David Lock

For a couple of weeks my daughter has been suffering from blocked ears. She can hardly hear out of one ear which became increasingly painful. Victoria phoned a GP and asked for an appointment for her ears to be syringed. She has been using wax oil to soften things up. She explained that she was in pain which had begun to effect her work.


The surgery said they had stopped doing ear syringes at the end of September and said she must go and find a private specialist. Two other surgeries said the same.


So she went to a couple of private specialist. The first one was unable to help and the second one charged £70 but didn't fix the ear which is now red and inflamed. So she is back on trying to use the oil.


Now I feel very strongly that the NHS should not refuse to treat a patient in pain.


What do you think? Can any medics advise what options she has?


Ironically she works for the NHS and I have told he to go to her boss and get an ENT specialist in hospital to take a look.


Any sensible advice would be appreciated.


David


=============

David Lock

Thanks,


Victoria is in Bristol so a few decent hospitals around.


I had wondered about the A&E route but am concerned that she would be seen by a non-ENT specialist and removing hardened wax on the ear drum is a tricky (and very painful) job - she fainted at her recent appointment, poor kid - and she cannot risk a perforated drum. An emergency referral to an ENT guy seems preferable even if she has to wait for a week or so,


Cheers, David

play to win

No problem, let me know how you go on.

jaf2212

Stick a complaint in, they are not allowed to refuse treatment

http://www.nhs.uk/choiceintheNHS/Rightsandpledges/complaints/Pages/NHScomplaints.aspx

David Lock

Playing Away!


Will do. D

David Lock

Sorry - you have entered an invalid URL or Web Page:



ns.uk/choiceintheNHS/Rightsandpledges/complaints/Pages/NHScomplaints

NHScomplaints is not a valid subdomain or page




? ?


But don't worry I'll Google NHS complaints




david

David Lock

OK found it - should start nhs.uk


d

PaulC72

buy a syringe from the chemist add some warm water to it and have a crack yourself, I used to do it and it worked.

If she has an ear infection which may be possible then it'll be the GP for her.

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Hang on...who has refused to treat her?

If the GP surgeries don't do ear syringing any more, that's not a refusal to treat. They simply either can't, or aren't allowed to, do it...probably for H&S reasons.

Check before wasting your, and the NHS time.

dpb

Must got to epic proportions, I use that otex now , seems to work . The Olive oil they give you doesn't seem do much .

David Lock

The surgery refused to refer her to an NHS specialist. dl

euan_r

iTrader: (29)

i had bother last year with one of mine, finally went to gp and told i had infection, probably with me poking it with buds/paper. got some drops for infection but didnt fix it. tried the diy olive oil but didnt do nowt.

in the end i just used syringe as above (without needle) and hot water, fixed in under 5 mins after couple months of annoyance.

zip106

Sounds to me like an infection - GP should refer to ENT, but that'll take months.

I'd certainly take the A&E route and get her fast tracked.

30 years ago I had an ear infection, 11 operations later I'm deaf in that ear and still have problems with it - not worth messing about with your GP to be honest.

riiidaa

iTrader: (2)

gp or a and e needs to refer to ENT, it may be something other than just wax build up

jaf2212

Was on my phone when I posted

They are normally very helpful

StueyBII

Things have changed a lot. I get a problem with a lot of build up that results in an ear syringing every 3 months or so. Not being able to hear in one ear for a week is bad, both for a fortnight is a nightmare.

Orginally the doctor would do with a big plunger type syringe and hey presto it worked, even without oil being put in.

Fast forward a few years and there are multiple forms to fill in, disclaimers and a lot of faff about having to see the doctor first every time..

If only it was as simple as it used to be.

BoozyDave

iTrader: (8)

A couple of years ago I had a similar problem. I kept getting ear infections, I was using the oil, but it didn't help. I managed to get referred and had mine syringed. It turned out I had 'wax plugs' and they wouldn't clear with the syringe and the nurse had to use tweezers and pulled out something like a raisin, but it was rock hard.

I now use a toothpick to clean out my ears and don't have any problems with wax. (I know it's not the best thing for my ears, but neither is listening to music in my work van at 140+ DB )

dpb

gross

David Lock

Thanks so much guys. Some useful pointers. She's a big girl now and I would normally let her get on with things. But she lost her mum a few weeks ago and is really down at present. So if I can help that's what dads are for. Hence my post








David

RobJenks

I had trapped water in the ear - behind a wax plug and the ear drum.

Had my ears examined and immediately was recommended ear wax removal - Not syringed !
Into a high tech room. The doctor inserted a tiny probe into my ear and there on a 50 inch plasma screen was my inner ear .
Procedure was with the remotely controlled instruments wax, hair , debris was precisely removed by tiny scissors and a vacuum tube.
After about 20 minutes or so years of filth were removed and finally breaking through to my perfectly intact eardrum.
The best money I have every spent 2000 bht about 40 quid at Bangkok Pattaya Hospital.
If this equipment is here in Thailand , then source a specialist privately .

urban

iTrader: (1)

I think I'd be inclined to source treatment privately rather than suffering more, and wasting time bickering and arguing with the NHS.

njkmrs

DO NOT be fobbed off..
They are there to treat you and your family.
I have had a recent experience of their failings which has left my daughter with very poor vision due to them sending her away with tablets to take instead of treating her correctly.
5 lumber punctures and again they said take her home until I refused.
Eventually when she had been in and out of hospital several times I refused to take their advice and insisted they do something to stop her severe headaches and poor vision.
Unfortunately this was too late and the damage has been done.

DO NOT let them fob you off.
Hope she is better soon ..

kevo10

Yes, done this myself ,Ive also used an eye dropper to good effect. Just watch the temp of the water!!

Richy P1984

You may have already tried this, but I've found it's the only thing that works.

To remove stubborn ear wax I used to use the syringe and warm water method. It worked well, on the softer wax, as the jet would melt / break up the wax into smaller blobs / globules / particles which would then flow out of the ear suspended in the water.

However, with the harder denser wax build ups, I've found that only Otex solution works - it actively breaks down the wax which eventually comes out in small particles (your hear a fizzing / popping sound), or as part of a watery brown liquid. It does take some time, and you have to be patient with it. Some times it requires multiple applications. If you use in conjunction with the warm water syringe it usually works.

If you are still having problems after that, its probably worth seeing a specialist...

IanG1983

iTrader: (1)

Please don't go to A&E, it isn't an emergency. If you aren't getting any luck with your GP, try an out of hours GP at your local hospital. A different GP might get you a better outcome..

scoobyskool

iTrader: (1)

i get this every so often - its infuriating and tbh otex or eardrops only aggravate things for me

run a bathroom sink of hot water ,, as hot as you dare

stand over the sink and suck some hot water into a syringe with no needle ( chemists give these free)

then get the nozzle in the ear and press to squirt the water - if you got your aim right its usually instant relief ( keep head over sink and ear being squirted down towards the water )

if no instant blob of wax comes out and hearing returns repeat process and try adjust aim :-)

dpb

Least she wont have critters up there

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/peop...25-babies.html

Midlife......

iTrader: (2)

If the ear is red, painful and inflammed then that's more than likely otitis externa, Otomize is a popular choice of drug but there are loads of others.

You need to see your GP who can refer to ENT or a Nurse Practitioner in ENT who cleans using vacuum / microscopy and can prescribe both meds and things like "wicks".

do not stick things into the ear!

Shaun

David Lock

Thanks Shaun, The last private guy she saw tried the vacuum suction stuff but couldn't get rid of some really hard wax next to drum But I don't think he mentioned otitis. David

Ooperbum

Sorry for your lose, David