I found your channel out of desperation. I utilized all four methods and hands down the distilled water method worked best. I was stunned by the results. The least expensive choice was #1 in removing the wax. Thank you for publishing this, saved me a trip to the GP
@CrystalG-cu2rk Thanks for sharing your experience with distilled water. Would you clarify if you used "distilled water" or "STEAMED distilled water" which is what Dr. Veer recommended? If you used the steamed version, where do you buy it from and can it it be purchased in the U.S.? I look forward to your response because I have been experiencing plugged ear on the right. I believe it's wax because when I tilt my head in certain positions, it opens or unplugs. I am desperate to get this resolved quickly without the need to see a professional and incur a large bill. :(
@@LT-R828 if you can't find steamed distilled water, you could make it yourself I would suggest if you have a old but clean saucepan with lid . You could buy a plastic or rubber pipe , overall diameter about 10mm to 15 mm roughly half inch Drill a hole to suit the pipe in the lid. Drill one size smaller than the pipe, so the pipe is a tight fit in the lid . Put the other end of the pipe in a clean container like a jam jar or whatever. This would work good if the lid is a tight fit on saucepan, and jam jar or container is lower than saucepan lid. The pipe will drip clean steamed water in jam jar. Try to get good quality drinking water from shop. Read the ingredients, I would say the less ingredients the better. Just a idea. Hope your ear gets well soon
@@LT-R828 The Brand of steamed distilled (meaning steamed water) was AQUILLA distilled bottled water and can be bought on the internet and shipped. I used it for a water only fast ... drank lots of it and got better. Was expensive for water but it really helped my life - so worth it.
@@LT-R828 I'm in the same boat you were in 2 months ago!!!! I hope you respond soon. My right ear is impacted so bad. It's driving me crazy. I tried dubrox and flushing it but I didn't get the deep.earwax near my eardrum. Now I'm wondering about this distilled water. Do you just let use it as drops and just let it soak for 10min then. Flush. Or just let it sit and it comes out itself?? 🤷♀️ please let me know what ended up working for you. I don't imagine your still dealing with this problem for 2 months I hope it's all resolved! 🙌
Here in America, I have always been told by many doctors to use a 50/50 mixture of Hydrogen Peroxide and distilled water. The distilled water apparently helps to disolve the wax and is an important component. I've used it for over 30 years with no issues.
Hydrogen peroxide is typically 3% with the other 97% being distilled water. So a 50/50 mix would take it down to 1.5% hydrogen peroxide and 98.5% distilled water which is not as irritating if used several days in a row. I also use this formula or sometimes just the peroxide and it does seem to be the best. I also have an ear camera with a scoop on the end so I can get the globs that are just inside the canal.
The danger is if you have a hole in your eardrum you'll have permanent hearing loss using peroxide. Doctors also used to recommend cigarettes in America as a well.
@@TheAgentAssassinYes, you are smart and modern otologic specialists in the U.S. are wrong and stupid because tobacco companies 75-100 years ago were paying doctors to appear in ads promoting cigarettes, and you think one in any way relates to or informs the other. Brilliant.
I have used hydrogen peroxide 3% since I was a child. I'm 42 now. No hearing damage. Althougth I never heard it was bad until now. Old remedy from my parents.
I don't think people, at least myself, thought warming up would melt the wax. But many chemical reactions are quite dependent on temperature. I have used hydrogen peroxide for years and it doesn't bubble until it warms up
You don't need heat for chemical reactions. You can just exacerbate some/most using heat. It's not the same as how you are thinking. You don't need heat for the reaction in this case. The reaction is taking place between the ear wax and the Hydrogen peroxide. Like sodium and water. The water doesn't have to be warm.
Normally, when a doctor uses Peroxide to clean out the ear; they use a solution of 1 part peroxide to one part water. They are mixed in equal proportions, and a syringe is used to spray the solution into your ear. As it goes in, the wax is loosened, and forced out by back pressure. I had this procedure done many years ago when I was very young. I asked a lot of questions in order to understand the risk, and how it worked.
When I had a VERY waxed-up ear I used the hydrogen peroxide for the first time. It was amazing. Great globs of wax flowed out. I have also used earcalm which has little effect - on my current recurring problem, which is itchy ear canal, for which i use a small dab of almond oil to lubricate the outer ear.
Lucky you and so glad it helped. When I tried hydrogen peroxide it did absolutely nothing for my ear wax but irritated skin in the ear canal. Website the medical news says Using too much hydrogen peroxide can irritate the skin inside the ear, leading to inflammation and earaches. Suppose we need to do more research…. Everyone one’s ears are different 😊
@@verobutterfly3029 So what did you do about your ear wax problem if hydrogen peroxide didn't help you? You forgot to mention this... as this video ultimately is about ear wax?☺
I've use Hydrogen Peroxide several times, and I have to say it works very well, especially with deep blockages. I do say, if the blockage is a natural buildup of wax, its probably safe to use. However, I would not use it if you cause the blockage with a q-tip or you've been poking around with something else in there. Its possible you've enflamed or disturbed the tissue, and using hydrogen peroxide may cause pain or discomfort. After use though, I recommend rinsing the ear out with some warm water.
You should try a drop of olive oil in immediately after you put in the peroxide. It seems to excite the peroxide more and leaves the ear feeling very moisturized afterward
I have used Debrox for years. If your ears are clogged with wax, you can often hear the solution fizzing in your ear. The syringe bulb works well. Typically I will use bottled water which I slightly warm to close to body temperature to irrigate the ear following the ear drop application.
No idea if it works any better but, when I were a lad some 60 years ago, or so, the standard family remedy for ear wax (North East Coast), was warmed Almond Oil. I had the dubious pleasure of having that poured into my lugholes many times. Quite warm and pleasant, in fact, if a bit oily. No idea where you'd get Almond Oil from now, but assume it's a culinary oil of some sort, such as for making cakes or biscuits. There, that's 30 seconds you won't get back.
I accidentally put some nasal spray in my ear instead of Otex. It doesn't seem to have harmed me, but I sure am enjoying being able to smell much better with my ears now.
I woke up one morning to find I lost my hearing temporarily in one ear because of ear wax. Wasn't life or death and I had to get to work. Someone there suggested warm water and dish soap, which made sense. That night I threw a quarter cup in the microwave for 30 seconds, added a drop or two of dish soap, then dropped the mixture into my ear. I think it helped, that and my probably not too smart method of cleaning got my hearing back and then some (meaning I heard better out of that ear than my other one).
Hearing lost first diagnosed in 1966. Since then I have worn at least one hearing aid. I now wear two. Throughout those years, have used hydrogen peroxide. I can verify that pieces break loose and float to the surface. You can hear it break their pieces loose. It can also get quite warm. Didn't know about the middle ear danger. Because of the hearing aid, my ears frequently itch about where the hearing aid cone stops. Because I have something blocking my ear all the time, wax sometimes has trouble getting out.
The pharmacist recommended debrox, and it clogged up my ear so severely that my ear started hurting and i had nonstop pressure and ringing in my ear, then i had to go see an ear specialist to have my ears professionally cleaned, after getting the debrox and earwax removed from my ear, My ear still felt very clogged up and muffled and the doctor said it is because the debrox melted the wax and coated the eardrum with a thin sticky layer of wax, so he said that it could possibly get better within a few days, if i would have known that debrox would of caused all of these serious issues i would have never bought it at my local pharmacy, i wish i would have just gone first to the ear specialist instead of buying this bad product. Do not use debrox it is not safe at all.
Just used debrox for last 2 days and I wish I had seen this comment earlier haha its like the stuff worked but just made the wax spread out all over, maybe flushing the ear with water will help now I hope
Did it get better after a few days though? I think im experiencing the same thing but with waxsol 😞 stupid ringing in my ears leaves me with no sleep at all
I was a regular customer at my local surgery for ear wax removal. Before covid they used warm tap water heated via a kettle and using a pulsated water pressure bath to remove the softened wax. I found the whole thing very relaxing. Of course not a pleasant job for the nurse which is why I was glad in a way when they stopped doing this type of wax removal after covid. Now I am exploring their method but at home. Again a small receptacle with warm water and a cordless hand pump that forced water into the ear with three settings including pulse. I guess that if it worked before then it should do so again. As a precaution, I will use ear calm after.
