Blocked Ears (wax)
Earwax is a normal build-up of dead cells, hair, foreign material such as dust, and natural wax which forms a protective coating on the skin in the ear canal. The quantity of earwax produced varies greatly from person to person. A doctor or nurse can look into the ear canal and confirm a plug of earwax has formed. A plug of earwax is not a serious problem, more a nuisance. You only need to remove earwax if it is causing symptoms such as dulled hearing or when fitting a hearing aid.
The Practice will no longer be able to offer ear irrigation (syringing) as a treatment for the removal of earwax. This follows a recent review that suggests other management options, including self-care, can be safer and more effective in dealing with problematic earwax.
Further information on how to self care can be found on our Patient Information Leaflet for Blocked Ears
Prescribing for Flights:
Fortrose Medical Practice will no longer be prescribing diazepam or other sedative drugs for fear of flying.
This is due to the following reasons:
- The British National Formulary (which is our national prescribing guideline) states that doctors should not prescribe diazepam for fear of flying
- Diazepam is a sedative which could affect your ability to deal with anything that might happen on the flight
- In some people, diazepam causes: agitation, anxiety, confusion, drowsiness, altered mood
- Diazepam is illegal in some countries and being in possession of it could lead to trouble with the Police
- There is evidence that prescribing diazepam for fear of flying makes the underlying fear worse in the long-run
Instead, we recommend a Fear of Flying Course which many airlines are running. Here are the links to two of them:
Easy Jet – www.fearlessflyer.easyjet.com
British Airways – https://flyingwithconfidence.com