Hopi Ear Candles

Thermo-Auricular Therapy...

Music To My Ears...

Something For The Wickend...

Beano

After my own foray with ear trouble last year, and only making things worse with preparations and gizmos, the answer from the doctor (which really worked) was the traditional few drops of slightly warm virgin olive oil, applied using a dropper available from any chemist for about 30p.

Have tissue(s) handy! Tip head to one side (or lay on pillow), apply drops in the ear that's facing skywards, leave for a few minutes.

With elbow wipe away the excess oil, etc...

Repeat with other ear.

It may take some days to clear. If one has semi-persistent ear trouble, a regular 'oil change' can be preventative.

GOOD LUCK (that's me speaking up...)

James

The ear candles were debunked years ago as totally useless at best, and harmful at worst. Stay away from that. One thing we used to use in the Emergency Department (I am an MD) was a water pick, set on the lowest setting. Just direct the stream along the wall of the external ear canal over a sink and the detritus will spill out. Never tried the olive oil trick, though I see no reason why it shouldn't work. However, if the wax is really stuck in there, you may need to see an ear specialist to have it cleaned out.

Norman

Ears can "block" from the inside or outside. If the outer canal is blocked with wax, any old oil (no virgins need be involved),can be used.
In this case it sounds as if your ears are "blocked" on the inside, i.e. the ventilation to your normally air-filled middle ear is blocked by mucus and inflammation at the back of your nose. In this case no amount of oil or syringing will help, as there is no passage from the outer canal to the middle ear (unless you are in fairly serious trouble). Steam inhalations and sniffing a bit of Vick may be effective though.
I assume ear candles make you feel better from the decorative effect, as on a birthday cake.

Ok I'll leave candles for those occasions when I feel romantic.

Any old oil? The car is due a service, shall I use the oil from that?

Mr TM-P's prescription sounds best - it'll keep the throat well lubricated. Good job the local hostelry is having a beer festival this week-end.

Perhaps I can do a survey on the healing qualities of malt, hops and yeast and liquor...

Chewing may help to improve the ventilation of a blocked 'middle ear' too, the Airwaves type chewing gum with menthol etc may be an idea. Horrible stuff mind.

Thanks all - this place is better than NHS Direct! You certain ly get an answer quicker here...

....quicker by about 3 hrs if the local service is anything to go by.

Hopi ear candles will remove smallish amounts of wax quite comfortably. It's an interesting sensation. Didn't do much for me but my ex-girlfriend absolutely loved it. It probably won't do you much good but it won't do any harm and you might enjoy it

Seagull

As a fellow sufferer with sinusitis etc you have my sympathy . . . .

Maybe I'm reading this thread incorrectly but the idea that the blocked up feeling during and after a cold is caused by ear wax is totally wrong. During a cold the membranes in your sinuses nose and throat are inflammed and swollen and suffer an excess of mucus. This gives rise to the pressure in the head feeling and the sensation that you are 'blocked up'. Worse still the small tube that connects your middle ear to the pharynx (the Eustachian tube) may become narrowed or even blocked which makes it difficult to equalise the pressure either side of your eardrum. If this happens your hearing will be affected and may even contribute to your tinnitus. Unfortunately even as a cold subsides this inflammation and irritation takes some time to diminish such that you may feel better but still suffer the bunged up feeling.

It is a mistake to confuse this feeling with conjestion in the outer ear caused by surplus ear-wax.

Experience has shown me the best remedy is to eat light clean foods (lots of fruit etc), take an anti-inflammatory analgesic (e.g Ibuprofen) and not aggravate your very sore mucus membranes with decogenstants etc.

If you have access to a sauna or better still a steam room sitting in either will bring great relief.

Finally, I find taking a regular supplement of zinc and vitamin C helps prevent actually getting colds and dosing with echinacea at the first sign of one starting can stop it in its tracks.

Get better soon

Douglas