For those that might be interested I did buy a machine that helps to remove softened ear wax. However, it worked too well and removed all the wax and irritated the inside of my ears. Typical me, I went over the top in my zeal to do a thorough job. So, for a few days, my ears hurt a little but ear calm did calm them down. My advice to others wishing to do the same is don't put the machine on full.
A warning about using water...they did that at my doctor's office while I had a cold which actually pushed and trapped water into my middle ear which started as intense hearing loss and now months later my hearing is still impaired(slowly improving) due to the trapped water behind ear canal!
@@lve1258 Thanks for sharing this. I've watched a few videos by audiologists and GP's who do not recommend putting water in your ear. You would think doctor's office would know this and use a more safe method. I am experience a plugged ear but not sure if it is earwax. I have a strong hunch it is. I would hate to go through a doctor which can be expensive to remove it. That's why I am searching online but there aren't many non-professional videos showing and sharing the process.
I've switched mostly to recommending bicarb now and suction is easier. I tried the earcalm softening approach after your last experiment but didn't quite have the same success as bicarb. Excellent vid!
I had microsuction last year. I found it incredibly noisy and deeply uncomfortable. It also took two sessions a week apart. An unpleasant experience all round.
Great Video, thank you. Just wondering if you could use normal distilled water, slightly warmed, and add a bit of vinegar to it to bring the acidity up?
Very informative video. As most people start researching after having problems, it was good to listen to the background and see the results of the experiments so that we can make an informed choice. Thank you.
Here in holland/belgium they say use oil for 3 days prior to the appointment to soften the earwax so its easyer to spray it out when you come to the docter. Not to make it come out by itsself. Atleast thats what the docters have always told me.
So I was snorkeling in Bonaire (Neatherland Antilles) when I developed a terrible block from earwax.The clinic I went to prescribed a vinegar-based solution that seemed to work well. I do not recall the name of the product as it was in Dutch, but I was very thankful.
If hydrogen peroxide is toxic in the middle ear, this is irrelevant as long as there is no perforation of the ear drum. The hydrogen peroxide will be isolated to the external ear. You should have made this clear.
I'm an American who has been using hydrogen peroxide to get rid of ear wax for over 2 decades. I've never experienced loss of hearing by using it. If it did cause any amount of hearing loss, it wouldn't be such a popular solution. It's very effective, it works just as well as ear drops, and it's significantly cheaper to buy.
Can isn't the same as does. Also, some people can smoke their entire lives without getting lung cancer. That doesn't mean smoking doesn't cause cancer.
Did you actually listen to the video? The danger of using peroxide is that people with small holes or perforations in the ear drum can suffer hearing loss. There is a risk. Now it's likely you do not have holes in your eardrum but some people do. Doctors in America recommended cigarettes too in magazines. 4 out of 5 doctors prefer Camel over other brands. The science agrees.
Watching audiologists on TH-cam doing suctioning, many have said that peroxide and sodium bicarb make a slurry as it dissolves the ear wax and makes it difficult to remove by suction where olive oil slightly softens the front end of the wax and lubricates the canal which leads to a better suction grip and more chance of removing the blockage as one piece. Curious what your thoughts are on this practice?
If you are going for microsuction anyway - then I guess it is a little easier for us - my video however is hoping to help people to sort out their ear wax without having to wait to see a doctor. Most people use drops to get rid of ear wax rather than make doctor's lives easier. I personally don't find the other drops make it harder to microsuction but I don't speak for everyone.
@@VikVeerENTSurgeon Thank you. What do you suggest for DIY at home. I plugged my ears with my finger while in shower to avoid ears getting water in them, but when out of the shower I noticed that it felt like something was in my left ear, so I did try to use my baby finger to see if any wax, nothing, then used a Qtip and nothing. It's Monday and since then my head feels so full and hearing is reduced immesely, like maybe less 90% so I think I impacted some wax? I've tried to get appt with an ENT but they are book until November... Urgent Cares can do a lavage, with water and peroxide but that's about all I found out. I'm really perplexed on what to do, as I feel very off balance with hearing basically only in my right ear :( Thank you for any suggestions ...
@@VikVeerENTSurgeon BTW: I've never really cleaned inside my ears my entire life, always had good ear health and heard that some wax is good and protective. I did have some wax drop out of my other ear this past month (not even knowing I had any) So this is all very new to me. I'm 60ish and definitely don't want to lose my hearing ... but if a bit of HYDROGEN PEROX would clean the ear out and not use regularly then would that be good or do you have a better 'at home' solution? Again, thank you so much for your informative videos!
@@mahimagabriel3798 i have the same problem, got some wax lodged in too far when I was trying to clean my ears with my finger. Im on the edge of using the 6.5% carbamide peroxide
@@mahimagabriel3798you you have a apparently pushed the VAX deeper into your ear canal first with your baby finger and then with a Q-Tip which is not a good idea. Hope you can get help getting it out of there with the micro suction or any other method. Hope you get better.
Just lwanted to say, THANK YOU! Distiled water worked ridiculously well. Almost hard to believe, because regular tap water does nothing. I poured some warm distilled water into my ear, held it for a few minutes (max 5min) and bam - next thing you know, a huge chunk of wax is out ON ITS OWN, even without flushing. I did a few flushes with the same distilled water and a 20ml syringe a few times just to get every little bit out and that was it. Hydrogen peroxide is a joke compared to this.
I’ve seen videos of the damage hydrogen peroxide can do if it wet e to get behind the ear drum and it’s not pretty. I’ve always been curious about the difference between hydrogen peroxide and debrox (which is what I use). This video is really informative and I wonder why more people don’t use debrox (in the United States) since it seems safer.
I have had my ears syringed regularly over the years, due to me having had noisy neighbours and using earplugs too much. I used a hydrogen peroxide spray, but the nurse commented on the fact that my ear canal was slightly red and irritated, which made me wary of using this . A channel on TH-cam recommends using it at a lower concentration than that normally used in ear drops, ( 5% is the usual one used).
Fascinating video Vic, do you think the industry is missing a trick by not trialling steam distilled water drops? Ive often considered branding my own ear drops as there needs to be more competition to Earol and Cl-ear in my opinion, I wonder if the water could help if it was in a spray? Interested to hear your thoughts, thanks.
Fantastic info in all your videos and it's comforting to see how many people have the same waxy problems, I'm the only person I know out of colleagues and family with such a problem - a lifelong one at that 🤷🏻♀️
Hydrogen peroxide does not dissolve wax, it forms bubbles underneath any large solid objects, like wax clumps, and detaches it from the wall via gas pressure. H2O2 releases cleansing bubbles in wounds, as well as releasing oxygen which anaerobic bacteria don't like. It is mainly water so it has the same advantages that the distilled water does.. Your H2O2 preparation flows like oil, not like plain H2O2, so I suspect there are other ingredients in there apart from the H2O2 - some kind of olive oil? Olive oil is a lubricant allowing un-attached debris to flow out of the ear better, not dissolve it.
@@VikVeerENTSurgeon There would be riots if it were outlawed. It's a very common household item, used for cleaning purposes or as a disinfectant as one would use rubbing alcohol for minor scrapes or cuts. I used to favor it over rubbing alcohol as it is painless, but then learned it is painless because it is killing your skin cells! The sting of the rubbing alcohol is worth keeping living tissue. I'm jealous that y'all have ibuprofen available as a cream; we only have pills in the US.
I've used peroxide my whole life n im 41 never had problems no hearing loss at all. My daughter was born with hearing loss connected to her kidney problem n she wears hearing aids. Since she uses them more than 8hrs a day her ears build up a lot of wax. I use debrox for her it's the only thing that works. I let it sit then use an ear spray bottle to loosen up the wax after n let it fall into a catch cup/tray. Debrox feels like a concentrated but gentler solution for ears. I do this twice in both ears for her here n there. Her ears have gotten so bad they clogged n she couldn't hear even with hearing aids but she doesn't like to tell us because she hates cleaning them so it's a guessing game. I highly recommend the Debrox drops but I suppose I use them slightly different than directed to n get different results. I don't like hearing about people suffering so I thought I'd share my experience.
Since ear calm is mostly acetic acid, wouldn’t distilled water and normal household vinegar (3% acetic acid) 50:50 be worth considering? I would also boil the water first i think, just to be safe.
I only ever used a couple drops of hydrogen peroxide in my ears, never flooded my ears with it. Just enough to help it along. Doctors over here recommend mixing it with water to dilute it or whatever.
