| Jack,
Must be the time of year as I had the same problem last week. Here's what I did based on past experience with the doctor. You don't want to do the Q-tip thing as that can just compact it and make it worse. What they do at the doctor's is place this huge syringe-like device at your ear that runs warm water gently but firmly into your ear. It softens the wax and usually a big plug of earwax falls out.
I often accomplish the same thing with the nozzle on my hand-held shower head. But I have to make the stream gentler so I don't do something awful to my ear. I cock my head sideways to let gravity help. Usually this helps but I have to spend a little time on my bed with my head dangling over the side to let excess water run out. Can you picture that? Use gravity.
Don't know how the British health system works but here you can go to the emergency room and you wait for a doctor to take care of the procedure. If that sort of thing is available to you, go that route.
Good luck, I hope by now you haven't made the situation worse out of frustration.
ML |