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Caring for our ears..

Joyce GoldenlilyJoyce Goldenlily Posts: 2,933
in The potting shed
Just before Shut Down, I went for a hearing test as I realised my hearing had deteriorated quite significantly. I was told I had badly impacted wax in both ears so a test was not possible. 
I began putting oil in my ears and waited for Shut Down to be lifted. Hmmm.
Because it is now such a palaver to make an appointment to have my ears syringed by a nurse at my health centre I decided to visit a newly opened Ear Clinic in a nearby village.
Apparently, that was a good move as the NHS no longer does wax removal because they do not have the funding.
How many people are going to be forced to live with reduced hearing because they cannot afford, or do not have, a suitable clinic near them?
No point in having a hearing aid either.

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  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    edited November 2022
    I suppose the reasoning behind it is that we already accept a similar sort of set up for our eyes/vision ... 

    I'm not saying it's ideal ... but unless we fund the NHS properly we can't expect them to cover everything.  😢

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • nick615nick615 Posts: 1,487
    Not recently, but in the past, I had a build up of wax from time to time and found Otex to be what worked for me.  As always, I'm sure there are other similar applications but a few drops of that would crackle and pop for a few minutes, then a gentle rub in front of the ear would allow me to hear again.
  • philippasmith2philippasmith2 Posts: 3,742
    Joyce Goldenlily said:
    Just before Shut Down, I went for a hearing test as I realised my hearing had deteriorated quite significantly. I was told I had badly impacted wax in both ears so a test was not possible. 
    I began putting oil in my ears and waited for Shut Down to be lifted. Hmmm.
    Because it is now such a palaver to make an appointment to have my ears syringed by a nurse at my health centre I decided to visit a newly opened Ear Clinic in a nearby village.
    Apparently, that was a good move as the NHS no longer does wax removal because they do not have the funding.
    How many people are going to be forced to live with reduced hearing because they cannot afford, or do not have, a suitable clinic near them?
    No point in having a hearing aid either.

    Similar here @Joyce Goldenlilly - my GP practice no longer does the syringing and I had to go to a private practitioner.  This was probably 2 or 3 years ago - the service was excellent and the cost was around £50 or so.  Whilst there, had a chat with the operative about the dilemma others faced ( afford or not ? ) and she agreed that it was becoming a problem for many.
  • Allotment BoyAllotment Boy Posts: 6,774
    I think it's worth a mention here it's very important to use hearing protectors when using  ANY power tools even electrical ones. Excess earwax can be   the bodies reaction to loud noise. 
    AB Still learning

  • Joyce GoldenlilyJoyce Goldenlily Posts: 2,933
    I must say I had very good treatment from the clinic.
    The therapist was very thorough, she has sent a letter to my GP because she found a tiny "polyps/skin tag" way down inside one of my ears, which she felt needed investigating further. She cleared one ear canal but I have to go back next week, after oiling the second ear every day, to see if she can clear it.
    The procedure was painless but very noisy. To me, it sounded like the spitting and crackling of cooking fat when food is put into hot oil.
    I am very lucky to be able to afford the fee of £50.00. I also have to pay for my dental checkups and treatment as there are no NHS dentists in this area. I do have an annual eye test free so am grateful for that.
    I am wondering if we are going to end up with a private health care scheme where those that can afford it take out health insurance for everything, as they do in the Channel Islands, where I grew up.
    I have never been in a noisy environment so I assume it might just be my personal system working overtime.
  • KT53KT53 Posts: 9,016
    We are going to have to make higher contributions for health care one way or another.  Whether that be through taxation or some form of paid health care scheme I don't know.  What is clear is that for one reason or another, not enough money is getting to front line care.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    As long as none of my payments go towards shareholders’ bonuses 
    😡 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    Part of the problem is the way the money is spent.
    I've just been reading an article that says some NHS Trusts are paying agencies as much as £2500 for a nurse or doctor for a single shift.
    It also seems that trained nurses are leaving the NHS at roughly the same rate as nurses joining and there are still over 40,000 vacancies.

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    If doctors and nurses can get better money working through agencies (or the same for fewer hours and less stress) then I can't blame them for taking that option.
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • didywdidyw Posts: 3,573
    I felt I had hit the jackpot when, after an examination at our local surgery I did indeed have compacted ear wax, despite putting drops in religiously and trying to flush out with a funny little bladder thing that came with the drops.  But, I could get put on the list for some kind of suction clinic, although that was a 3-week wait.  I was completely deaf in one ear.  Then - they cancelled the clinic.
    Fortunately I suddenly found I could hear again in the deaf ear, despite being completely unaware of any changes.  Slightly impaired hearing is nothing compared to those having to wait for cancer treatment, hip and knee replacements and all the rest of it.
    The NHS has been underfunded for years and privatised by stealth, to the point where it has become acceptable for the idea of having to pay for some kind of healthcare scheme to be mooted.  This is capitalism talking and should be resisted!
    Gardening in East Suffolk on dry sandy soil.
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