PARDON! I have a little something in my ear! (Earex Ear Drops)

Member Name: ButterBear

Product:	Earex Ear Drops
Date:	18/10/08 (217 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Eases wax build up and discomfort

Disadvantages: Feels real wierd! Contains nut oil.

As a child I was always prone to earaches so it was no surprise after a recent cough and cold that I was struck down with discomfort in my right ear. I noticed it when it was quite mild and wanted to stop it getting any worse and preventing a trip to the doctors. Hoping it was just down to waxy build up and not a more severe ear infection I decided to try out the Earex ear drops that we'd bought for our son earlier in the year.

Earex ear drops are a gentle and natural remedy made up of 3 different types of oil- Almond oil, Arachis (peanut) oil and Rectified Camphor oil. The 10ml brown glass bottle has a screw cap featuring a dropper to apply the off yellow drops and comes in a bright yellow and blue outer card box. The combination of oils is designed to gently break through built up wax and clear it easing discomfort in the ear and clearing up muffled hearing.

We first experienced the drops late one night when we were just settling into bed and I heard our little boy crying in distress, when I went to comfort him and ask what was the matter he was rubbing at his ear and complaining it hurt. I took him into our room and nestled him down into our bed while I tried to gently clean out his ears in the hopes it would ease his pain but he just became more distressed and so my husband got dressed again and headed out to the nearest all night pharmacy. He was recommended Earex drops and returned home with a small bottle for us to try.

To apply the drops you need to tilt the head to one side, drop in 4 drops of the oil and then plug the ear with a wad of cotton wool, this was easier said then done with a distressed 3 year old, especially as we had to treat both ears, but after a small fuss we had both his ears plugged with the cotton wool and gently massaged the ear helping the oil to work into the ear. He settled off to sleep and we left him with the oil in his ears until the next morning. You could tell after a few minutes the oil was taking effect as he had begun to relax and by the next morning he was clearly a lot more comfortable. It took a further 3 treatments over the following 2 days to completely ease the problem, applying the drops morning and night.

Having seen the success with my son I couldn't see the harm in trying it myself and when I had 5 minutes to myself I applied the 4 drops. It's quite easy treating yourself and despite my concern I'd miss the ear and drop the oil all over my cheek I managed to apply it with no spillage. I found you have to slowly apply the drops allowing each one to sink into the ear before trying the next drop, it's a funny sensation as a dull raindrop sound pops into your ear and the liquid sinks into your ear canal, I quickly popped the cotton wool into my ear and carried on with my morning chores, my hearing slightly fuzzy down to the cotton wool.

After 5 minutes my ear felt a little itchy and I guessed that was the oil getting to work, I gave the ear a rub to ease the itching and help the oil work into the ear and do its job. An hour later I removed the cotton wool and immediately noticed an improvement, my hearing felt clearer then it did before the treatment and the discomfort had lessened, although not completely. As with my son it took a further few treatments to completely ease the discomfort in my ear. Remembering my childhood experience with earache I made sure I used the oil and cotton wool before going out to the shops knowing the cold wind would cause extra pain, I managed the trip pain free.

Obviously if the condition is severe, the skin inflamed or the ear drum perforated then you should seek medical help rather than self treat, you should also see your doctor if the problem doesn't clear up after a few days. While we never suffered any side effects as a result of using the oil there is no guarantee that others will not, in these cases you should stop using the treatment, it does contain peanut oil so may not be suitable for those with peanut allergies.

The drops are available in pharmacies and supermarkets and my husband paid £2.49 for our bottle. The bottle lasts a decent time as only a small amount is used with each treatment and seems to have a 2 year lifespan so is a handy item to have in your medicine cabinet. Earex has helped ease both my sons and my own case of earache and I can highly recommend them for mild cases of earache of wax build up.

Summary: A must have for the medicine cabinet.