Earwax Confusion, Can Anybody Help Me?

[Kay86]

Hi Guys.
As im yet to find the cause of my T...ive gone down the spinal CSF leak route,diet,stress,labour,neck/back pain... Seems like ANYTHING can cause it...
So another attempt would be earwax...when i first went to docs about it they said i had alot of wax in my left ear and some in my right...My T is a loud hissing sound and sometimes a little tone in my right ear...
On my ENT appointment she again said i had alot of wax in left ear...she wanted to remove it but i declined as id seen some posts on here saying that it CAN make it worse...
My question is...Could it be the wax? (But it feels like the hissing is in my head)...
Is it safe to let ENT get it out?
(as im so petrified of it getting louder...if it does i wont cope at all!)
If i dont let them...is it safe to use olive oil?
And if i leave it be....could that make it worse also?
I feel like im stuck between a rock and a hard place....
I have another ENT appointment thursday and as i know ther not great for knowing much about T, I wanna make sure i kinda do...
Thank you so so much. Xx

 

[LadyDi]

Yes, @Kay86, have the ENT remove your ear wax. I am a chronic wax builder and have it done routinely twice a year. I don't think olive oil will do any good, at some point you just need to get it out.

Main things:
Better to have an ENT do it than DIY
Don't let her syringe your ears
Say you prefer to have it done by hand than using that little suction tube, which puts lot of noise inside your ear.

No way to know if wax is causing your T (although it can). But you need to get that stuff out before it causes an impaction, which makes a real mess. Then you can be stuck going the suction route.

 

[dboy]

I agree wholeheartedly with what LadyDi says with one small exception that I have once (out of several times trying) managed to shift a wax blockage using only olive oil. It did take about a week. Now I try to remember to put some olive oil in every few weeks to keep things moving. This really seems to work 'cos I used to get wax blockages regularly.

 

[Shuffle]

Yes, @Kay86, have the ENT remove your ear wax. I am a chronic wax builder and have it done routinely twice a year. I don't think olive oil will do any good, at some point you just need to get it out.

Main things:
Better to have an ENT do it than DIY
Don't let her syringe your ears
Say you prefer to have it done by hand than using that little suction tube, which puts lot of noise inside your ear.

No way to know if wax is causing your T (although it can). But you need to get that stuff out before it causes an impaction, which makes a real mess. Then you can be stuck going the suction route.

Agreed. After my wax was removed my T was reduced down to a much more manageable level. I haven't had my ears looked at in the 3 years since I initially accquired T, now you mention it. Probably ought to.

Question to you though, how is it done without syringeing? That's how I had mine done here in the UK. My mother has hers done annually!

 

[Kay86]

Thank you guys so much for replying....
I know ppl are probably gettin fed up with me and my panic methods in struggling to try and understand this :'(
So it would be wise to get it done somehow?
I live in the UK so im not sure how they do it in ENT?
The only thing is....im stupidly worried that if the wax is out the noise that im hearing....the hissing....will increase coz of more air and such....i dunno whether im thinking the wax maybe muffling the sound and without it....it might increase? Or am i over thinking it?

After my wax was removed my T was reduced down to a much more manageable level. I haven't had my ears looked at in the 3 years since I initially accquired T, now you mention it. Probably ought to.

How did you do this and how often? Did you have ringing/hissing? And it reduced it alot?
I really am so sorry about clogging up this forum with questions etc...
Im just so desperate...i want to enjoy my baby daughter and this is really holding me back :'(
X

 

[Shuffle]

How did you do this and how often? Did you have ringing/hissing? And it reduced it alot?
I really am so sorry about clogging up this forum with questions etc...
Im just so desperate...i want to enjoy my baby daughter and this is really holding me back :'(
X

Mine is a continuous high tone. They were syringed by my practice nurse here in the UK. I'd read on here before about the problems it can cause, but elected it was worth the risk at the time. I was right, I got away with it.

 

[Kay86]

It seems like such a gamble...but is it true that earwax can also cause T?
It really feels as if im atuck and when my appointment comes i dont want them to try and sway me if they dont know much about it :'(

 

[Shuffle]

It seems like such a gamble...but is it true that earwax can also cause T?
It really feels as if im atuck and when my appointment comes i dont want them to try and sway me if they dont know much about it :'(

My experience is it can definitely make it worse.

 

[Kay86]

Is there any other way than syringing in UK tho?

 

[Kay86]

agree wholeheartedly with what LadyDi says with one small exception that I have once (out of several times trying) managed to shift a wax blockage using only olive oil

How did you do it with the olive oil??

 

[dboy]

I really am so sorry about clogging up this forum with questions etc...

Hi @Kay86, first up it is really important to say do not have any worry at all about asking questions - that is exactly what the forum is here for! Nobody here has any problem with you asking questions or seeking clarification. We all know how upsetting tinnitus, and ear problems generally, can be. We have all been there, and will help as much as we can.

