I am not a medical professional and I can not offer medical advise but these are some things that I believe have helped me remove wax after over 20 years of visiting the doctor a few times a year for wax removal.  I now have relieved of problems with earwax and do not need a medical professional’s help for most of my ear concerns.

Caution When Using H2O2

An audiologist friend of mine warns anyone of using H2O2 in your ear because it can eat away at healthy tissue.  She suggests garlic and olive oil during the night and a flush of bulb water in the morning.  This technique has never worked for me to date but it may work for you.  I believe H2O2 should be a last resort after using filtered water in a bulb first and other methods of earwax removal.  I also believe H2O2 will hurt human tissues.

Caution When Using Ear Picks

I do not suggest using ear picks because it is too easy to scrape skin or hurt your ear drum.  Japanese bamboo ear picks, down tipped ear picks, and even the softest brush has irritated my ears in the past.

Symptoms Of Earwax Buildup

The first signs of earwax buildup are normally that you have slight hearing loss in your ear, that you notice pressure, or a “slushy” feeling when your ear moves.  Do not mistake earwax buildup for water in your ear.  I have written more about getting water out of your ear on this site here:

http://www.gregoryhillman.org/2009/08/13/how-to-get-water-out-of-your-ear/

Just because you have some earwax buildup does not mean that you need to treat your buildup.  Earwax will normally dry up and fall out with out any additional help.  One thing I have found that will hurt the process of natural removal is pushing the wax further in your ear with a q-tip or your finger.  This just moves the wax in your ear further but it can still normally be removed with this treatment.

Treatments of Earwax Buildup

If your wax is causing a problem and does not fall out normally, you could have buildup in just one ear or in both ears.  I have found that only treating the ear that has the earwax buildup is necessary.

First, use water with your syringe or bulb.  Water may be all that is needed with some light pressure to remove the wax.  I use water with a very low TDS that has been put through a Reverse Osmosis membrane so it contains less extra materials.

Earwax Removal Syringe Bulb

If the purified water with some pressure from the bulb does not work, I normally use about 1/2 a cap full of H2O2.

Lay down on your side with a white towel under your head so the light bleaching agent does not bleach any materials under your head.  H2O2 (Hydrogen peroxide) will make spots in dark clothing, towels, and rugs.

Pour about 1/2 to 1 cap full in the effected ear while laying on your side.  You should be able to hear the bubbles easily with wax in your ear and fresh H2O2.  You may also see bubbled up wax coming out of your ear during this process.  After about 3-10 minutes the bubbles will stop and you can pour the wax and excess H2O2 in your sink or shower.

Then take your earwax removal bulb and spray warm (98.4±0.7 °F or slightly warmer) water in your ear with some light pressure.  This should help remove any extra wax.

Be sure to put the cap back on your H2O2 right away otherwise it will loose the ability to work correctly.  Also, be sure to replace your H2O2 if it is old or does not work any longer.  I do not use H2O2 unless it is completely necessary because there may be other side effects from this weak base.  I use about 3% H2O2 and additional purified water to make it more diluted.

If you have a more significant buildup you may need to repeat the H2O2 process with the bulb a few times or once a day for a few days.

H2O2 For Earwax Buildup

If the wax is not gone and your hearing is back to normal with no evidence of wax you may need to visit a medical professional for a much stronger syringe.  Some professionals have much larger devices that will spray at a higher level but not so height it will rupture your ear drum.  Be careful though because a doctor or nurse could rupture the drum with this high pressure device.

Normally I have seen tap water have slightly lower TDS and EC readings such as around 240 ppm for TDS near UCLA or 400 ppm or less TDS near the harbor area.  These readings do meet the EPA secondary maximum standards.

Is water important?

Many of the food providers including pizza places and fast food locations are using this tap water for drinking, beverages, and other food related purposes as well so it is good to know where the water comes from that you are taking into your system.  I suggest at least finding out what type of filtration they use before consuming the water.

Water Testing Cost

I own the meter so this test only costs a few minutes of the battery life and the time it takes to read it.  Testing can be done to any water with this meter from Hanna including lake water, sea water, tap water, brackish water, and filtered water.  It includes EC, TDS, and pH with Temp.

405 Los Angeles Water Testing

I am not a professional water tester and I can not say if water is safe or not to drink.  Also, I was only able to do three tests and there are many other tests that can be done to determine water quality.  These are the Secondary Maximum Contaminant Levels from the EPA:

You can also read more about EC and water quality on this site.

