Long-Term Tinnitus Recently Worse (Or Am I Imagining Things?)

[Michael Leigh]

No ENT has ever suggested oil drops before a cleaning. What do you think the drops do?

I cannot say any more than what my post above mentions about microsuction.

Whether you have the wax removed by irrigation, manually using a curette or microsuction, you must apply eardrops/olive oil 3 x a day to each ear for 10 days before having the wax removed. If any health professional tells you there is no need for the wax to be softened with eardrops/olive oil in the manner I have described, my advice to you is to walk away and find someone that knows what they are doing. Preferably at a hospital ENT clinic.

As I have said above, when I asked my consultant which is the best method for removing earwax, she said microsuction. It needs to be performed by someone that knows what they are doing and prior to having the wax removed use eardrops/olive oil in the way I have described.

 

[Clerkp]

I cannot say any more than what my post above mentions about microsuction.

Whether you have the wax removed by irrigation, manually using a curette or microsuction, you must apply eardrops/olive oil 3 x a day to each ear for 10 days before having the wax removed. If any health professional tells you there is no need for the wax to be softened with eardrops/olive oil in the manner I have described, my advice to you is to walk away and find someone that knows what they are doing. Preferably at a hospital ENT clinic.

As I have said above, when I asked my consultant which is the best method for removing earwax, she said microsuction. It needs to be performed by someone that knows what they are doing and prior to having the wax removed use eardrops/olive oil in the way I have described.

I saw an ENT specialist. The best group in town. It may be that I have wet wax and the drops may needed to soften things which is not a problem for me. Or maybe it's just a difference of opinion.

 

[Michael Leigh]

I saw an ENT specialist. The best group in town. It may be that I have wet wax and the drops may needed to soften things which is not a problem for me. Or maybe it's just a difference of opinion.

As long as you apply the ear oil the amount of times per day I have mentioned and for 10 days before having the wax removed. Whether by microsuction, manual removal or irrigation you should be okay, providing the person doing the wax removal is competent. I mean no offence but I would not let anyone remove wax from my ears unless they are an ENT doctor. My tinnitus is variable and can reach severe levels but I am able to cope. I will do everything possible to prevent it getting worse.

I wish you well.
Michael

 

[Damocles]

My views and opinions on microsuction I don't believe are irresponsible and ask that you peruse my post history, which will read the same as I am about to say here about this procedure.

@Michael Leigh, I am sorry, but there is just no way you can genuinely be endorsing microsuction and at the same time be expecting people to take any of your other advice seriously.

The procedure consists of (literally) sticking (what is essentially) an active miniature vacuum cleaner into the ear canal. I highly doubt it is of any consequence how delicate the Nurse/Doctor/ENT is when they are conducting the procedure, or how soft the wax is, prior to its suction.

I have had microsuction 3 times with no ill effects and my tinnitus can reach severe levels.

A bit like @DaveFromChicago said, if your anecdotal experience is all the proof we need of microsuction being safe, by that same token, we can take @linearb's word and "review of the data" (which he never seems to provide), and @Jack Straw's supposition that 120 dB heard externally wouldn't be anymore damaging than a 120dB sound wave shot directly into the ear ((๏̯͡๏) ????????????), as evidence that headphones are also safe.

To conclude, I agree with you on some things @Michael Leigh. I 100% agree with you that everyone (both the hearing healthy and the hearing compromised) should avoid headphones, and that they should be regarded as no less a health threat than smoking or gluing a mobile phone to the side of one's head.

But I cannot agree with you on microsuction, or syringing as safe methods for the removal earwax. I have seen way too many stories of people's hearing being wrecked by such procedures, and would never recommend them.

I also could never share your enthusiasm for the dreaded TRT, which simply monetises the natural process of habituation and drains resources we could be putting into solid, life saving research.

Your belief in light sound enrichment after noise trauma? Open to debate. At this point (based on the lack of research into the matter) I could neither agree nor disagree.

 

[Michael Leigh]

@Michael Leigh, I am sorry, but there is just no way you can genuinely be endorsing microsuction and at the same time be expecting people to take any of your other advice seriously.

