This post contains photos of my ears and the wax. If that grosses you out, you might want to avoid the lower half of this post.
When I was in kindergarten, my parents had my hearing check because I was loud. At the time, my hearing was fine. I did need to go to my paediatrician a few times though to have ear wax removed though as I grew up. I remember it performed using a water pick of some sort and the wax looked like chocolate chips. Over the years, and especially since moving to the UK, I have struggled to hear people in pubs or while at work (where there are lots of pumps running in the background). I even went to my doctor to ask about a hearing test because I was tired of asking people to repeat themselves. He looked in my ears and said there was too much wax to request a test. Unless I had the wax removed, he would not refer me. I tried to remember to add olive oil drops into my ears daily, but kept forgetting. There never seems a good time to lay down without risking oil stains on my pillowcase.
The overproduction of ear wax seems to run in my family. My grandfather had this issue too and once he got hearing aids, it became more of a problem. I now know not to stick anything sharper than my elbow into my ear, but I also admit that in college I used cotton buds (Q-tips for you Americans) to clean out my ears daily. I don’t use anything now to clean my ears aside from warm water in the shower. Last summer, when I was swimming on a weekly basis, I was worried that I would get water caught in my ear behind the wax. This had happened years ago and was not very pleasant. But I lucked out this time.
With the Covid-19 situation, doctor offices are reluctant to see someone in person if the situation is not critical. I completely understand this. Since the first UK lockdown in March 2020, I have had one telephone appointment for my skin condition and had to text over a photo, but any concerns about the ear would probably have to be in person.
When I heard about Auris Ear Care, I knew this was the perfect solution for me and my ear wax issues. Auris Ear Care is a mobile ear cleaning clinic that not only removes wax, but foreign objects too. So if your kid gets something lodged in their ear, you don’t need to go to the emergency room to have it removed. You can have it done in the comfort of your own home. The Auris Ear Care ear, nose, and throat doctor also offer ear infection treatments, prescribe medication for it, and take microbiological ear swabs if needed.
Scheduling the appointment was very simple and I was given an appointment within 24 hours. This may have been to my geographic location as Dr. Rampuri was in East London the following day. He even called to say he was running ahead of schedule and could come by earlier. That worked out perfectly for me because I was working from home and had two meetings scheduled after my appointment was due to end. Dr. Rampuri arrived wearing a mask and gloves. My husband and I decided to also wear masks because we would be in close proximity to Dr. Rampuri and didn’t want to risk Covid spread (I wipes all used surfaces and doorknobs after Dr. Rampuri left). A small table and cleaning station was quickly set up before we reviewed my medical history. I signed a release form (there is less than 5% risk of something going wrong) and then it was time to look in my ears. Dr. Rampuri didn’t even need an otoscope to confirm they were full of wax.
This little machine allows for the microsuction of the ear wax and is much safer that other methods, such as candling, syringing, or irrigation. Dr. Rampuri tested the suction on my cheek first so I could because acclimatized to the feeling. It didn’t feel very strong against my skin, but in my ear I could feel and hear the wax slowly being pulled away from the ear canal. The procedure didn’t hurt, just felt a bit weird (because how often have you had suction in your ear canal?).
The above is what was lodged in my right ear. My left ear had a little bit less. Each ear only took a few minutes to clean out. Most of Auris Ear Care appointments take 20 minutes or less in total. Dr. Rampuri suggests that everyone should have their ears examined on a yearly basis. I am going to try to keep up an olive oil regime of 1-2 drops on a weekly basis to try to keep things a bit more clear in there. While he was at the house, Dr. Rampuri suggested looking at James’ ears. Apparently, some people get so used to having wax blockage, they don’t even notice the difference after a while. Of course, James’ ears had a normal amount of wax and didn’t need any suction. I will always be the odd one.
Sadly, I don’t think my hearing had dramatically improved since having all the wax removed. Therefore, I have a hearing test scheduled on Tuesday. Both Auris Ear Care at-home visits and hearing tests in general are still allowed under current UK lockdown rules as as essential appointments because ear problems can cause pain and dizziness.
Overall, I was very impressed with the Auris Ear Care at-home service. Dr. Rampuri and the team were very attentive and knowledgeable. I tend to prefer at-home treatments (like the IV Doc and Urban Massage) if possible as it takes the stress away from travelling to and from the office. My only constructive feedback is that Dr. Rampuri didn’t offer to take off his shoes or have overshoes to cover them up when he entered my home. While my house is full of dirt from muddy dog paws, other clients may have been concerned because it has snowed that day. James didn’t think it was a concern so not everybody may mind.
How often do you clean your ears? Would you prefer to have an at-home treatment for something like this or go to an office?
Thanks to Auris Ear Care for the complimentary service. All opinions are honest and my own.
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