This first test shows a 8.41 pH of the tap water:

405 Los Angeles pH 8.41 Water Quality

This second test shows a TDS of 472 ppm in the tap Water

405 Los Angeles TDS 472 ppm Tap Water

The third EC test shows 946:

405 Los Angeles Water EC of 946!

Would I drink this water?

I hope not.  The EC shows much more salts than normal in the water.  The TDS show much harder water than I would suggest drinking since we do not know what materials are in the water.  The pH is much to high as well and the test is just a little under the EPA secondary maximum contaminant levels.

I would try to filter this water and only drink it if I was suffering from dehydration.  I would want to at least put it through an RO filter but a carbon block or even a fine screen or paper filtration would improve the quality.

The TDS of this water is considerably lower than many other parts of Los Angeles that have been tested.  Some of highest TDS areas that have been tested are near the 405 freeway and very close (with in a block) of the ocean including Long Beach, Santa Monica, Venice, and Marina del Rey (400+ TDS).

This test was taken before March in 2010.

I am not a professional water quality tester and I can not say weather or not water is safe to drink.  I do hope this information helps.

Westwood Village Medical Center Water TDS in PPM

The pH of water is 7. The EPA suggests secondary maximum contaminant levels of pH be at least between 6.5 – 8.5

The test done at a similar time shows a pH of 7.55 which again is better than many other areas of Los Angeles that have recently been tested.  West Los Angeles can be as high as 8.65 or greater from tap water.

EPA physical test:

low pH: bitter metallic taste; corrosion

high pH: slippery feel; soda taste; deposits

Westwood Village UCLA Water pH

Electrical conductivity (EC) estimates the amount of total dissolved salts. Most information that I have seen shows that high quality water is under 500 σ. I have personally seen better ECs in water from mountain rain puddles in Topanga with ECs below 200 but most of the water tested in LA has been over 400 σ.  The EC at this UCLA medical center shows 398 σ.  This test was also conducted at the same time from the same tap water at a UCLA medical center.

Westwood Village water EC Temp UCLA medical

Would I drink this water?

Yes, but only if I needed to to stay hydrated and there was no filtration available because of the higher EC and TDS. I would much rather drink water that has been treated with distillation, RO, or another method that will lower the salt / nitrates / viruses / metals, and other hard unknown materials.

The EPA suggests these 2nd maximum levels here:

http://www.epa.gov/safewater/consumer/2ndstandards.html

Secondary Maximum Contaminant Levels

http://www.epa.gov/safewater/contaminants/index.html

Iron Health Concerns

It has also been mentioned that people with heterozygous for a hemochromatosis mutation (body not able to absorb Iron like others) may need to stay away from water containing Iron. For most people it may just have an unpleasant metallic taste, rusty color, and may be an indication that your pipes are deteriorating. You also may have high iron from a private well.

I have consistently read that everyone including pregnant women and children need iron in reasonable levels but this is normally found in breast milk, prenatal vitamins, and other typical foods.

Removing Iron

If you have too much iron and want it removed from your drinking water reverse osmosis may be one of the most cost effective ways.  Water softeners have also been mentioned as a way of removing iron but I have not been able to test this to date.

Iron Water Test

I have completed an Iron water test in Los Angeles California that shows very low levels of Iron in the tap water.  The test only takes a few minutes and then will show a reading.  As seen in this photo below the Iron level is well below 0.3 ppm.

Iron Water Test Los Angeles

Would I Drink This Water?

Yes, I would drink this water because I have also done many other tests on it and the iron level is well below the EPA secondary standard.  I also believe that my body can process Iron and it appears that low levels of Iron in drinking water should not cause a health concern.  I am not a water professional and I can not say if it is safe or unsafe for sure but I would suggest putting this water through a reverse osmosis machine so that it smells, tastes, and looks better!

Iron

Symbol: Fe
Latin: ferrum
Atomic Number: 26

Silver Lake Research mentions that high levels of copper may cause gastrointestinal distress so today I tested the tap water in Marina del Rey Los Angeles California.

The test took a few minutes to administer and was completed with a strip in some tap water.  After two minutes you can see the results.  The EPA states copper levels should be below 1.3 ppm.

Would I drink this water?

Yes, the copper level does show less than 1.3 ppm as seen in this photo and I have tested the water for a variety of other concerns.  The test may show about 0.7 ppm or less.  The water tastes good!

*Please note I am not an expert or professional water tester and I can not say if water is safe or unsafe to drink.  No test can.