There is no need to be sorry @Damocles as I appreciate your opinion. I believe most of the people that have had problems with microsuction, haven't been advised of the proper procedure one should carry out before the earwax is removed as mentioned in my post. This is to apply eardrops 3x a day to each ear for 10 days to thoroughly soften the wax. In addition to this, the removal of the wax wasn't carried out with due care and attention and done by someone that is inept.

This has been my findings with the people that have contacted me after having earwax removed by microsuction, both in the UK and abroad. I have one of the most severe forms of tinnitus according to my ENT doctor and hearing therapist. I had microsuction on three occasions by two doctors in ENT with no problems. I would never go to one of those high-street clinics wanting to make a quick buck offering two for the price of one. One gentleman told me one of his ear's was impacted with wax. A clinic quoted him £40 to have it removed by microsuction but if he pays pays £60 they will do both ears.

Drumming up business in this way purely to make money is unscrupulous and it sickness me. For this reason I will always go to the NHS for any treatment for my ears, not private in the UK.

Thank you again for your reply and wish you well.

Michael

 

[Brian P]

@Michael Leigh, how old were you when you first got tinnitus?

 

[Michael Leigh]

@Michael Leigh, how old were you when you first got tinnitus?

36, last month turned 62 but told I look a lot younger.

 

[Brian P]

36, last month turned 62 but told I look a lot younger.

I warn my friends with mild tinnitus to be careful with headphones. They don't listen. They have huge amounts of noise exposure. Far more than I. Even shooting without earmuffs.

 

[SD7]

I warn my friends with mild tinnitus to be careful with headphones. They don't listen. They have huge amounts of noise exposure. Far more than I. Even shooting without earmuffs.

Life is truly unfair.

 

[Brian P]

Life is truly unfair.

Yup life never is fair. My dad has no hearing and no tinnitus. Got it blasted out from the tanks in army. My mom has no real noise exposure. Hated noise her whole life. She has very mild tinnitus. Very weird.

 

[Flet]

I understand how you feel because I am an Audiophile and have two HI-FI systems.

Trust your ears, they will let you know when you are listening at a comfortable volume. A good music system doesn't have to be turned up loud to enjoy music.

I'll ask the burning question in my mind. Do you still hear your tinnitus when playing music on your HI-FI systems?

 

[Michael Leigh]

I'll ask the burning question in my mind. Do you still hear your tinnitus when playing music on your HI-FI systems?

I have variable tinnitus. It can be completely silent, mild, moderate, severe and very severe. When the tinnitus is silent, mild or moderate the tinnitus is pushed into the background so it doesn't interfere when listening to music. Only when it is severe I hear it and it can make music more difficult to enjoy.

 

[Flet]

@Jack Straw's supposition that 120 dB heard externally wouldn't be anymore damaging than a 120dB sound wave shot directly into the ear ((๏̯͡๏) ????????????), as evidence that headphones are also safe.

This is not what @Jack Straw has ever said, nor does that make sense.

 

[Bobby B]

I would be careful going to concerts even with earplugs. Because earplugs can only cut the mid to high frequencies, while letting the low frequencies pass through and still do some damage over time. The ense of security they provide can be misleading when you are in places with strong bass speakers

If you have already noise damage, it's like having a "skin sunburn" which never heals. Even a moderate additional exposure, which would not affect a normal person could quickly do further and maybe irreversible damage.

 

[Damocles]

@Jack Straw's supposition that 120 dB heard externally wouldn't be anymore damaging than a 120dB sound wave shot directly into the ear ((๏̯͡๏) ????????????), as evidence that headphones are also safe.

This is not what @Jack Straw has ever said, nor does that make sense.

You don't want to play that kind of game with me, @Flet.

I'm not the guy.

On the upside, at least you realise it makes no sense.

 

[Clerkp]

I definitely think there is some inconsistency in the views that microsuction is fine but headphones at any volume are not. One could reasonably argue that the benefits of microsuction outweigh the risks of harm whereas the benefits of any headphone use do not outweigh the risks. I can get behind that. However, having both microsuction and manual cleanings, I believe microsuction is just easier on the ENT but I haven't perceived any reason why manual is somehow "worse".

But having had microsuction dozens of times, there is no way that it safe for tinnitus versus a low volume headphone use. It is very loud. My ears will be cleaned manually from here on out. In my opinion, if you are ditching all headphones because of risk of harm to you tinnitus (a reasonable thing to do) you should also avoid microsuction.

