wont actually be facing the nurse when she does it. She did look in my ear at the time to make sure it was blocked, so was close to me then - albeit not for a long time

Be that as it may, you are missing the point.

It was necessary to look into the ear to make sure it was wax and not an infection. Ear infections can under some circumstances be serious. So that was a properly considered risk - both ways. However, having established that it was just wax (which I know can be very annoying) it is not medically urgent.

Many GP surgeries had stopped offering routine ear irrigation long before the Covid 19 crisis, because the procedure is not without risk (to the ear) and ENT departments usually advise against in the majority of cases.

Microsuction, which few NHS GP surgeries offer, is as I understand it considered significantly safer (for the ear). There are some concerns about the level of training "audiologists" receive but then a lot of GP's delegated ear irrigation to a Health Care Assistant when in the past it was at least a fully qualified nurse.

While i agree is more a nuisance than anything (although when it starts to effect balance at what point does it become more serious?), the problem with GP surgeries not doing them (Covid or no Covid), is people have 2 options if drops dont work. That is pay privately which isnt cheap, or try ad homemade remedy which can be dangerous and damage the eardrum.