Interestingly, I found a few years ago that antibiotic drops for ears to be very good at mushing up ear wax and it comes out really well. Maybe, that'll give an idea what might work well.
I thought a warmed solution was better, in theory, to prevent dizziness as can occur when inner ear currents are induced by the temperature differential if cold solutions are used.
I'm concerned that he hasn't mentioned it, but olive oil us not supposed to break down ear wax - it's supposed to soften and lubricate it so that it's easier to remove. As you have rightly said, just putting olive oil into your ear, without arranging for some form of extraction/ear wax removal after the fact, will just clog the ear up further... Audiologists only recommend it to loosen tough wax and stop the skin getting sore/damaged during extraction - not as a cure on it's own.
i was using coconut oil as it was all i had, and it was hard to tell if it worked, because once i stopped using it my ear seemed to have cleared out on its own. once it finally cleared out, i used it again just as a precaution and it blocked me up instead ! bicarb + water, and then water irrigation after seemed to have cleared it up again.
it is absolutely recommended here in London. Went to my local Boots and the chemist recommended Otex which contains hydrogen peroxide, first thing. They have them behind the counter in every Boots store.
so distilled water warmed with a bit of white vinegar would do the trick. I actually use this to remove fungus from my ears using a medicine measuring stick from my kids cough syrup bottle to squirt it up there. Works a treat and the gunk just falls out
I used Debrox (I’m from the US) after an ear infection. You can hear it foaming in your ear. It worked for me in as much as loosening up the discharge/ear wax from the infection.
Preparation H is what they used on me at the emergency room. They shot it in with a syringe, let it sit & draw up the wax then they use H2O to float the wax out. Worked great!
Thank you for making this video. I'd be interested in your thoughts on what could be added to the Sodium Bicarbonate solution to inhibit bacteria growth. Do you think a few drops of colloidal silver added to the solution would be of benefit?
What about bicarbonate of soda followed afterwards by a little olive oil? Also for immediate relief from any infection colloidal silver is absolutely amazing! I had an ongoing ear infection for years, tried the cs and I haven't suffered ever since. Same with candida including a coated tongue. Nothing given to me by the doctors ever worked but colloidal silver worked within minutes. Same when my husband got toothache...he held cs in his mouth and it went. I drink it for tummy bugs, spray it on any infection, nebulise with it if i have a cough or cold...truly the stuff should be everywhere. 10 ppm is absolutely fine. (Higher numbers apparently means bigger particles so best to keep to the smaller ones. ) And no it doesn't turn you blue.
Last time I had my ear wax removed my doctor told me to apply a few drops of olive oil for 3 days and it works much better than the pharmaceutical treatment.
Hi there! Thank you for opening this interesting channel. My question is: Could I use COCONUT OIL drops INSTEAD? My ear has been itching, specially at night, and I know coconut oil also is really good as an antiseptic and soothing natural remedy. ALL the best. ☺️
I wear earplugs all the time. My job and hobbies are both high volume. Is there anything I can do to keep from packing more and more wax in? The places I go I need the earplugs plus ear muffs because of high volume. I wish I could use only ear muffs but not the case here.
I've had olive oil recommended to use before going in to the doctor to have the build up removed. It's supposed to help soften it up if you're in dry and dusty environments. So the doctor tells me
Weird. Had Debrox in my ear while this video was recommended for me. Had blockage and couldn't hear well. After the Debrox I used the bulb syringe with hot water and got out a bunch of chunks of wax come out of my ear. The largest chunk was about the size of a dime. Felt great and can hear again.
I’ve had to use ear wax remover a number of times, it can beat up your ear canal if used repeatedly, but it does eventually work. The first time I had a dime sized chunk fall out of my ear I couldn’t believe it, how long was it in there!? 😂
I have heard no pun intended is if you use Hydrogen peroxide put a drop or two of mineral oil in the ear after to keep it lubricated and help soften the wax.
1:30 It seems to me that there's a 'dog that didn't bark' issue with the peroxide ear drops: they're widely recommended in the US (and likely other places), so if there is a serious risk of hearing damage, there should be thousands of documented cases. Where are they?
You should NEVER insert liquids heated higher than body temp into your ear. Or colder. Use mineral oil drops for 2 days, syringe lightly with ear facing down, and it will all come out easily. Foot kick to clear swimmers ear. Done.
I note difference between in ear and test tube test; olive oil might be useful by means of holding moisture between wax and skin.. That moisture may loosen the wax from the skin, making it easier to remove by mechanical means, such as micro suction. It does so, despite changing the structural qualities of the wax not one bit. Elderly friend's finding is as I describe. Personally, I find holding humidity in one ear at a time (after a shower or by sleeping on one side for an hour) helps soften or ease wax outwards, more so via sleep, where gravity combines helpfully.
In the us my doctor actually advises to not use hydrogen peroxide and instead advises carbamide peroxide. It is supposed to be more stable than hydrogen peroxide and most OTC instructions have you flush the ear with water after use. The bubbles actually do a fair amount of work, I've had large clumps of ear wax and dead skin just slip out of my ear after 3 minutes. The main issue with drops that dissolve ear wax is that they can actually cause the ear wax to settle on the TM (most box instructions advice the user to lay on their side while using the drops).
That's the problem I have now, after all the ear wax was removed by the doctor. I was told to apply earwax softener given to me for 3-4 days before the earwax removal. I had to do it again the following week because in one ear, he still couldn't remove all the earwax. I ended up with white sludge covering one of my eardrums. At one point I could tell it was putting a bit of pressure. But over a few days I could see it reduce in size and turned yellowish as the water evaporated. I tried the same earwax softener again, hoping to soften that sludge and squirt water inside to remove it, but to no avail. I'm letting nature take its course and hoping it will loosen over time and move out. I can already see a hole developing in the stuff above my eardrum (I bought one of those useful cheap otoscopes). I got Debrox on the internet but decided against using it as I might be back to square one. As long as it doesn't hurt and my hearing is perfect, I'm going to wait it out. Everything is progressing at a glacial speed. Last thing I want to do is go back to the doctor - his heavy handedness caused bleeding in my ear canal twice.
Hi, I have had both ears blocked for a week plus, I tried the sodium treatment and still no use. I will admit to using ear buds and was probably making the situation worse. Then I spent 30 minutes with a rubber bulb to quirt warm water into my ears (part of the sodium kit). It worked really well, apart from the small pieces breaking off I was also presented with a large mass from one ear. Thank you for the advice as my ears are returning to this very loud world.🎉
@VikVeerENTSurgeon - Since Steam Distilled Water is more difficult to obtain, which of the other drops would you recommend? Also, is there a brand that you would suggest?
A great, concise comparison. Thank you. Steam distilled water is available just in a bottle - would that be ok? If the issue with using tap water is the Ph could I use carbonated water (from a sodastream) ? This is slightly acidic (carbonic acid). I am constantly plagued with my right ear getting blocked. When it has been professionally cleaned, the difference is incredible but this service is no longer available on the NHS.
Just cleared wax plug with peroxide 3% and would flush afterwards or neutralise with mineral oil afterward and after 4 days cleared with flushing warm water. Like you said olive oil or mineral oil does nothing. here in Canada they recommend olive oil. And our peroxide is clear like water but in contact with wax it bubbles a lot!
Actually olive oil is for loosening the hard impacted was wax that’s in the ear and after time hardens, therefore making it difficult to extract. Therefore oil loosens it
Using earol and then a bit of vinegar+isopropyl alcohol splashed in and then tilting your head with a square of toilet paper to get any drops out works great imo, no ear infections yet I assume due to the acidity of vinegar
Ive been using a mix of hydrogen peroxide and warm water for years when i have clogged ears to the point where i cant hear -- it seems to work fine and i dont think ive suffered any hearing loss from that
I'm in the UK and I got something called Otex which says it's Hydrogen Peroxide 5%. I have to admit I've not had much luck with it but that is available at my local chemist.
I use hydrogen peroxide often for softening and removing wax from my ears. But, if it creates more problems, I may buy some special liquid for ear wax removal at CVS Pharmacy, Walgreen's, or elsewhere similar.
What about the surface on which the wax resides? Doesn't the oil act a bit like a lubricant, that eases/loses the connection between wax and ear stretched by various muscles?
You surely have access to Baking Soda. It is in your grocery store in the baking section. Apparently, in the UK it is called Sodium Bicarbonate? I don't know. But I do know that Sodium Bicarbonate is Baking Soda. Google it yourself.
