Ear wax - Don’t suffer in silence
30 January 2025
Don't put up with the discomfort and inconvenience of excess ear wax.
I have been helping Fairfield Hearing with their marketing for a few years.
So, if anyone should know that you don't stick cotton buds in your ears to remove excess ear wax, it should be me. I've written enough advertisements about it!
But on a recent trip to Japan, I was staying in an onsen (a traditional natural spring spa) in the Japanese Alps.
Having spent the day going from one hot spring to another, and each time having to shower before entering, I returned to my room with ears full of water.
I don't possess cotton buds. But there, in the hotel room bathroom, was a complimentary packet of bamboo cotton buds.
So, stupidly, I put one in my ear to clear the water.
I instantly felt the sensation of pushing ear wax deeper into my ear canal.
So, I went from a lack of hearing due to water in my ear to a different lack of hearing due to ear wax blocking my ear channel.
As if that wasn’t stupid enough, I attempted to clear my other ear with another cotton bud. I would be much more gentle this time... same result!
So now, I was in the middle of Japanese Alps with two bunged-up ears.
I spent the rest of my trip with slightly poorer hearing. And once I had returned home, I continued with slightly poorer hearing.
It was a little bit frustrating, but not so annoying to make me do something about it immediately.
A couple weeks after returning, we had our next marketing meeting at Fairfield Hearing.
I rang them beforehand and asked if Ruth would be available to do some ear wax removal after the meeting.
Now, I've never had this done before. So, even though I've written ads about it, I was going to be experiencing it for the first time.
After the marketing meeting, I sat in the consultation room. Using a camera, Ruth showed me the insides of my ear, and clear as day, you could see the offending ear wax that I had shoved further back into my ear.
I then sat in ‘the chair’.
Now, when I sit in ‘the chair’ at the dentist, I get very nervous and sweaty. But here, I felt extremely relaxed.
Ruth explained the process of what was going to happen, and then, slowly and gently, started sucking the ear wax from my right ear.
It wasn't an unpleasant experience.
It was louder than I imagined, but that was mainly the sound of vacuum. The other sound was a strangely reassuring sound of the wax being sicked out of mr ear.
For such a small area, it took a little longer than I expected, but by the end there were no uncomfortable sensations.
Afterwards, I could hear clearly in the consultation room.
But it wasn't until I stepped out onto Stafford Street that the real comparison became evident. The traffic sounds were so much clearer. Ambient voices were so much clearer.
I can’t believe I had spent the last two weeks missing out on sounds, missing out on conversations, asking people to repeat themselves, constantly, and having to explain why I'm asking people to repeat themselves. When all it needed to do was book a 15-minute appointment.
Thank you Ruth. And, thank you Fairfield Hearing.
Book online
You can book online for wax removal appointments with Ruth at our Stafford Street Clinic. Appointments for binaural wax removal are £70.
For appointments with another team member or at our Wardie clinic or for a home visit, contact us directly to speak with us.