Hear Hear!: Romford earwax-cleaning business warns clients against common bathroom item
From left to right: Rasika Attana, 41, with two of his clients. - Credit: Hear Hear Ltd
A senior audiologist has warned against using cotton buds to clean ears as he hopes to educate his Romford clients to look after their hearing.
Rasika Attana, 41, founded Hear Hear Ltd on Atlanta Boulevard after working with the Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust for 15 years.
He opened the clinic in October 2019 with the help of his wife, Medha, 42, who is a senior paediatric audiologist, in a bid to “make a change” from the “inundated and slow” NHS system.
"To start with, no one knew we were here and it was really difficult," he said. "I had to learn what a business is, how to get and approach patients.”
Rasika said it takes “an all-rounder” person to run a business, and despite opening just before the outbreak of Covid in 2020, he “loves” what he does as he can “save lives” by detecting problems early.
With patients referred to him from GPs, Boots and Specsavers, Rasika offers services such as tinnitus counselling and management, earwax removal and hearing aid repairs.
He said: “Ears can be blocked due to earwax, but also for many other reasons such as an infection or something more sinister, where we will refer a patient to a GP for a scan.”
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Should a patient have compacted earwax, Rasika uses a microsuction process used by ear-nose-throat specialists (ENT).
He said his customers are “pleased with the procedure as the effort is very low but the results are great”.
Rasika checking his client's ear. - Credit: Hear Hear Ltd
The 41-year-old said his main goal is to “educate” his patients and “correct their bad practices” - which include using cotton buds to clean their ears.
He said: “They [cotton buds] should be banned. The only reason they are allowed is for cleaning babies belly buttons and for taking makeup off.
“They should never be used near an ear.”
Rasika said he has previously had to remove partially penetrated earbuds from client's ears, and also tiny stones and sweetcorn stuck in children's ear canals.
He added: “Ears don’t need cleaning, they’re self-cleaning and the wax keeps the ears moist. If you use ear buds, they will be dehydrated.”
Elderly patients can get their hearing aids fixed for free at Hear Hear Ltd, “so they can hear before leaving the appointment”, Rasika said.
