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Please call 111 if you need emergency medical attention

If you need medical help between the hours of 6.30pm and 8am there are many services in place to treat people who urgently need healthcare, but it isn’t a serious or life threatening emergency.

If you are unsure of the service you need, or need immediate medical advice you should call NHS 111. They can give you advice and if you need to speak directly to a health care professional then they are available on the other end of the phone, whatever the time of day or night.

Walk in services are also available at Loughborough Urgent Care Centre.

If you do need to go to the emergency department, please think about if you can manage to get there using your own transport, or a taxi. Ambulances in the area will always prioritise the most serious cases first, so if your condition is not serious or life threatening and it’s safe to do so, we would recommend seeing if you can get family or friends to help you get to the emergency department. If you’re not sure, ring NHS 111 and they will advise you.

EAR SYRINGING

Ear Syringing/Ear Care

If there is a build up of wax in your ear(s) please read the following self-help guide as you may not need an appointment.

What is ear wax?

 

 

Ear wax is normal and is produced to form a protective coating over the skin in the ear canal. Ears are normally self-cleaning – the movement of your jaw whilst eating and talking helps to move the wax along the canal where it will usually fall out naturally without you noticing.

Why is my ear blocked with wax?

The amount of ear wax produced varies from person to person; some people produce excessive amounts which can lead to a blockage in the ear canal.
 
You are more likely to develop a blockage of wax in the canal if you:

use cotton ear buds to clean the ear as this pushes the wax deeper into the canal

wear a hearing aid, ear plugs or use in-ear speakers for i-pods or similar - as these can all interfere with the natural process of wax expulsion

have abnormally narrow ear canals

have a particularly hairy ear canal

are elderly – because the ear wax you produce is drier and harder

have a dry skin problem such as eczema or psoriasis

Advice to help you manage and prevent ear wax blockage

Ear wax only becomes a problem if it causes deafness, discomfort or if your Health professional requires a clear view or your ear drum.

If you are experience any of the following, you should seek advice from your GP or Nurse at Castle Mead Medical Centre or The Surgery, Stoke Golding if registered there. 

pain

discharge or bleeding from the ear

sudden deafness or buzzing

foreign bodies in the ear

dizziness

From their they can book you into a clinic run by our local Federation.

If you are not experiencing any of the above, we recommend that you manage the blockage as following:

 

Olive Oil Drops – 
The following needs to be done 2 3 times daily for 14 days.

·        Lie on your side with the affected ear uppermost

·        Pull the outer ear gently backwards and upwards to straighten the ear canal

·        Put 2-3 drops of olive oil into the affected ear(s) and gently massage just in front of the ear

·        Stay laying on your side to allow the wax to soak in for around 10 mins

·        Afterwards, wipe away any excess oil but do not plug your ear with cotton wool as this simply absorbs the oil

Your hearing problem may initially worsen after first starting to use the olive oil drops; this is why we advise you to concentrate on treating one ear at a time if both ears are blocked with wax.

In most cases, after 14 days, the wax will have softened sufficiently to encourage the wax to come out without further intervention.  However, if you feel your hearing is still impaired, please make an appointment with the practice nurse for further advice and management.

 

 

 

 

Alternatively, there are now over-the-counter kits available from pharmacies. These contain a wax softener which you use for 3-4 days and a small bulb syringe to enable you to remove the wax from your ear canals yourself. One such kit is called Otex Express Combi Pack (costs approx £7.95). We do not advise you use this type of preparation to soften wax before having your ears syringed as longer term use can cause irritation and soreness to your ears.

Ear Syringing – is only usually considered if the above recommendations have proved to be unsuccessful. Ear wax needs to be softened as above for 5-7 days before attempting to syringe. Although the risks are low and our nurses are specially trained to perform this procedure, there is still a small chance (thought to be around 1 in 1000) of complications occurring - such as a perforated ear drum, middle ear infection, external canal infection or causing ringing in the ear (tinnitus).

If your ears are regularly becoming blocked with wax, after clearing the blockage we will usually suggest you use olive oil drops as above around once per week to keep the wax soft and encourage the natural process of wax expulsion. 

 



 
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