The CDC has some information on Copper that is easy to understand such as:

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dpd/healthywater/factsheets/copper.htm

“All living organisms including humans need copper to survive; therefore a trace of copper in our diet is necessary for good health.  However, some forms of copper can also harm you.”

“Corrosion of pipes is by far the greatest cause for concern.”

“Drinking water with high levels of copper for many years could cause liver or kidney damage.”

This test supplies were from Silver Lake Research:

Copper Water Test in Los Angeles

Copper.org offers some current information:

http://www.copper.org/consumers/copperhome/Env_Health/environmentandhealth_drinkingwater.html

“How much is too much copper in water and food?

The NASFNB recommends that you not consume more than 10 mg/day to be safe. The NASFNB has determined that most men, women and children consume less than 1.6 mg/day.”

http://www.doh.wa.gov/ehp/dw/fact_sheets/copper_in_drinking_water.htm

“In Washington, most copper in drinking water comes from corrosion of household plumbing.   Public water supplies are required to conduct treatment to reduce corrosion when more than 10 percent of the tap water samples exceed 1.3 parts per million (ppm) of copper.

Copper from plumbing corrosion can accumulate overnight.  Flushing the water from the tap for 30 to 45 seconds can reduce the copper that can accumulate when the household plumbing is not in use.”

The DOH also mentions this about the amount of copper that is safe.

http://www.doh.wa.gov/ehp/dw/fact_sheets/copper_in_drinking_water.htm

“Copper is an essential mineral in the diet.  Too much copper, however, can cause health problems.  Major food sources of copper are shellfish, nuts, grains, leafy vegetables, and stone fruits. Typical sources of copper from food range from less than 2 milligrams (mg.) to 5 mg. per day.

Health studies have found that copper in drinking water can add 4 to 45 percent more copper to a person’s diet than what is in food sources.”

Nitrates and Nitrites can be found in any water but these items put you at a higher risk of a nitrate problem:

1) Drinking from an untested personal well

2) Water systems near livestock or fertilizer

3) Pregnancy

4) Infancy

5) Eating root plants high in untested fertilizers.

I just tested the tap water near Lincoln Blvd in Marina del Rey California for Nitrate levels.  The test is very inexpensive (less than $5) and only takes a few minutes to administer.  This area of Los Angeles is on a community water system that is current managed by DWP.  Their reports show low Nitrate levels in the water from 2008 but they have not published any recent statistics on the nitrate levels in the community water.

This test was performed by a kit from “silver lake research” (888-438-1942) and does not certify water as safe or unsafe for drinking.  The strip is in the water for 2 seconds and then you can take the reading from 1 – 2 minutes for an accurate result.

Nitrate Nitrite Drinking Water Testing

I believe the levels from the test today 2/23/2010 show:

• 0.7 ppm total Nitrate/Nitrite
• 0.16 ppm Nitrite

This company also states the EPA maximum contaminant levels or guidelines standards are:

• Total Nitrate/Nitrite: Below 10.0 ppm
• Nirtite: Below 1.0 ppm

Would I drink this water?  Given this low level of nitrates this water and the fact that I have tested the water for many other things I would drink it however I do suggest lowering the nitrate level if possible by reverse osmosis.  I do not believe a carbon filter alone would help reduce these nitrate levels.

The EPA seems to be the best source of information right now for Nitrates and drinking water:

http://www.epa.gov/ogwdw000/contaminants/basicinformation/nitrate.html

The EPA suggest getting more information about your drinking water and I do as well.  Ask your utility company and test your own water.  Ask your farmers how they test for nitrates.

“Contact your water utility. EPA requires all community water systems to prepare and deliver an annual consumer confidence report (CCR) (sometimes called a water quality report) for their customers by July 1 of each year. If your water provider is not a community water system, or if you have a private water supply, request a copy from a nearby community water system.”

Nitrate [dot] com has some well organized information on Nitrates and why they are harmful:

http://www.nitrate.com/

“What is Nitrate? Nitrate has the chemical formula NO₃^{- ”}

“When Nitrate is taken in by eating food and drinking water,  Nitrate is converted in the gut to nitrite, which then combines with hemoglobin to form methemoglobin, thus decreasing the ability of the blood to carry oxygen.”

Washington State and EPA Nitrate Levels:

http://www.bfhd.wa.gov/info/nitrate-nitrite.php

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has set the Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) of nitrate as nitrogen (NO3-N) at 10 mg/L (or 10 parts per million) for the safety of drinking water. Nitrate levels at or above this level have been known to cause a potentially fatal blood disorder in infants under six months of age called methemoglobinemia or “blue-baby” syndrome; in which there is a reduction in the oxygen-carrying capacity of blood.”