How did you do it with the olive oil??

I just kept putting warm olive oil into my ear 2-3 times a day, lying on my side a while to let it soak in. After about a week the blockage seemed to clear. But, as I said, I've tried this a few times and most times it did not work. You could give it a go if you can handle being patient and probably not being successful.

Is there any other way than syringing in UK tho?

I've had my ears cleaned three ways by doctors & nurses over the years, and I am in the UK. Syringing/irrigation I strongly advise against - it has caused me problems, as well as many other people (the founder of this forum got his tinnitus this way if I remember correctly). Microsuction is very noisy, as LadyDi said. I've had that done, but didn't like it because of the massive sounds it creates inside your ear. I never noticed a bad effect from it and I think it is probably safer than syringing/irrigation, but I have read on the forum at least one person whose tinnitus was caused this way. Having the wax removed by a doctor with small instruments that are used to scrape it out is by far the most preferable option of those three. Not all doctors or ENT's will offer it, but you could try saying that is all you will accept and see whether this works.

Having your ears blocked is horrible, especially if you have tinnitus because it makes it seem louder. But please be careful about getting them cleared. The ear is an incredibly delicate part of your body - much more so than many doctors seem to be aware of! Please don't do anything out of desperation to clear your ears, as damage cannot in many cases be undone once it has happened. Also, there is no reason the tinnitus might get louder once the ear is cleared so long as no damage is done. It should get quieter.

I've gotta get some sleep now, but other folks will probably chime in with further advice. Best wishes.

 

[Kay86]

Thank you to everyone who answered my earwax ques...
I guess this is another frantic one...
Ive woke up today and its feels really hissy...more than normal...and its making panic and almost be sick...it seems more in my left ear but whether im just imagining it in hope i dont know...
The ENT said that that was the ear that looked more waxy...
But if i had impacted wax would it cause a hissing sound? And my hearing test was normal....
I feel i can hear properly.... just the hissing.
Im so scared...that if i do nothing it will get worse and if i do it may cause it to get worse...
I honestly dont know if i will want to carry on on this planet if this is what i have to live with...
I have lovely support on here but none really in the real world...even my family are becoming distant so whats the point?! :'(
My daughter is 8 weeks old nearly...she deserves a happy mum... it wouldnt be fair to just pretend all the time...she will know im depressed.
I cant stand this anymore... :'(
I dont know what to do

 

[ceauses97]

Hey Kay.

A normal person should simply leave the ears alone, UNLESS you experience symptoms associated with earwax buildup and blockage of your ear canal, in your case, the symptoms is tinnitus.

Earwax is able to cause the hissing you're hearing. I'm supried why you haven't removed it yet. It doesn't get worse by removing it. Don't try to clean it out by yourself tho, and specially keep your hands away from Q-tips, as that will only make the situation worse, so you're better off leaving it alone.

 

[Gigi]

@Kay86 Hey now, hey now please relax. Have you tried talking to your family? I know how it feels to just want to distance yourself from everyone. But really you should sit them down and talk to them, maybe they can help you manage your stress? I talked to my dad finally and it turns out he has it too! But never told me. So we can talk about it together and I feel better. And your daughter will be proud to see her mommy fight! So don't think of your depression as a bad thing because you can over come it! Just ask for help from the outside world please. Talk to your family or see a councilor. It really really really really REALLY will feel better to talk to people in your life. Let me know what you do or if you want to talk about anything. <3 <3 <3 XOXO

 

[DT_N_DA_CLUB]

I don't understand how irrigating your ears can make tinnitus worse. Why can't you just turn your ear in the shower and let water fill up your ear then use a q-tip and clean the edges of your ear canal without pushing the wax deeper in your ears?

My ear canals are big so I guess I don't have issues with big ear wax build ups. Although my mother and father had a doc irrigate their ears before.

Isn't there something over the counter that dissolves ear wax that is safe?

 

[Mand b]

Hi Kay I had to respond when you mentioned your 8 week old daughter. Please be strong for her I know the feeling I have been there when I went through bad tinnitus for 18months-2 years during and after pregnancy I had good days but mainly bad and mine did settle for 2 years where it went I literally could not hear it. Mines flared up again now but I think it was pregnancy again that done it. We have to keep going for our chilren and so what if we fake it for now its better to do that then give up. They need us. It has to get better we can't always feel this way surely x

 

[Tweaker]

Is there any other way than syringing in UK tho?

Yes, microsuction is probably safer than syringing and is available in UK. I know an audiologist in Oxford who removed mine using a jobsorn horne instrument under a microscope. No noise. Pefect. Job done is about 1 minute. You can see inside your own ear on a big screen as she uses a video otoscope. Instrument removal cant be used if the wax is too near the eardrum. In which case she will use microsuction Best to go before it gets too blocked and then removal via instrument is not possible.

If you want the details, then message me.