Cycling and deafness

[Mick F]

Thanks for the advice guys.

It was after a shower Saturday evening that my ears blocked up.
Maybe the wax was there and when giving my head and ears a good wash, I pushed the wax in and compacted it.
I'll try the aiming of the shower head directly at my lug-holes later today.

BTW, using Otex ear drops bought from the pharmacy at Morrisons yesterday.

[Mike Sales]

I can certainly relate to the effectivness of hearing as a sense. Normally one can discern all sorts of things with reasonable accuracy - such as the proximity and even the speed of an approaching vehicle, etc etc. Clever things, ears!

True. I think that the engine note can give a clue to how the vehicle is being driven.

[Mick F]

In a busy town/city with lots and lots of traffic on busy roads, I would be ok I think.

It's the worry of the quiet lanes with high banks, single track, no pavements and poor visibility round corners. Hearing is a must IMHO as I can (normally) hear traffic approaching front or rear.

[axel_knutt]

there's always the Sheldon version - looks a bit weird but I bet it works OK!

I've got one of those, it's uselessness is only exceeded by its dangerousness.

The problem with it is that when you lean forward on the bike, the mirror height is below shoulder level, so your shoulder blocks the view of the road/traffic behind (see pic below). You just get a view of sky at the top, and shoulder at the bottom. When I caught myself wobbling across the road into the path of the oncoming traffic as I swivelled my head looking for view behind I decided enough was enough, and binned it.

Another major problem is that it creates a whacking great blind spot, big enough to hide your view of oncoming traffic when you're looking right whilst pulling out from a give way line.

I thought they were a great idea until I tried one.

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Mirror Problem.jpg (35.14 KiB) Viewed 1543 times

[Mike Sales]

there's always the Sheldon version - looks a bit weird but I bet it works OK!

I've got one of those, it's uselessness is only exceeded by its dangerousness.

The problem with it is that when you lean forward on the bike, the mirror height is below shoulder level, so your shoulder blocks the view of the road/traffic behind (see pic below). You just get a view of sky at the top, and shoulder at the bottom. When I caught myself wobbling across the road into the path of the oncoming traffic as I swivelled my head looking for view behind I decided enough was enough, and binned it.

Another major problem is that it creates a whacking great blind spot, big enough to hide your view of oncoming traffic when you're looking right whilst pulling out from a give way line.

I thought they were a great idea until I tried one.

.
Mirror Problem.jpg

I find none of those problems.
Perhaps you should try fitting it in a different place?
I have mine forward and outside of my lenses, so that it is not in my foward field of view and certainly obscures nothing. I adjust it so that the side of my head is just at the edge of the reflected image. Small movements of my head give me all the coverage I need. It is easy to get a complete view of the road behind.
It did take a little getting used to, and some adjustment. Did you persevere at all?

[Mick F]

Had a shower, and put the shower head whilst adjusted and focused into my left ear. Nice warm water.

Not made a ha'porth of difference.

[Mike Sales]

Had a shower, and put the shower head whilst adjusted and focused into my left ear. Nice warm water.

Not made a ha'porth of difference.

I would not expect this douche to remove an accumulated plug of wax.
I think my washing out of the ear with every shower stops the wax building up. I like to make sure that some suds are washed into my ear too, and then washed out.
Removing the plug is a more difficult operation. Thirdcrank mentions Specsavers at £55!

[mumbojumbo]

Eat more fish to reduce ear wax-water has no impact other than to make ear raw..

[Ray]

Eat more fish to reduce ear wax

Really? Never heard of that. Any evidence?

And more than how much?

[Mick F]

Feeling terrible this morning.

Otex ear drops have hydrogen peroxide in it and the pharmacist told me that my ears will fizz and pop ............. but they didn't and haven't. My ears just feel damp and oily.

The drops have done absolutely nothing, so now feeling that I have an inner ear infection .......... as suggested by rjb above.
Right ear has been iffy for a couple of weeks or more, and now worse, and the left is now completely deaf. Ringing in my ears, slight headache, and feeling generally rubbish.

To this end, Mrs Mick F has made an appointment for me (I could't operate a phone with these ears!) and I'll be seeing the quack at 11am this morning.

Back later with an update.

[Jdsk]

Eat more fish to reduce ear wax

Really? Never heard of that. Any evidence?

And more than how much?

I'm not aware of any evidence for this.

But searching the web on the subject depressingly reveals as much unevidenced guff as you might expect.

Jonathan

[Jdsk]

NHS advice: "Earwax build-up":
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/earwax-build-up/

Jonathan

[thirdcrank]

Feeling terrible this morning. :cry:

Otex ear drops have hydrogen peroxide in it and the pharmacist told me that my ears will fizz and pop ............. but they didn't and haven't. My ears just feel damp and oily.

The drops have done absolutely nothing, so now feeling that I have an inner ear infection .......... as suggested by rjb above.
Right ear has been iffy for a couple of weeks or more, and now worse, and the left is now completely deaf. Ringing in my ears, slight headache, and feeling generally rubbish.

To this end, Mrs Mick F has made an appointment for me (I could't operate a phone with these ears!) and I'll be seeing the quack at 11am this morning.

Back later with an update.

Lugs are extremely important and not just as a way of keeping frame tubes together. This isn't just about hearing but also balance and ultimately mental well-being. If ear wax can't be dealt with quickly at home with drops then IMO it needs professional attention before it really does get worse. This was why I was amazed that routine syringing seems not to be automatically available on the NHS. Good luck with this and if you don't get it sorted via your GP, then I'd reiterate my recommendation for the Specsavers service. The nearest thing there is to magic.

[Jdsk]

This was why I was amazed that routine syringing seems not to be automatically available on the NHS.

Current NICE guidance:
https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/earwax/m ... anagement/

(This only applies in England... NICE guidance doesn't quite define what the NHS must provide, but it isn't far off.)

Jonathan

[thirdcrank]

For the ordinary person who doesn't want to get at loggerheads with their GP's receptionist, never mind their actual GP, then I can only say "that sounds very NICE." (BTW, when I refer to syringing, I've no idea if that's the correct expression.)

If all GPs were routinely offering "business as usual" over this, it's hard to see there would be any takers for Specsavers at £55 a throw.