Also, regarding steam distilled water: I looked online and found that all my local grocery stores stock distilled water in gallon jugs, and the labels I checked ALL claimed that the water was the result of STEAM distillation! These were stores such as Meijer, Wal-Mart and Kroger. I can't figure out why a lot of commenters are saying that there is no steam distilled water anywhere, unless they didn't really read the labels of the products in their local stores? Anyway, I'm going to give one of those a try, and then try baking soda if I don't get the desired result with the steam distilled water...
@@lorenamorfin5946 Its not the boiled water, its the actual steam that would be collected after being distilled (similarly to how alcohol is made in distilleries).
Interesting. I seem to make no ear "wax," but only a little oil, sometimes not even that. I sometimes use olive oil drops & bit of cotton ball as a comfort measure. My ears are quite sensitive.
This is a wonderfully informative video; thank you for going through the trouble of conducting these experiments and sharing your results with us. Is steam distilled water different from distilled water? (I'm unsure if this is a difference in language as I live in the US or if y'all have both -- I've thought all distilled water was created by collecting steam, but perhaps not?) I think your video description is inaccurate. If you delete the parts about wax types and surgeries it should be accurate. Thanks again!
Thanks for asking the excellent question about the difference in steamed distilled and distilled water. Unfortunately, he hasn't replied which isn't helpful. The challenge with Influencer videos outside the U.S. is the language difference.
I am not a Dr., But I do live in the southern US. My best guess is that steam distilled and distilled are one and the same. Mainly because any liquor distillery, legal or otherwise, has always used steam distillation. What I would like to know is what exactly are they distilling out of the water? Distilleries are distilling a more valuable asset out of the mixture of yeast, sugar, and fruit. Namely alcohol. So what more costly liquid is being distilled from water? I'll have to research it.
I currently have a blockage in my right ear. Not painful, so I’m assuming it’s earwax and not fluid buildup. Going to Target today to get both Debrox and hydrogen peroxide 3% as has been suggested in the comments. Wish me luck 🍀
is warm water as effective as ear drops? i have a lot of luck with fresh waterflush ears out 2 or 3 times a lump of wax falls out its very cheap and seems to work well
the info about the purpose and working of wax in the ear (in previous video) was really interesting. Thanks, very much. I wish I had found it earlier as I would not have bothered with teh Olive oil!. I am now Day 1 of using the Carbamide peroxide, but my kit (Murine) didn't come with a plastic funnel squirty thing. Is it vital?
so if you can use steam distilled water because it is more acidic than regular tap water, how about sparkling water? apparently that has a ph around 5.5 as well and of course produces the bubbles 🤔
Has anyone had any positive experience with olive oil? I tried it for a few weeks as my GP told me to, commenting that my ear wax was like 'cement'. I've had no luck. But.. as a former chemistry graduate, I loath the idea of putting any sort of chemicals in there.
I often get a lot of buildup of thick dark brown earwax... When i get a lot of earwax buildup I often use debrox and within a day or two ill usually have a bunch of sludgy dark brown earwax that made its way to my outer ear just above my earlobe that i can just wipe off. The annoying thing about it though is, i think because of the way it foams up, it often messes with my hearing in the interim. It ultimately helps unclog them after a while but in the interim it can be pretty annoying, feeling like I have even more clogged ears and having my hearing in that ear muted
What about using most effective 'breakup' option (the Otex Sodium Bicarbonate), then - after the recommended 5-day treatment - flush the remaining slurry out of the ear with the steamed distilled water (recommended for its Ph qualities), and using something like the "Electric Ear Wax Removal Irrigation Cleaner" contraption advertised on Amazon (or even with just a syringe full of it)?
It's probably not ideal. Excess moisture in the ear isn't great and there isn't *that* much chlorine in our water. The stuff he's using is slightly acidic because of how it's processed which makes it slightly less hospitable to bacterial or fungal growth.
The advice to use olive oil is more as a prep for water treatment by an ENT. 5 days of oil makes it loose and easy to remove. I have a bottle with a regulated nozzle. I use that and get the same results as a pro. Safe natural and effective.
Thankfully i don't have waxy ears, i was just curious about the techniques. Normally i tilt my head in the shower and rub some shampoo into the outer ear then let hot water rinse the ear canal. Once in a long while my ear feels itchy and use a cotton swab to remove a tiny patch of wax. Last physical, doctor reported, external canals patent and tympanic membrane pearly gray.
Ive used higher concentrations of peroxide and havent lost any hearing. My hearing only gets worse because according to an ENT i went to who did an ear irrigation on me, i have some of the deepest ear canals they ever had seen. So with too much ear wax, my hearing drops. After an ear irrigation i can hear the craziest sounds i couldnt before.
I found your channel out of desperation. I utilized all four methods and hands down the distilled water method worked best. I was stunned by the results. The least expensive choice was #1 in removing the wax. Thank you for publishing this, saved me a trip to the GP
@CrystalG-cu2rk Thanks for sharing your experience with distilled water. Would you clarify if you used "distilled water" or "STEAMED distilled water" which is what Dr. Veer recommended? If you used the steamed version, where do you buy it from and can it it be purchased in the U.S.?
I look forward to your response because I have been experiencing plugged ear on the right. I believe it's wax because when I tilt my head in certain positions, it opens or unplugs. I am desperate to get this resolved quickly without the need to see a professional and incur a large bill. :(
@@LT-R828 if you can't find steamed distilled water, you could make it yourself
I would suggest if you have a old but clean saucepan with lid . You could buy a plastic or rubber pipe , overall diameter about 10mm to 15 mm roughly half inch
Drill a hole to suit the pipe in the lid. Drill one size smaller than the pipe, so the pipe is a tight fit in the lid . Put the other end of the pipe in a clean container like a jam jar or whatever. This would work good if the lid is a tight fit on saucepan, and jam jar or container is lower than saucepan lid. The pipe will drip clean steamed water in jam jar.
Try to get good quality drinking water from shop. Read the ingredients, I would say the less ingredients the better.
Just a idea. Hope your ear gets well soon
@@LT-R828 The Brand of steamed distilled (meaning steamed water) was AQUILLA distilled bottled water and can be bought on the internet and shipped. I used it for a water only fast ... drank lots of it and got better. Was expensive for water but it really helped my life - so worth it.
@@LT-R828 I'm in the same boat you were in 2 months ago!!!! I hope you respond soon. My right ear is impacted so bad. It's driving me crazy. I tried dubrox and flushing it but I didn't get the deep.earwax near my eardrum. Now I'm wondering about this distilled water. Do you just let use it as drops and just let it soak for 10min then. Flush. Or just let it sit and it comes out itself?? 🤷♀️ please let me know what ended up working for you. I don't imagine your still dealing with this problem for 2 months I hope it's all resolved! 🙌
Does it have to be steam distilled or can it just be distilled? Which one did you use???
Very refreshing to find real thoughtful medical advice on TH-cam from a qualified practitioner. Keep up the good work!
Here in America, I have always been told by many doctors to use a 50/50 mixture of Hydrogen Peroxide and distilled water. The distilled water apparently helps to disolve the wax and is an important component. I've used it for over 30 years with no issues.
Where do you get rhe distilled water?
@@leslielopez8330 the grocery store has distilled water near the spring water. You can get a gallon of it.
Hydrogen peroxide is typically 3% with the other 97% being distilled water. So a 50/50 mix would take it down to 1.5% hydrogen peroxide and 98.5% distilled water which is not as irritating if used several days in a row. I also use this formula or sometimes just the peroxide and it does seem to be the best. I also have an ear camera with a scoop on the end so I can get the globs that are just inside the canal.
The danger is if you have a hole in your eardrum you'll have permanent hearing loss using peroxide.
Doctors also used to recommend cigarettes in America as a well.
@@TheAgentAssassinYes, you are smart and modern otologic specialists in the U.S. are wrong and stupid because tobacco companies 75-100 years ago were paying doctors to appear in ads promoting cigarettes, and you think one in any way relates to or informs the other. Brilliant.
I have used hydrogen peroxide 3% since I was a child. I'm 42 now. No hearing damage. Althougth I never heard it was bad until now. Old remedy from my parents.
And your name is chinchilla 🤯💯
At least from what was mentioned, I'd imagine it would only cause damage if you had an eardrum perforation
Crap .. bc I do have perforated ear drum .. 😑
Same
My Mother used in years ago.
