I woke up yesterday and the hearing in my right ear was greatly dimnished. I think I have some wax deep in the canal where a Q-Tip dare not venture. What's the best way to get that shit out?

Warm water in a medicine bulb.  Keep flushing it out.  For earaches (if you have them), you might want to try a hair dryer on the low setting.  He heat dries up any excess water and softens the was.

Right Eardrum:  Popped five times.
Left Eardrum:  Popped six times.

the typical house key..

I was thinking an M16 chamber brush on a length of cleaning rod held in the chuck of an 18V DeWalt.

Use pencil w/ eraser.  JUST KIDDING!  Go see a doctor.  You might have an infection in your ear or popped something in there.  Do you have any pain?   Using Q-tip or whatever might make it worse. If you are used to going deep with Q-tip or whatever, you are in risk of serious infection or losing hearing in your ear.  I knew a guy who used to use pencil eraser to clean his ear and he almost lost his hearing.
 

We use peroxide as OSOK does.  Don't try to get it out by Q tip or other object, though doctors will do this - one even told me he used a waterpik.

Once you've removed it, washing the outer ear in the shower helps keep it from building up.

There's no pain. I usually use Q-Tips but I don't go in very deep. I used to work for a Pharmacist who used his knife to clean his ears. [shock]

Considering that the hearing loss is acute and sudden I would go to your physician.  Usually a build up of wax will cause almost nonperceptable gradual hearing loss. Its so slow you really dont notice it, until you are yelling back and forth with your grandma.  I have pulled out ear wax that looked liked cigerette butts.  Totally gross.  Only thing that almost made me puke.  Belly button lint almost as big, another story.  Dont put anything in your ear, the membranes are delicate and if you damage it, you may get permanent hearling loss.  If you do a lot of shooting its probably gone anyway.  

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MENTAL FLOSS

See an Audiologist or an ENT M.D./Otologist.  A General M.D. may be able to help but they don't specialize in that kind of stuff & unless they do it on a regular basis I would not see one...see a specialist.

The Audiologist is less expensive but if the earwax is impacted you MAY have to have an M.D. take it out....it really depends.  

Considering it is "sudden" you will need a hearing exam so I'd recommend an Audiologist first who can do all the things it sounds like you need done.  If he/she cannot do anything to help, you'll be referred to an ENT/Otologist but you will have your hearing exam to show them...IF the Audiologist was able to clean out your ears...IF that is even the issue.

I would probably try the Hydrogen Peroxide route first but only if you are certain that you have not damaged your eardrum in any way...you will know if you have because there will be intense pain if you get that stuff into your middle ear cavity.

Either ear/hearing professional can help you if you are not certain.

Good luck & don't use Q-Tips...they only impact wax deeper into your ears.

Same here- couldn't believe it the first time it happened. I used the bulb, warm water and Debrox method. worked well, but a lot of the ear wax buildup was due to the fact I was playing electric bass in loud bands, w/no ear protection. the wax seems to be a natural defence against loud noises, or at least an attempt by the body to fend off sonic damage for a while. Working in industrial plants (tap and die factory, etc.) didn't help either. I no longer do this myself, but instead leave it up to medical professionals, like my wife [:D].

(snip).

Agreed on most of it, except that if one wears proper ear protection, there is no reason for any hearing loss from shooting. However, even the noise of .22s can seriously degrade unprotected hearing. Anybody who ever tells you he's "used to" gun noise, won't wear ear plugs or muffs, because it "doesn't bother" him, is probably suffering from hearing loss, but just doesn't understand it yet.

Don't put anything in your ear smaller than your elbow- it will just make it worse. Doctors can use smaller tools in your ears, but that is because they can observe the work and what the problem is. Otherwise, one is flying not only blind, but (soon to be) deaf - and, lastly, dumb....

Unfortuately, due to most insurances, you will need to see your PCP before a specialist will get paid. they will not see you unless you pay out of pocket.  Now you may have one of the old GOLD type of BCBS traditional and may not need a referral.  I have at least 4-5 people spaz out at the office on the phone with their insurance companies. So the first thing to do is see your Family Doc.

I agree with 95th.  With hearing protection, your hearing will be saved.  But hearing is very delicate and diminishes over time just for getting old.  Usually its long term exposure or an incredibly strong single pulse that will hurt your hearing.

The ear was floated out of that one patient and I like I said it was dusgusting.  He was a bag handler at the airport and wore earplugs everyday.  Bascially compacted the wax in over years.  He told everyone to stop yelling once the wax was out!

Well, it wasn't really sudden. For the last few weeks I have been waking up with this problem. It would always "clear up" as the day progressed. I think it's just built up wax because if I push up on the bottom of my ear I can hear it squishing around. YUM!

In the old AR15.com board, there was one member who used a .223 round to clean his ears.

I do not know what happened to him after the round got stuck and some members then suggested that he hit the primer with a nail or something.

Ask the old members, I bet that most of them remember.

Hydrogen peroxide will soften the edges of the wax buildup in a short time. Keep head tilted to allow enjoyable fizzy noises.  Flushing with a bulb and clean, cool, but not cold water (as you tilt head to allow draining), will loosen and remove wax plug. Warm water will interfere with the loosening as it keeps the wax sticky.  It' not unusual to get pieces the size of a pencil eraser out of the canal..One other device for the well trained is a stainless steel speculum device that has a little loop on the end.  If you know what you are doing it can help get some stubborn crap out of there.  Be careful.......!!!!!

One part warm water, one part hydrogen peroxide and one part rubbing alcohol.  Turn the affected ear up and use a bulb syringe to squirt it into the ear and let it sit for a few minutes. Turn the ear down and squirt more stuff in it hard under a catch pan until you feel it loosen and fall into the pan.  It may take a few tries, depending on how much is in there and how hard it is, but it will eventially come out.  You may have to drop a couple of drops of rubbing alcohol into the ear after to help dissipate the water or lightly use a q-tip to dry it up. I had the same prob a couple of years ago and that is the formula I was given.  It really does work.  

Shop-Vac. Just be sure to put a cork or something in your other ear, so your brains don't get sucked out!!
AIRBORNE!!