 

[Flet]

I have variable tinnitus. It can be completely silent, mild, moderate, severe and very severe. When the tinnitus is silent, mild or moderate the tinnitus is pushed into the background so it doesn't interfere when listening to music. Only when it is severe I hear it and it can make music more difficult to enjoy.

I guess that's pretty good for you as you can have no tinnitus and mild tinnitus at times, rather than my constant pitches.

Do you have a good decibel volume where you'd recommend what's "comfortable" or "safe"?

 

[Flet]

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You don't want to play that kind of game with me, @Flet.

I'm not the guy.

Game? Easy on the flexing. Took that way too personally for a support forum.

So correction, he did write that. But I don't think it means what it was interpreted as.

I'm gonna do more sound pressure research for my own sanity.

 

[Michael Leigh]

I guess that's pretty good for you as you can have no tinnitus and mild tinnitus at times, rather than my constant pitches.

It is not as easy as you think. Variable tinnitus can be very difficult to habituate to because of the immense impact it can have on a person's mental and emotional wellbeing, due to the constant fluctuations in severity, daily or hourly. A lot of people dismiss counselling and talk therapy for tinnitus, because they don't understand that tinnitus is mostly mental.

Once a person's thoughts are geared towards incorporating positivity into their life and engaging in things they like to do, negative thinking towards tinnitus and how it disrupts their quality of life, slowly starts to be removed, dispelled and demystified. This is a process that takes time and isn't achieved overnight or in a few short weeks or even months, as it requires a retraining of the mind.

Do you have a good decibel volume where you'd recommend what's "comfortable" or "safe"?

Do you mean the decibel level of my tinnitus? If you do then I don't think this is of much significance. As I mentioned above tinnitus is mostly mental. Although the severity level of the tinnitus has some bearing, ultimately it's how it affects a person's mental and emotional wellbeing. Some people have mild or moderate tinnitus and yet they can find it quite debilitating. However, once they learn to think differently about the tinnitus it no longer takes over their life. They begin to feel less afraid of it and slowly it is pushed into the background of the mind.

Regarding decibel sound levels. I can listen to my HI-FI quite comfortably at 70 decibels. Police or Ambulance sirens don't bother me.

Michael

 

[Flet]

It is not as easy as you think. Variable tinnitus can be very difficult to habituate to because of the immense impact it can have on a person's mental and emotional wellbeing, due to the constant fluctuations in severity, daily or hourly.

Oh no, I did not intend it to imply that at all. Sorry if that's how it came across.

Do you mean the decibel level of my tinnitus? If you do then I don't think this is of much significance.

No no, but you did answer below.

Regarding decibel sound levels. I can listen to my HI-FI quite comfortably at 70 decibels. Police or Ambulance sirens don't bother me.

This above, is what I was and am looking for from most people as I navigate this new, uh, journey? As I've said, I've had this for 25 years, but back then, no way of getting info from the web and people, and eventually I habituated (a term I've only learned in the last month). Now that I have this "spike" (again, all new terminology to me), I'm trying to learn like mad all sorts of things. Decibel levels of almost every sound in my life, why I spiked after so many years, how do I get back to a "normal" life, and so on...

Much appreciated as I try to figure this all out.

 

[Ben Johnson]

Used q-tips in ear and accidentally impacted some wax in my tinnitus ear. I've had success with the kit sold at CVS - can't think of the name. But that was before tinnitus...

Does anyone have advice for what I should do to help this issue?

Unfortunately, it's my first day of vacation so don't have a ton of options other than drug store. Thanks.

 

[Terry23]

@Clerkp, your story sounds so much like my intro post. I too am 46, and have had tinnitus since I was 20/21. It really bothered me at the beginning, but somewhere over the last 25 years I guess I habituated (there was no internet and information to access, so all these terms are new to me NOW, even though I've had this forever). But suddenly this past April 2021, it got louder, and even again in September. Now I've been all consumed with my tinnitus because it feels like it's something brand new. I feel for you.

I'm late to this forum, but just have to say that I too am the same age as both of you, got tinnitus in my early 20s which I got very used to, and have recently had a big spike like never before.

Hope it has gone back to baseline for you both now?