I'm mortified

They seem to be the main culprits that's why!

But why is advising people not to stick things in their ears left-wing?

Really? What I'm trying to say is listen to your own inner common sense, there is nothing wrong in using cotton buds sensibly like most people do. Don't take everything that other people tell you as gospel, don't do this and don't even think of doing that! Seems to be the norm these days and I call that political correctness or lefty lunacy.

poppyred I’m not sure that the question of whether or not you should stick things into your ears has anything to do with political correctness

Sound clinical advice here.

www.nhs.uk/conditions/earwax-build-up/

I’ve always has a problem with earwax build-up- inherited from my mother I think. Never used cotton buds as heard they could make ears worse. I once had them syringed at docs and then decided on diy job with old icing syringe! Probably not recommended, but works for me.

I fill basin with warm water, then fill syringe with fairly small nozzle on end and squirt into ear, holding head over basin. Have to do a few times each side before I’m rewarded by blobs of very dark, quite firm, wax appearing in basin!

Sometimes I have to repeat a few times over an evening, but then I can hear everything crystal clearly again.

Wild swan I'm 62 years old and have never had a problem so far! Too many people telling you what NOT to do these days, use your own common sense. Simples

Good name for it!

"Earol" is good - oil spray that you can regularly use if you have a build-up of wax.

We were always told never to put anything smaller than your elbow in your ears !

poppyred every time you put a cotton bud in your ear it pushes some of the wax further down and this can then build up and cause problems. Also, if you do it everyday then you are effectively preventing your ears from cleaning themselves - which is what they are designed to do.

I've cleaned my ears everyday with cotton buds and have never had a problem, I think it's just the PC Brigade making mountains out of mole hills again.

I'm sure it's not serious enough to be "mortified" and "frantically searching Google".
It's ear wax .

Well how were you to know. It’s not something that generally comes up in conversation.

It has been well known and talked about for years Carol although I have to admit I do occasionally do it but you certainly shouldn’t

Yes olive oil drops were recommended by one of the friends so that's top of my shopping list this week!

Me too!! If you want to avoid wax build-up, put a couple of drops of olive oil in your ears once a week

I've known about it for years, but I'm quite obsessed with poking my ears out.
(And quite deaf, too)

Every time you poke a cotton bud in your ear you are compressing the wax.
Might be worth a visit to the docs to see if you need them syringing as your hearing is deteriorating. This is painless and done by the practise nurse.

Yes!!!! It used to be said by medics and the like that you should never put anything smaller than your elbow in your ear. The wax works its way out naturally stop poking your ears!!!