Peroxide for the ears

[susieQ]

Sounds funny but a year or so ago I saw on a site to put a few drops of peroxide into the ear and let it sit for a few minutes then drain out if you are sick. I was pretty miserable last night so I tried it. Not sure if it worked or not but this morning I woke up feeling somewhat better. Anyone ever heard of this before, or what it actually does to make you feel better?

[Tannhauser]

You put hydrogen peroxide in your ears? Really? That doesn't sound wise.

[5kgLifter]

Jeez, not something I would be messing with, that's for sure...there's a saying "Never put anything that's bigger than your elbow into your ears."

I keep mine so clean, they never require removal of hard wax etc...

[Tannhauser]

Having given this some consideration, I think it works by dissolving the frontal lobes.

[ricka182]

It's perfectly safe, been doing it for years. Not sure of the link to feeling better, but I only did it as a carry-on from visiting my grandparents. My grandmother always did it, said it cleans out better than Qtips alone, and keeps ear infections away.

I actually haven't done so in a while, but I didn't keep a schedule. I did it mostly if I still noticed wax build-up after a few Qtips.

[Tannhauser]

Curiouser and curiouser.

Had a quick google. With regard to removing earwax, the rationale behind using hydrogen peroxide is that it works through mechanical action (presumably fizzing/bubbling?) rather than chemical.

However, there was a paper cited on the American Hearing Research association page, comparing various types of ear-wax treatment. They included olive oil, which I was recommended and which my Dad always used (maybe ear treatment follows strong family traditions?). Guess which solvent worked best?

The disintegration of preformed wax plug was noted at specific intervals. The test tube containing distilled water as a control was found to be most effective and fastest in completely disintegrating the wax. This was closely followed by sodium bicarbonate. In contrast, the organic products, namely urea-hydrogen peroxide complex 5% in glycerol showed very little cerumenolytic effect. Olive oil, the most commonly used solution, was ineffective in disintegrating the wax plug even after 24 hours. The study shows aqueous cerumenolytics are more effective than organic agents.

The distilled water worked best.

Putting oxidising agents in your ear...it just doesn't sound a great idea to me.

As for putative effects on health - well, I always feel better when my ears are clean, so maybe it's that.

[5kgLifter]

Originally Posted by Tannhauser

Curiouser and curiouser.

Had a quick google. With regard to removing earwax, the rationale behind using hydrogen peroxide is that it works through mechanical action (presumably fizzing/bubbling?) rather than chemical.

However, there was a paper cited on the American Hearing Research association page, comparing various types of ear-wax treatment. They included olive oil, which I was recommended and which my Dad always used (maybe ear treatment follows strong family traditions?). Guess which solvent worked best?



The distilled water worked best.

Putting oxidising agents in your ear...it just doesn't sound a great idea to me.

As for putative effects on health - well, I always feel better when my ears are clean, so maybe it's that.

Interesting point about the distilled water; I'm not sure what they prescribe people that are having the inner ear stability test thingy (can't recall the name of the test) to dissolve ear wax but when I had it they forgot to give me anything anyway, which was supposed to be given two weeks prior to the test...but my ears were clean anyway, so thankfully, they could go ahead with the test Somehow, I doubt they would have prescribed distilled water though which would have been the better option by the looks of it, if it was required.

[mudrunner]

Never heard of it before. I would think that it would tingle. Did it?

[gavida89]

Never heard of this. I do not think that I would be willing to test it out though. I never really have much of an issue with my ears though and never stick anything in them either.

[EliteDreams]

I know someone,my best friend in fact,sticks his whole head into a bucket of bleach,and sprays himself with lysol.

He rarely gets sick and has no acne.