Me too! 🤗
Thank you for repeatedly clarifying that ear wax is not like candle wax. I never knew.
@@stephencottrell9198 it was very illuminating
I don't think people, at least myself, thought warming up would melt the wax. But many chemical reactions are quite dependent on temperature. I have used hydrogen peroxide for years and it doesn't bubble until it warms up
I've used room temperature peroxide in a cold house and mine started bubbling immediately.
You don't need heat for chemical reactions. You can just exacerbate some/most using heat. It's not the same as how you are thinking. You don't need heat for the reaction in this case. The reaction is taking place between the ear wax and the Hydrogen peroxide.
Like sodium and water. The water doesn't have to be warm.
Normally, when a doctor uses Peroxide to clean out the ear; they use a solution of 1 part peroxide to one part water. They are mixed in equal proportions, and a syringe is used to spray the solution into your ear. As it goes in, the wax is loosened, and forced out by back pressure. I had this procedure done many years ago when I was very young. I asked a lot of questions in order to understand the risk, and how it worked.
@@MasuseDeMojo where can obtain steamed distilled water?
What is creating back pressure, the sprayer?
1 part peroxide. Yeah at which concentration?
At 100%, so 50% mixed you'll be glad if you "only" obtain permanent hearing loss.
When I had a VERY waxed-up ear I used the hydrogen peroxide for the first time. It was amazing. Great globs of wax flowed out. I have also used earcalm which has little effect - on my current recurring problem, which is itchy ear canal, for which i use a small dab of almond oil to lubricate the outer ear.
Great tip!
Need to try this
Lucky you and so glad it helped. When I tried hydrogen peroxide it did absolutely nothing for my ear wax but irritated skin in the ear canal. Website the medical news says Using too much hydrogen peroxide can irritate the skin inside the ear, leading to inflammation and earaches. Suppose we need to do more research…. Everyone one’s ears are different 😊
@@verobutterfly3029 So what did you do about your ear wax problem if hydrogen peroxide didn't help you? You forgot to mention this... as this video ultimately is about ear wax?☺
Did you mix the HP with water?
I've use Hydrogen Peroxide several times, and I have to say it works very well, especially with deep blockages. I do say, if the blockage is a natural buildup of wax, its probably safe to use. However, I would not use it if you cause the blockage with a q-tip or you've been poking around with something else in there. Its possible you've enflamed or disturbed the tissue, and using hydrogen peroxide may cause pain or discomfort. After use though, I recommend rinsing the ear out with some warm water.
You should try a drop of olive oil in immediately after you put in the peroxide. It seems to excite the peroxide more and leaves the ear feeling very moisturized afterward
I have used Debrox for years. If your ears are clogged with wax, you can often hear the solution fizzing in your ear. The syringe bulb works well. Typically I will use bottled water which I slightly warm to close to body temperature to irrigate the ear following the ear drop application.
perhaps it was the water that helps - rather than the debrox?
@@VikVeerENTSurgeondebrox made my problem worse in the past
I am in the USA and my Dr recommends Debrox which I have used very successfully along with and a specially designed ear cleaning water syringe.
Perhaps it is the water that is helping rather than the debrox?
My experience is that these products with 6.5% carbamide peroxide work very poorly unless perhaps you have only a minimal amount of wax to remove
No idea if it works any better but, when I were a lad some 60 years ago, or so, the standard family remedy for ear wax (North East Coast), was warmed Almond Oil. I had the dubious pleasure of having that poured into my lugholes many times. Quite warm and pleasant, in fact, if a bit oily. No idea where you'd get Almond Oil from now, but assume it's a culinary oil of some sort, such as for making cakes or biscuits. There, that's 30 seconds you won't get back.
I enjoyed your comment. To add my twopenneth - in the uk, almond oil can be bought in the form of 'carrier oils' in health food shops.
Can typically find Almond oil in health/beauty area in stores. That is where I buy it from in the US.
Lol!
Sweet Oil
Old time remedy
It was reviewed on the previous vid - and discovered to have exactly the same effect as olive oil, i.e. minimal.
If you want to use suction to clean your ears, keep in mind that this is a very loud activity and there is a risk of tinnitus and hyperacusis
Which makes it tragic that doctors will just use this without asking. Audiology and ear health feels like 1902 era medicine.
I agree!! My ent always just sticks it in without asking and i hate it. i'm pretty sure i have damage from it 🙏
I accidentally put some nasal spray in my ear instead of Otex. It doesn't seem to have harmed me, but I sure am enjoying being able to smell much better with my ears now.
Smell sounds and hear perfumes… 😂😂
😂😂😂
@@PaulGordonBusby weird. I have a similar thing, in that I put eye drops in my ear and can now see out the side of my head.
I couldn't hear what you wrote
Can you please repeat yourself?
You’re lucky, i cant even smell my own name.
I woke up one morning to find I lost my hearing temporarily in one ear because of ear wax. Wasn't life or death and I had to get to work. Someone there suggested warm water and dish soap, which made sense. That night I threw a quarter cup in the microwave for 30 seconds, added a drop or two of dish soap, then dropped the mixture into my ear. I think it helped, that and my probably not too smart method of cleaning got my hearing back and then some (meaning I heard better out of that ear than my other one).
Like Dawn?
@@anneonnamouse5496 Dawn is not a 'soap' it is a detergent.
Not good to put dish soap in the ear canal, too abrasive and it’s a delicate area
@@expletivedeleted they did say dish soap
Hearing lost first diagnosed in 1966. Since then I have worn at least one hearing aid. I now wear two. Throughout those years, have used hydrogen peroxide. I can verify that pieces break loose and float to the surface. You can hear it break their pieces loose. It can also get quite warm. Didn't know about the middle ear danger. Because of the hearing aid, my ears frequently itch about where the hearing aid cone stops. Because I have something blocking my ear all the time, wax sometimes has trouble getting out.
I don’t have hearing aid but I wear earbuds 80 percent of my life that’s probably why my ears itch extremely bad all the time
At I enquire how you apply the HP, please? Thank you, David. I too wear hearing aids and get very itchy ears.
The pharmacist recommended debrox, and it clogged up my ear so severely that my ear started hurting and i had nonstop pressure and ringing in my ear, then i had to go see an ear specialist to have my ears professionally cleaned, after getting the debrox and earwax removed from my ear, My ear still felt very clogged up and muffled and the doctor said it is because the debrox melted the wax and coated the eardrum with a thin sticky layer of wax, so he said that it could possibly get better within a few days, if i would have known that debrox would of caused all of these serious issues i would have never bought it at my local pharmacy, i wish i would have just gone first to the ear specialist instead of buying this bad product. Do not use debrox it is not safe at all.
Just used debrox for last 2 days and I wish I had seen this comment earlier haha its like the stuff worked but just made the wax spread out all over, maybe flushing the ear with water will help now I hope
Did it get better after a few days though? I think im experiencing the same thing but with waxsol 😞 stupid ringing in my ears leaves me with no sleep at all
wish i read this earlier i felt like i didnt let it drain out correctly
@abrokeATM my case turned into a serious chronic ear infection and is now better and healed but it took 3 months to recover
Same here. Not a fan of Debrox.
I was a regular customer at my local surgery for ear wax removal. Before covid they used warm tap water heated via a kettle and using a pulsated water pressure bath to remove the softened wax. I found the whole thing very relaxing. Of course not a pleasant job for the nurse which is why I was glad in a way when they stopped doing this type of wax removal after covid. Now I am exploring their method but at home. Again a small receptacle with warm water and a cordless hand pump that forced water into the ear with three settings including pulse. I guess that if it worked before then it should do so again. As a precaution, I will use ear calm after.
For those that might be interested I did buy a machine that helps to remove softened ear wax. However, it worked too well and removed all the wax and irritated the inside of my ears. Typical me, I went over the top in my zeal to do a thorough job. So, for a few days, my ears hurt a little but ear calm did calm them down. My advice to others wishing to do the same is don't put the machine on full.
What's the name of the machine? I haven't gone since COVID.
A warning about using water...they did that at my doctor's office while I had a cold which actually pushed and trapped water into my middle ear which started as intense hearing loss and now months later my hearing is still impaired(slowly improving) due to the trapped water behind ear canal!
