Is Ear Syringing safe?
The great majority of GP’s in Hawke’s Bay have stopped removing ear wax by water syringing but surprisingly, it’s still being used in Hawke’s Bay. We see a lot of clients who have had bad experiences with ear syringing or where it just hasn’t worked and we’re not at all surprised at the results of a large UK study on the effectiveness of ear syringing set out below:
- Failure of ear wax removal occurred in 29% of cases
- Otitis media and Otitis externa (middle and external ear infections respectively) occurred in 17% of cases
- Ear drum perforation occurred in 15% of cases
- Trauma to the external ear canal occurred in 11% of cases
So as you’ll see, in comparison with microsuction, it’s a lot less effective and a lot less safe. In contrast, microsuction:
- May be used even in the presence of ear drum perforation
- It is the only technique safe to use for wax/debris removal in the presence of an external or middle ear infection
- Complication rates are vastly reduced in comparison with
Seems pretty convincing, don’t you agree?
Poll: Do you think NZ should ban social media for youth?
The Australian Prime Minister has expressed plans to ban social media use for children.
This would make it illegal for under 16-year-olds to have accounts on platforms including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and X.
Social media platforms would be tasked with ensuring children have no access (under-age children and their parents wouldn’t be penalised for breaching the age limit)
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Do you think NZ should follow suit? Vote in our poll and share your thoughts below.
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85.1% Yes
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13.9% No
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1.1% Other - I'll share below
Cleaning a heat pump
Hi everyone. Can anyone recommend a reliable and reasonable company to clean our heat pump. We used it on cold for a couple of days and when turning it back to warm it has a smell. We get it serviced yearly but the firm we use is expensive.
What's your favourite recipe for courgettes?
Kia ora neighbours. If you've got a family recipe for courgettes, we'd love to see it and maybe publish it in our magazine. Send your recipe to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, and if we use it in the mag, you will receive a free copy of our January 2025 issue.