But we recently went to the doctor for an ear infection (both of my kids have ear infections) and the doc commented on the wax that was in my daughter's ear. Now I am not sure what (if anything) we can do about it now with the ear infection. But wondered what anyone has tried to clean out their children's ears. My daughter is 20 months old. Strange request I am sure!
Thank you to everyone who responded. I think I might try the Debrox approach but wait until she is through with the antibiotic for her ear infection.... thanks!
I have a disabled daughter who can't hold still so I don't dare to use Q-Tips on her. What I use is a liquid cleaner called Debrox. Few drops in then drain out. Feels a bit wierd but it works.
my little one has "hard wax" and needs to go to a ent to have it removed, plus the ent doc. said to NEVER EVER put q-tips in a childs ear, all it does is push the wax parther in and make everything that much worse, so, either have your ped. dig some out or go to an ent who has the better equipment, and have them get it out. debrox never worked for my daughter and depending on how little yours is might not even be worth it cause they'll fuss the entire time and nothing will come from it.
My pediatrician has commented on my kids wax as well. But he tells me there isn't anything I can do about it, some kids just produce more wax. He told me not to worry about it. He just clears out their ears when he needs to and moves on.
Hope that helps!
Try mineral oil, a couple of drops a week, this is what my dr. recommended for my daughter with the same problem. Completely safe. :)
i had a lot of ear problems when I was little and I can only tell you it can be miserable. I know that peroxide helps. I think they sell it over the counter now(debrox), but I don't think you want to try it when they have an ear infection. I had an allergic reaction to it when I was little. Try to get it under control before she has to go to an ent when it is really bad. They sell special candles for the wax in your ear that is supposed to pull it out. I don't know if it is recommended for little ones or not. I know that some wax in your ear is good. It stops all of the debris from going on in there. I would call your doctors office and see what they recomend, or if you should even do anything about it.
good luck
my son has tons of ear wax. I have found that peroxide works great. He says it doesn't hurt or anything. We poor it in his ear and wait about 1 minute and clean it out. It disolves the wax.
all i wanted to point out is that while some kids do just make more wax and it isn't a terribly big deal, wax after all is good and helps prevent infections, it can cause hearing trouble. DD failed ehr hearing test at school and that was the first thing the doctor said to me, so now we have to keep her ears clean. i'm old fashioned i guess though and we just use q-tips, jsut be sure you don' stick them into the ear to far, q-tip brand i think makes special ones that are designed so you know how far to go in without hurting your child.
a drop or two of olive oil, then put a cotton ball in the ears to keep it from getting all over the place. the olive oil softens the wax and helps the ear drain. (so it'll help with the wax and with the infection!)
you can get a special ear oil from a health food store, with mullien and a few other herbs, which is a little more beneficial, but the olive oil is just about as good.
there are also ear candles, they warm up the wax and then create a gentle vacuum to pull the wax out of the ear. i definetly wouldn't do it on a toddler though... just something handy to know about for older teens/adults.
Hydrogen peroxide! That's what my pediatrician recommended once upon a time and it really works. (It's how I clean both my and my husband's ears now.) But be prepared: it actually bubbles inside the ear as it breaks down the wax. This used to bother my one daughter. It feels and sounds weird. (Try it on yourself first so you can understand.) Depending how much wax there is, it may take a few applications; then do it occasionally after that to keep the ear clean. Use a medicine dropper to get just a couple or a few drops in the ear and after several minutes, tip and shake the head to empty it out.
I would NOT try it until their ears are better though.
WHATEVER YOU DO, DO NOT DIG AT THE WAX!
Go to the pharmacy and get some Debrox. You use it 2-3 times per week (4-5 drops in each ear at a time), and the wax actually starts to fall out of the ears. If your Dr. only mentioned it, then it probably isn't too bad. The fact that they were diagnosed with ear infections, means that the ear drum is still visible. So there is probably a decent amount of wax in there, but nothing to be too concerned about. If the Dr. couldn't get to the ear drum he most likely would have dug it out right then and there, and that is not fun. Try the Debrox, I have used it and it really works well. It is in a green and yellow box.