@@lve1258 Thanks for sharing this. I've watched a few videos by audiologists and GP's who do not recommend putting water in your ear. You would think doctor's office would know this and use a more safe method. I am experience a plugged ear but not sure if it is earwax. I have a strong hunch it is. I would hate to go through a doctor which can be expensive to remove it. That's why I am searching online but there aren't many non-professional videos showing and sharing the process.
@@lve1258 water trapped can cause bacteria infection in the ear
I've switched mostly to recommending bicarb now and suction is easier. I tried the earcalm softening approach after your last experiment but didn't quite have the same success as bicarb. Excellent vid!
Thanks for sharing!
I tend to get my patients to use olive for a few nights before their appointment, just to make the microsuction easier?
How much sodium bicarbonate (powder) in how much distilled water do you use? Thanks.
if they are coming for microsuction anyway - then oil does help.
I had microsuction last year. I found it incredibly noisy and deeply uncomfortable. It also took two sessions a week apart. An unpleasant experience all round.
Great Video, thank you. Just wondering if you could use normal distilled water, slightly warmed, and add a bit of vinegar to it to bring the acidity up?
Very informative video. As most people start researching after having problems, it was good to listen to the background and see the results of the experiments so that we can make an informed choice. Thank you.
Here in holland/belgium they say use oil for 3 days prior to the appointment to soften the earwax so its easyer to spray it out when you come to the docter. Not to make it come out by itsself. Atleast thats what the docters have always told me.
Same advice here in Canada.
So I was snorkeling in Bonaire (Neatherland Antilles) when I developed a terrible block from earwax.The clinic I went to prescribed a vinegar-based solution that seemed to work well. I do not recall the name of the product as it was in Dutch, but I was very thankful.
If hydrogen peroxide is toxic in the middle ear, this is irrelevant as long as there is no perforation of the ear drum. The hydrogen peroxide will be isolated to the external ear. You should have made this clear.
He did at 2:04
At this moment, 24 people were not paying attention.😀
@@douglasjensen8986 And climbing.
I'm an American who has been using hydrogen peroxide to get rid of ear wax for over 2 decades. I've never experienced loss of hearing by using it. If it did cause any amount of hearing loss, it wouldn't be such a popular solution. It's very effective, it works just as well as ear drops, and it's significantly cheaper to buy.
Can isn't the same as does. Also, some people can smoke their entire lives without getting lung cancer. That doesn't mean smoking doesn't cause cancer.
Did you actually listen to the video? The danger of using peroxide is that people with small holes or perforations in the ear drum can suffer hearing loss. There is a risk. Now it's likely you do not have holes in your eardrum but some people do.
Doctors in America recommended cigarettes too in magazines.
4 out of 5 doctors prefer Camel over other brands. The science agrees.
Watching audiologists on TH-cam doing suctioning, many have said that peroxide and sodium bicarb make a slurry as it dissolves the ear wax and makes it difficult to remove by suction where olive oil slightly softens the front end of the wax and lubricates the canal which leads to a better suction grip and more chance of removing the blockage as one piece. Curious what your thoughts are on this practice?
If you are going for microsuction anyway - then I guess it is a little easier for us - my video however is hoping to help people to sort out their ear wax without having to wait to see a doctor.
Most people use drops to get rid of ear wax rather than make doctor's lives easier. I personally don't find the other drops make it harder to microsuction but I don't speak for everyone.
@@VikVeerENTSurgeon Thank you. What do you suggest for DIY at home. I plugged my ears with my finger while in shower to avoid ears getting water in them, but when out of the shower I noticed that it felt like something was in my left ear, so I did try to use my baby finger to see if any wax, nothing, then used a Qtip and nothing. It's Monday and since then my head feels so full and hearing is reduced immesely, like maybe less 90% so I think I impacted some wax? I've tried to get appt with an ENT but they are book until November... Urgent Cares can do a lavage, with water and peroxide but that's about all I found out. I'm really perplexed on what to do, as I feel very off balance with hearing basically only in my right ear :( Thank you for any suggestions ...
@@VikVeerENTSurgeon BTW: I've never really cleaned inside my ears my entire life, always had good ear health and heard that some wax is good and protective. I did have some wax drop out of my other ear this past month (not even knowing I had any) So this is all very new to me. I'm 60ish and definitely don't want to lose my hearing ... but if a bit of HYDROGEN PEROX would clean the ear out and not use regularly then would that be good or do you have a better 'at home' solution? Again, thank you so much for your informative videos!
@@mahimagabriel3798 i have the same problem, got some wax lodged in too far when I was trying to clean my ears with my finger. Im on the edge of using the 6.5% carbamide peroxide
@@mahimagabriel3798you you have a apparently pushed the VAX deeper into your ear canal first with your baby finger and then with a Q-Tip which is not a good idea. Hope you can get help getting it out of there with the micro suction or any other method. Hope you get better.
Just lwanted to say, THANK YOU! Distiled water worked ridiculously well. Almost hard to believe, because regular tap water does nothing. I poured some warm distilled water into my ear, held it for a few minutes (max 5min) and bam - next thing you know, a huge chunk of wax is out ON ITS OWN, even without flushing. I did a few flushes with the same distilled water and a 20ml syringe a few times just to get every little bit out and that was it. Hydrogen peroxide is a joke compared to this.
Interesting did u use the steam distilled water or just distilled water ?
@@josephpinheiro9667 I think that the only common way to distil water is by steamming.
That's it? Just distlled water? Not steamed like Dr. Veer demonstrates in the video?
I’ve seen videos of the damage hydrogen peroxide can do if it wet e to get behind the ear drum and it’s not pretty. I’ve always been curious about the difference between hydrogen peroxide and debrox (which is what I use). This video is really informative and I wonder why more people don’t use debrox (in the United States) since it seems safer.
It depends on the strength of the peroxide. 3% is very low and suitable, and I've been using it for years for earwax removal, and it works well.
I have had my ears syringed regularly over the years, due to me having had noisy neighbours and using earplugs too much. I used a hydrogen peroxide spray, but the nurse
commented on the fact that my ear canal was slightly red and irritated, which made me wary of using this . A channel on TH-cam recommends using it at a lower concentration than that normally used in ear drops, ( 5% is the usual one used).
I’m having same issue for same reason, use a fan in room for white noise instead of ear plugs
I use Hydrogen Peroxide and it really releases all the wax from the ear.
it save? no more complicate?
Bless all those little animal testers😢 They suffer so much for us
Very true... and in so many cases these tests are just useless and unnecessary.😥
Fascinating video Vic, do you think the industry is missing a trick by not trialling steam distilled water drops? Ive often considered branding my own ear drops as there needs to be more competition to Earol and Cl-ear in my opinion, I wonder if the water could help if it was in a spray? Interested to hear your thoughts, thanks.
Fantastic news, i have a distiller and use it daily for my drinking water anyway. Now it has another use - thanks very much.
Same! 🥰
Debrox is my go to and often foams and dissolves my ear wax.
@@G.S.Holland I used Debrox for the first time today and am amazed at how well it’s already working!
Fantastic info in all your videos and it's comforting to see how many people have the same waxy problems, I'm the only person I know out of colleagues and family with such a problem - a lifelong one at that 🤷🏻♀️
Hydrogen peroxide does not dissolve wax, it forms bubbles underneath any large solid objects, like wax clumps, and detaches it from the wall via gas pressure. H2O2 releases cleansing bubbles in wounds, as well as releasing oxygen which anaerobic bacteria don't like. It is mainly water so it has the same advantages that the distilled water does.. Your H2O2 preparation flows like oil, not like plain H2O2, so I suspect there are other ingredients in there apart from the H2O2 - some kind of olive oil?
Olive oil is a lubricant allowing un-attached debris to flow out of the ear better, not dissolve it.
Hydrogen peroxide causes excoriation of external auditory skin and inflammation of TM ! Seen many cases with aggarevating symptoms after its usage !
Thank you - I don't know anything about it's use - i'm still surprised you can get it in the USA
@@VikVeerENTSurgeon There would be riots if it were outlawed. It's a very common household item, used for cleaning purposes or as a disinfectant as one would use rubbing alcohol for minor scrapes or cuts. I used to favor it over rubbing alcohol as it is painless, but then learned it is painless because it is killing your skin cells! The sting of the rubbing alcohol is worth keeping living tissue.
I'm jealous that y'all have ibuprofen available as a cream; we only have pills in the US.
@@MM-jf1me rubbing alcohol does the exact same thing, the appropriate method for cleaning minor wounds is water and mild soap.
