Ear Irrigation

Over a month ago, while visiting my family in Ohio, I went swimming and soon after developed an ear problem. At the time I didn't know what it was, but it turned out to be earwax buildup. My right ear was plugged up and I could not hear anything out of it. I used some ear drops and an ear cleaner kit, and that help, but it did not solve the problem. So I scheduled an appointment to see a doctor to actually look in my ear and tell me what was in there. I really thought that it had to be something other than earwax, because I had been using the drops regularly and nothing was happening, so I figured it had to be something else.

Well, no, the doctor looked in there and said there was just a lot of earwax. Then she looked in the other ear and said that there was plenty more in that one too. So she scheduled me to have my ears irrigated, which I did today.

Oh man, what a mind blower. My ears are still feeling the sensation of that experience. First of all, I can hear a million times better. Also, because of the pressure applied to my eardrums, its made me kinda lightheaded, which feels kinda pleasant at this moment. But I guess psychologically, too, I feel clearer.

Basically, the nurse had a long rubber syringe that she used to squirt hot water into my ears. She started with the right one, and boy did it need it. She showed me the water that irrigated out of my ear, and it was pretty gross, with one large brown chunk in it. I could not believe that that was actually in my ear. And that it was able to make its way out. Then she did the same in the left ear, which took a bit longer because there was a chunk that would not come out all the way. It was funny, she actually said "C'mon baby!" encouraging it on the way out.

I would recommend that you get your ears irrigated if you feel that you have ear problems or trouble hearing. It's a wild experience.