CDC and Nitrates:

The CDC is helping to educate people about the risks of Nitrates when introduced to infants, pregnant women, and the general public.

http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/csem/nitrate/no3whosat_risk.html

“About 1% to 2% of the U.S. population that uses drinking water from public water systems might be exposed to nitrates in excess of the EPA‑recommended maximum concentration.”

The CDC also mentions this about pregnant women and Nitrates:

“The pregnant woman and her fetus represent another high-risk group. Reproductive outcome studies done at sites with high nitrate levels in the water supply provide some evidence of maternal transfer of nitrate and nitrite. The pregnant woman and her fetus might be more sensitive to toxicity from nitrites or nitrates at or near the 30th week of pregnancy.”

Temp: 76.7 F

TDS: 922 (0-1000 drinking water 1000-1500 brackish 1500+ sea water)

pH: 8.61 (The normal range for pH in surface-water systems is 6.5 to 8.5 but 7 is pure)

EC: 301 (~0-500 drinking water 500+ sea water)

This test was provided by the HI 98129.

Would I use this water?

I would try not to drink this water.  This water is above the safe pH for drinking water based upon the EPA’s secondary standards.  It is also above the CDC’s standard range for safe swimming water.  The normal range for drinking water is between 6.5 and 8.5.  My opinion is that if you visit this Marina del Rey Library be sure to bring your own water for you and your children.  Do not let them get close to the water fountain because they may drink the untested water.  The lower water fountain is also not working so there was only testing done on the higher fountain.

Marina del Rey Library Drinking Water

More information about this concern can be found here on the CDC:

http://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/drinking/private/wells/testing.html

pH

The pH level tells you how acidic or basic your water is. The pH level of the water can change how your water looks and tastes. If the pH of your water is too low or too high, it could damage your pipes, cause heavy metals like lead to leak out of the pipes into the water, and eventually make you sick.

Anything over 8.0 the CDC says:

- Poor Chlorine Disinfection
- Eye Irritation
- Skin Irritation

If you are interested in having me test your water please call or write.

I had asked the city for a test but they could not make it happen after over 2 years of effort.  Even though they say they can on their web site, they could not even test the pool water quality or the water quality in the general area that we live in.  They had someone come out and “look” at the pool.  They said it “looked” fine but as we all know sea water can look nice but it is not safe to drink or even swim in at times.

I am using a variety of testing equipment and I plan to test the water everywhere I go for at least the next five years.  Each time I plan to post the test so that others will know what the water quality is as well.

Marina del Rey Water Quality

This tap water was tested near California Yacht Club in Marina del Rey:

Temp: 75.9 F

TDS: 237 (0-1000 drinking water 1000-1500 brackish 1500+ sea water)

pH: 8.27 (The normal range for pH in surface-water systems is 6.5 to 8.5 but 7 is pure)

EC: 474 (~0-500 drinking water 500+ sea water)

This test was provided by the HI 98129.  More tests to come including nitrates and hardness.

First Step To Removing Water From Ear

Before putting anything into your ear try simply tilting you head to the side for around 30 seconds.  This will normally allow any water or liquid to leave your ear easily.  If the liquid does not come out of your ear there could be a number of other problems.

Ruptured Eardrum May Feel Like Water

One problem may be that your ear drum is ruptured.  I have ruptured ear drums while diving and hitting the water at various angles.  This will feel and sound like there is water in your ear but really it just seems this way because the ear has been ripped.  I made the mistake of putting a solution for swimmers ear into my ear.  This cause an extreme amount of pain and a seizure.  For this reason do not put anything in your ear that may cause additional pain or discomfort.  Instead, seek additional help from a trusted medical professional who can look at your inner ear and see the concern.

Eax Wax Buildup

Wax buildup is common in many ears.  It does not typically happen to most people more than once a year but if the wax is not removed it can trap water or seem like a liquid in your ear that moves around.  You can remove earwax buildup in a number of ways and I have written more about this on this site here:

http://www.gregoryhillman.org/2010/04/08/how-to-remove-earwax-buildup-anywhere/

Divers Solution for Water In Ear

Many divers also use a solution of 1/2 50% Isopropyl alcohol and 1/2 distilled water solution.  Just put a few drops in your ear and it should try out in less than a day.  Some divers repeat this after getting out of the water but most divers that I am aware of typically do not need to use any solution to clear the water from their ears.  Many of them do hold their nose and blow to relieve pressure.