It's great for cleaning ear buds though 😅
That’s interesting. I’ve used hydrogen peroxide since I was a kid and never had problems and felt great after. Maybe my family was lucky
I've used peroxide my whole life n im 41 never had problems no hearing loss at all. My daughter was born with hearing loss connected to her kidney problem n she wears hearing aids. Since she uses them more than 8hrs a day her ears build up a lot of wax. I use debrox for her it's the only thing that works. I let it sit then use an ear spray bottle to loosen up the wax after n let it fall into a catch cup/tray. Debrox feels like a concentrated but gentler solution for ears. I do this twice in both ears for her here n there. Her ears have gotten so bad they clogged n she couldn't hear even with hearing aids but she doesn't like to tell us because she hates cleaning them so it's a guessing game. I highly recommend the Debrox drops but I suppose I use them slightly different than directed to n get different results. I don't like hearing about people suffering so I thought I'd share my experience.
Since ear calm is mostly acetic acid, wouldn’t distilled water and normal household vinegar (3% acetic acid) 50:50 be worth considering? I would also boil the water first i think, just to be safe.
I only ever used a couple drops of hydrogen peroxide in my ears, never flooded my ears with it. Just enough to help it along. Doctors over here recommend mixing it with water to dilute it or whatever.
Hi Vik.
Thanks for this really useful video.
How do you suggest applying the steamed distilled water?
With a dropper into the ear!
All medical advice on hydrogen peroxide always state that it should not be used on ears with recent or repeated infections nor on perforated eardrums.
Interestingly, I found a few years ago that antibiotic drops for ears to be very good at mushing up ear wax and it comes out really well. Maybe, that'll give an idea what might work well.
I thought a warmed solution was better, in theory, to prevent dizziness as can occur when inner ear currents are induced by the temperature differential if cold solutions are used.
i hate ear wax but i only have olive oil in the house, it takes so long to do anything and the oil just makes the ear more blocked
I'm concerned that he hasn't mentioned it, but olive oil us not supposed to break down ear wax - it's supposed to soften and lubricate it so that it's easier to remove.
As you have rightly said, just putting olive oil into your ear, without arranging for some form of extraction/ear wax removal after the fact, will just clog the ear up further... Audiologists only recommend it to loosen tough wax and stop the skin getting sore/damaged during extraction - not as a cure on it's own.
i was using coconut oil as it was all i had, and it was hard to tell if it worked, because once i stopped using it my ear seemed to have cleared out on its own. once it finally cleared out, i used it again just as a precaution and it blocked me up instead ! bicarb + water, and then water irrigation after seemed to have cleared it up again.
Hydrogen Peroxide is available in the UK with Otex kit. I've recently used it after buying some from Boots. Very effective.
I used that preparation in my old video. it works similar to Debrox in this video.
it is absolutely recommended here in London. Went to my local Boots and the chemist recommended Otex which contains hydrogen peroxide, first thing. They have them behind the counter in every Boots store.
so distilled water warmed with a bit of white vinegar would do the trick. I actually use this to remove fungus from my ears using a medicine measuring stick from my kids cough syrup bottle to squirt it up there. Works a treat and the gunk just falls out
I used Debrox (I’m from the US) after an ear infection. You can hear it foaming in your ear. It worked for me in as much as loosening up the discharge/ear wax from the infection.
Preparation H is what they used on me at the emergency room. They shot it in with a syringe, let it sit & draw up the wax then they use H2O to float the wax out. Worked great!
Thank you for making this video. I'd be interested in your thoughts on what could be added to the Sodium Bicarbonate solution to inhibit bacteria growth. Do you think a few drops of colloidal silver added to the solution would be of benefit?
What about bicarbonate of soda followed afterwards by a little olive oil? Also for immediate relief from any infection colloidal silver is absolutely amazing! I had an ongoing ear infection for years, tried the cs and I haven't suffered ever since. Same with candida including a coated tongue. Nothing given to me by the doctors ever worked but colloidal silver worked within minutes. Same when my husband got toothache...he held cs in his mouth and it went. I drink it for tummy bugs, spray it on any infection, nebulise with it if i have a cough or cold...truly the stuff should be everywhere. 10 ppm is absolutely fine. (Higher numbers apparently means bigger particles so best to keep to the smaller ones. ) And no it doesn't turn you blue.
@@Samua3 so how do you use colloidal silver in the ear?
Last time I had my ear wax removed my doctor told me to apply a few drops of olive oil for 3 days and it works much better than the pharmaceutical treatment.
Hi there! Thank you for opening this interesting channel.
My question is:
Could I use COCONUT OIL drops INSTEAD?
My ear has been itching, specially at night, and I know coconut oil also is really good as an antiseptic and soothing natural remedy.
ALL the best. ☺️
I wear earplugs all the time. My job and hobbies are both high volume. Is there anything I can do to keep from packing more and more wax in? The places I go I need the earplugs plus ear muffs because of high volume. I wish I could use only ear muffs but not the case here.
I've had olive oil recommended to use before going in to the doctor to have the build up removed. It's supposed to help soften it up if you're in dry and dusty environments. So the doctor tells me
Weird. Had Debrox in my ear while this video was recommended for me. Had blockage and couldn't hear well. After the Debrox I used the bulb syringe with hot water and got out a bunch of chunks of wax come out of my ear. The largest chunk was about the size of a dime. Felt great and can hear again.
perhaps it was the water that helped rather than the debrox?
I’ve had to use ear wax remover a number of times, it can beat up your ear canal if used repeatedly, but it does eventually work. The first time I had a dime sized chunk fall out of my ear I couldn’t believe it, how long was it in there!? 😂
This was really helpful. Just been prescribed olive oil drops by an NHS ENT consultant which is interesting
I have heard no pun intended is if you use Hydrogen peroxide put a drop or two of mineral oil in the ear after to keep it lubricated and help soften the wax.
Mineral oil would be carcinogenic.... That's why people normally use vegetable-based oils like olive and almond.
1:30 It seems to me that there's a 'dog that didn't bark' issue with the peroxide ear drops: they're widely recommended in the US (and likely other places), so if there is a serious risk of hearing damage, there should be thousands of documented cases. Where are they?
You should NEVER insert liquids heated higher than body temp into your ear. Or colder. Use mineral oil drops for 2 days, syringe lightly with ear facing down, and it will all come out easily. Foot kick to clear swimmers ear. Done.
I note difference between in ear and test tube test; olive oil might be useful by means of holding moisture between wax and skin..
That moisture may loosen the wax from the skin, making it easier to remove by mechanical means, such as micro suction. It does so, despite changing the structural qualities of the wax not one bit.
Elderly friend's finding is as I describe.
Personally, I find holding humidity in one ear at a time (after a shower or by sleeping on one side for an hour) helps soften or ease wax outwards, more so via sleep, where gravity combines helpfully.
In the us my doctor actually advises to not use hydrogen peroxide and instead advises carbamide peroxide. It is supposed to be more stable than hydrogen peroxide and most OTC instructions have you flush the ear with water after use.
The bubbles actually do a fair amount of work, I've had large clumps of ear wax and dead skin just slip out of my ear after 3 minutes. The main issue with drops that dissolve ear wax is that they can actually cause the ear wax to settle on the TM (most box instructions advice the user to lay on their side while using the drops).
That's the problem I have now, after all the ear wax was removed by the doctor. I was told to apply earwax softener given to me for 3-4 days before the earwax removal. I had to do it again the following week because in one ear, he still couldn't remove all the earwax. I ended up with white sludge covering one of my eardrums. At one point I could tell it was putting a bit of pressure. But over a few days I could see it reduce in size and turned yellowish as the water evaporated. I tried the same earwax softener again, hoping to soften that sludge and squirt water inside to remove it, but to no avail. I'm letting nature take its course and hoping it will loosen over time and move out. I can already see a hole developing in the stuff above my eardrum (I bought one of those useful cheap otoscopes). I got Debrox on the internet but decided against using it as I might be back to square one. As long as it doesn't hurt and my hearing is perfect, I'm going to wait it out. Everything is progressing at a glacial speed. Last thing I want to do is go back to the doctor - his heavy handedness caused bleeding in my ear canal twice.
Otex dual action is hydrogen peroxide+glycerin I believe, and widely available in the UK.
I used the UK version in the first video and it was terrible.
