My Secret for Ear Wax Problems
I have a recurring dream-borderline-nightmare that involves me pulling from my ears chunks of wax the size of peanuts. Gross, I know, but ear wax has been a persistent problem of mine. Ear infections, too.
Finally, I went to an ear-nose-throat doc. He cleaned out my ears and said I should wear ear plugs when I swim. I told him I don't swim. Confounded, he explained that people with constantly wet ear canals produce large amounts of ear wax.
"Could it be sweat?" I asked. "I sweat a lot."
He started writing out a prescription to me for ear drops, which I would have to use for the rest of my life.
"A prescription for the rest of my life?" I said. "I'm only 41."
He looked me over. I was wearing ratty blue jeans and boots and a T-shirt tucked in.
"Tell you what," he said. "I know that can get expensive, so here's what you do. Take one of those plastic bottles that you put mustard or ketchup in, and fill it with half rubbing alcohol and half white vinegar. Every time you shower or go swimming, rinse out your ears. This will help dry out the canals."
(I silently thanked my momma, who always had us dress poor when we went to visit a specialist in Denver so that they would feel sorry for us and bill accordingly.)
Guess what? That was five years ago. I haven't had an earwax problem since. Not once. No more infections. No more crinkly sound of dry wax in my ear. No more need for ear candles or syringes.
Incidentally, I finally discovered why my ears were always wet. Though I'd always had ear-wax problems it got worse about the time I turned 40. I scrutinized the variables that had changed in my life ... and thought and thought and thought ... and then, EUREKA! I realized the problem intensified after I started shaving my head: water was running, unimpeded, right down the scalp and into my ears.
So tell your friends who have earwax problems: rinse with a 50-50 solution of rubbing alcohol and white vinegar.
Your advice will be the finest gift you ever give them.
Finally, I went to an ear-nose-throat doc. He cleaned out my ears and said I should wear ear plugs when I swim. I told him I don't swim. Confounded, he explained that people with constantly wet ear canals produce large amounts of ear wax.
"Could it be sweat?" I asked. "I sweat a lot."
He started writing out a prescription to me for ear drops, which I would have to use for the rest of my life.
"A prescription for the rest of my life?" I said. "I'm only 41."
He looked me over. I was wearing ratty blue jeans and boots and a T-shirt tucked in.
"Tell you what," he said. "I know that can get expensive, so here's what you do. Take one of those plastic bottles that you put mustard or ketchup in, and fill it with half rubbing alcohol and half white vinegar. Every time you shower or go swimming, rinse out your ears. This will help dry out the canals."
(I silently thanked my momma, who always had us dress poor when we went to visit a specialist in Denver so that they would feel sorry for us and bill accordingly.)
Guess what? That was five years ago. I haven't had an earwax problem since. Not once. No more infections. No more crinkly sound of dry wax in my ear. No more need for ear candles or syringes.
Incidentally, I finally discovered why my ears were always wet. Though I'd always had ear-wax problems it got worse about the time I turned 40. I scrutinized the variables that had changed in my life ... and thought and thought and thought ... and then, EUREKA! I realized the problem intensified after I started shaving my head: water was running, unimpeded, right down the scalp and into my ears.
So tell your friends who have earwax problems: rinse with a 50-50 solution of rubbing alcohol and white vinegar.
Your advice will be the finest gift you ever give them.
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