A reader writes how a powerful blast from an irrigation machine at the GP has had lasting side-effects

I sympathise with Freya Bennett (A moment that changed me: I was planning to be a musician – then I had my ears syringed, 11 March). In 2010, I found that my hearing was being muffled by a buildup of wax in my ears. I had always imagined that having ones ears syringed was a straightforward, risk-free process.

An appointment was made at my local GP practice, and a healthcare assistant, without any explanation as to what to expect or any warning about side-effects, essentially turned the irrigation machine, like a water pistol, up to full and blasted out the wax. The power of the jet was such that I actually jerked my head away in shock.