Resting your head and ear over a steamy humidifier helps ear infection and also moisurizes the wax to then use a syringe to squish it out with water
I use hydrogen peroxide after a long hot shower to soften up the wax. Leave the peroxide in your ear till the bubbling sound stops.
What are the effects of all these things on the eardrum?
Hi, I have had both ears blocked for a week plus, I tried the sodium treatment and still no use. I will admit to using ear buds and was probably making the situation worse. Then I spent 30 minutes with a rubber bulb to quirt warm water into my ears (part of the sodium kit). It worked really well, apart from the small pieces breaking off I was also presented with a large mass from one ear. Thank you for the advice as my ears are returning to this very loud world.🎉
@VikVeerENTSurgeon - Since Steam Distilled Water is more difficult to obtain, which of the other drops would you recommend? Also, is there a brand that you would suggest?
You know you just boil distilled water right
just use distilled water, same stuff .
A great, concise comparison. Thank you. Steam distilled water is available just in a bottle - would that be ok? If the issue with using tap water is the Ph could I use carbonated water (from a sodastream) ? This is slightly acidic (carbonic acid). I am constantly plagued with my right ear getting blocked. When it has been professionally cleaned, the difference is incredible but this service is no longer available on the NHS.
Just cleared wax plug with peroxide 3% and would flush afterwards or neutralise with mineral oil afterward and after 4 days cleared with flushing warm water. Like you said olive oil or mineral oil does nothing. here in Canada they recommend olive oil. And our peroxide is clear like water but in contact with wax it bubbles a lot!
Actually olive oil is for loosening the hard impacted was wax that’s in the ear and after time hardens, therefore making it difficult to extract. Therefore oil loosens it
Using earol and then a bit of vinegar+isopropyl alcohol splashed in and then tilting your head with a square of toilet paper to get any drops out works great imo, no ear infections yet I assume due to the acidity of vinegar
Ive been using a mix of hydrogen peroxide and warm water for years when i have clogged ears to the point where i cant hear -- it seems to work fine and i dont think ive suffered any hearing loss from that
Boots in the UK now sell a kit with a syringe and Carbamide Peroxide 6.5%, it seems to have reasonably good reviews.
I'm in the UK and I got something called Otex which says it's Hydrogen Peroxide 5%. I have to admit I've not had much luck with it but that is available at my local chemist.
I use hydrogen peroxide often for softening and removing wax from my ears. But, if it creates more problems, I may buy some special liquid for ear wax removal at CVS Pharmacy, Walgreen's, or elsewhere similar.
What about the surface on which the wax resides? Doesn't the oil act a bit like a lubricant, that eases/loses the connection between wax and ear stretched by various muscles?
Still not any wiser as to what to use. First one doesn't work, second two are not recommended, the others are not available.
You surely have access to Baking Soda. It is in your grocery store in the baking section. Apparently, in the UK it is called Sodium Bicarbonate? I don't know. But I do know that Sodium Bicarbonate is Baking Soda. Google it yourself.
Also, regarding steam distilled water: I looked online and found that all my local grocery stores stock distilled water in gallon jugs, and the labels I checked ALL claimed that the water was the result of STEAM distillation! These were stores such as Meijer, Wal-Mart and Kroger. I can't figure out why a lot of commenters are saying that there is no steam distilled water anywhere, unless they didn't really read the labels of the products in their local stores? Anyway, I'm going to give one of those a try, and then try baking soda if I don't get the desired result with the steam distilled water...
. How would I apply it the distill steam water. Do I just boil it than let it cool down and add some drops to my ear? Thanks
@@lorenamorfin5946 Its not the boiled water, its the actual steam that would be collected after being distilled (similarly to how alcohol is made in distilleries).
Interesting. I seem to make no ear "wax," but only a little oil, sometimes not even that. I sometimes use olive oil drops & bit of cotton ball as a comfort measure. My ears are quite sensitive.
This is a wonderfully informative video; thank you for going through the trouble of conducting these experiments and sharing your results with us.
Is steam distilled water different from distilled water? (I'm unsure if this is a difference in language as I live in the US or if y'all have both -- I've thought all distilled water was created by collecting steam, but perhaps not?)
I think your video description is inaccurate. If you delete the parts about wax types and surgeries it should be accurate.
Thanks again!
Thanks for asking the excellent question about the difference in steamed distilled and distilled water. Unfortunately, he hasn't replied which isn't helpful. The challenge with Influencer videos outside the U.S. is the language difference.
I am not a Dr., But I do live in the southern US. My best guess is that steam distilled and distilled are one and the same. Mainly because any liquor distillery, legal or otherwise, has always used steam distillation. What I would like to know is what exactly are they distilling out of the water? Distilleries are distilling a more valuable asset out of the mixture of yeast, sugar, and fruit. Namely alcohol. So what more costly liquid is being distilled from water? I'll have to research it.
I currently have a blockage in my right ear. Not painful, so I’m assuming it’s earwax and not fluid buildup. Going to Target today to get both Debrox and hydrogen peroxide 3% as has been suggested in the comments. Wish me luck 🍀
The choices are all very well but which method is the that you recommend to use in the UK?
is warm water as effective as ear drops? i have a lot of luck with fresh waterflush ears out 2 or 3 times a lump of wax falls out its very cheap and seems to work well
What do you use to flush the water?
Would sparkling water work instead of vapor distilled water? It's carbonized and thus has a comparable pH.
also the bubblez
the info about the purpose and working of wax in the ear (in previous video) was really interesting. Thanks, very much.
I wish I had found it earlier as I would not have bothered with teh Olive oil!. I am now Day 1 of using the Carbamide peroxide, but my kit (Murine) didn't come with a plastic funnel squirty thing. Is it vital?
so if you can use steam distilled water because it is more acidic than regular tap water, how about sparkling water? apparently that has a ph around 5.5 as well and of course produces the bubbles 🤔
Has anyone had any positive experience with olive oil? I tried it for a few weeks as my GP told me to, commenting that my ear wax was like 'cement'. I've had no luck. But.. as a former chemistry graduate, I loath the idea of putting any sort of chemicals in there.
I often get a lot of buildup of thick dark brown earwax... When i get a lot of earwax buildup I often use debrox and within a day or two ill usually have a bunch of sludgy dark brown earwax that made its way to my outer ear just above my earlobe that i can just wipe off. The annoying thing about it though is, i think because of the way it foams up, it often messes with my hearing in the interim. It ultimately helps unclog them after a while but in the interim it can be pretty annoying, feeling like I have even more clogged ears and having my hearing in that ear muted
What about using most effective 'breakup' option (the Otex Sodium Bicarbonate), then - after the recommended 5-day treatment - flush the remaining slurry out of the ear with the steamed distilled water (recommended for its Ph qualities), and using something like the "Electric Ear Wax Removal Irrigation Cleaner" contraption advertised on Amazon (or even with just a syringe full of it)?
The reason doctors say to use oil is to soften the earwax in preparation for extraction with tools or expulsion by water, not to dissolve it.
We have clorine in our tap water in north america...wonder if itll give any issue if just used to flush out the ear once in a while
It's probably not ideal. Excess moisture in the ear isn't great and there isn't *that* much chlorine in our water.
The stuff he's using is slightly acidic because of how it's processed which makes it slightly less hospitable to bacterial or fungal growth.
Did you consider using mineral oil? An ENT in the States recommended a drop or two weekly to keep ear wax from building up...
The advice to use olive oil is more as a prep for water treatment by an ENT. 5 days of oil makes it loose and easy to remove.
I have a bottle with a regulated nozzle. I use that and get the same results as a pro. Safe natural and effective.
Thankfully i don't have waxy ears, i was just curious about the techniques. Normally i tilt my head in the shower and rub some shampoo into the outer ear then let hot water rinse the ear canal. Once in a long while my ear feels itchy and use a cotton swab to remove a tiny patch of wax. Last physical, doctor reported, external canals patent and tympanic membrane pearly gray.
If I use distilled water, how many drops, how many times per day, and how many days before I can "rinse"? Thank you
Ive used higher concentrations of peroxide and havent lost any hearing.
My hearing only gets worse because according to an ENT i went to who did an ear irrigation on me, i have some of the deepest ear canals they ever had seen. So with too much ear wax, my hearing drops.
After an ear irrigation i can hear the craziest sounds i couldnt before.
Any major difference between distilled and steam distilled? I am having issues fibding steam distilled.