Hopi Ear Treatments in Coventry
Hopi ear candles are a very old traditional treatment. They can benefit people with many different conditions such as extreme ear wax and sinus congestion. It is performed by a practitioner that will place a lit hollow candle into the ear as far as is comfortable. The lit candle acts as a gentle vacuum during out the wax from the ears.
Hopi ear candles are not suitable for anyone with an ear infection or who have recently undergone ear surgery. Your practitioner will take a subjective assessment to make sure treatment is warranted.
What happens in an ear irrigation treatment?
Warm water is directed onto the back of the ear to release the build-up of Wax.
Does ear irrigation Hurt?
No, it feels the same as when you get water in your ear whilst showering.
Why Would I Want or Need Ear Irrigation Treatment?
Ear irrigation may be recommended if, after using ear drops, the earwax blockage persists.
It is an effective way of removing wax from the external ear. And it improves hearing where impacted wax has built up.
Ear Irrigation involves using a pressurised flow of water to remove the build-up of ear wax. Nowadays, an electronic ear irrigator should always be used, rather than a metal syringe, to avoid causing damage to the ear. The irrigator has a variable pressure control, so that syringing can be started at the minimum pressure.
Clients are usually seated during the procedure, while a controlled flow of water, which is around body temperature is squirted into their ear canal, to clean out the ear wax. The ear may need to be held at different angles, to straighten the ear canal, and ensure that the water jet reaches all areas. During the procedure, the health professional will look inside the ear a number of times using an auriscope (an instrument for examining the ear), to check whether the wax is coming out.
Ear irrigation is a painless procedure, but sometimes clients may experience a strange sensation in their ear as the water jet is squirted around the ear canal. Always keep the person who is irrigating your ear informed if, during or after irrigation, you experience pain, dizziness, vertigo, or hearing loss.
If irrigation proves unsuccessful at removing your earwax, then your GP may recommend one of the following
• Using ear drops for a further 3-5 days and then returning for another irrigation
• Placing water into the ear before irrigating again after 15 minutes, or you may be referred to an ear, nose and throat specialist (ENT) for removal of the wax
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Important Ear Irrigation Warning
Ear irrigation is not suitable for everyone and should not be used if you have:
- Had previous problems with irrigation, such as pain or perforation,
- perforation of the tympanic membrane (eardrum),
- A history of perforation of the tympanic membrane in the last 12 months,
- A mucus discharge from your ear (which may indicate an undiagnosed perforation within the last 12 months),
- Had a middle ear infection in the previous six weeks,
- A grommet, which is a small, hollow tube that is sometimes surgically inserted into your ear if you have a build-up of fluid that causes hearing difficulties. Ear irrigation is not recommended if you have a grommet because the grommet creates a passage in your middle ear, allowing water to enter during syringing
- Had any ear surgery within the last 18 months, apart from cases of extruded grommets and the passage that was created by the grommet has healed. If you have had a grommet that has come out naturally and you have been discharged by the ENT department (ear, nose and throat) the passage will have healed. Therefore, you will be able to have your ear syringed if required. However, in practice, grommet surgery is most commonly carried out in children who do not have impacted earwax, and this situation is therefore rare,
- A cleft palate (whether repaired or not),
- Acute otitis externa (external ear infection) with a painful ear canal, or pinna (the visible part of your ear).
You should also not have irrigation if the ear to be treated is your only hearing ear, as there is a small chance that irrigation could cause permanent deafness.
Young children who are uncooperative should also not have irrigation.