A NEW shop in Wotton has opened offering a unique service.
Dawn Connor, 48, has opened Cotswold Edge Ear Care after working in emergency nursing and at a day surgery for 22 years.
The clinic in Long Street is an ear wax removal service where Dawn uses a gentle micro suction and irrigation to get rid of unwanted wax and debris.
She started as a nurse aged 17 and has worked at Frenchay A&E department and Yate minor injuries unit.
A year and a half ago she specialised into ear care and has recently gained her National Diploma.
She said: “I’m a bit of an ear nerd.
“It sounds strange but I actually enjoy sorting people's problem ears out.
“I became interested in ear care after completing a course in wax removal and that changed the direction of my career.
“I get great satisfaction in unblocking a person's ears to aid their hearing.”
Dawn has lived in the Wotton area for 16 years and has lived in Kingswood for three years with her three children and partner.
She opened the shop earlier this month on September 1 after being persuaded by a close friend.
Previously Dawn rented a space in the Courtyard Clinic in Dursley.
She said: “I wasn’t going to open up the shop as it seemed far too risky but my friend persuaded me to.
“When I first mentioned my plans to open a clinic people either said, who would want that or when can I book?
“It’s a service you don’t realise how bad you need one.
“If you’ve never had a problem it’s hard to envisage.
“Wax gets trapped in the narrow ear canal and it just stays there and they just get narrower and it just gets blocked.
“Loss of hearing can have a massive impact on a person's life.
If a customer has a hearing problem and not a wax problem she will refer them to their GP.
In the early days of Dawn’s training she practised on friend’s and family’s ears.
Should a patient have compacted earwax, Dawn uses a microsuction process used by ear-nose-throat specialists.
“A blockage of ear wax can be so awful for some people.
“During my training I practised a lot with my friends and family.
“I grabbed my friends and set up my equipment and looked into their ears
“Part of the early training is knowing what to look for and being able to see.
“My family is so supportive, they helped me decorate the shop.
“But my son won’t let me near his ears anymore, I think he got fed up.
Cotswold Edge Ear Care is open for online bookings on their website - www.cotswoldedgeearcare.co.uk/
Photos by Sarah Clough
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