Slight Hearing Loss and Tinnitus from Ear Irrigation

Hello, I’m new here and this is my first post. Just looking for some support or similar experiences really.

Back at the end of November, I was digging around in my left ear (an old bad habit) and ended up pushing earwax too deep and getting it stuck. I stupidly tried to get it out with Q-Tips, but think that made it worse. So I went to the Urgent Care to see if they could get it out and they did an ear irrigation. The process was a little painful, but nothing horrible.

Afterwards I immediately noticed my ear still felt a little muffled. I could still hear, but it’s like the volume wasn’t as high as the right ear. I was told it was because it was wet and that it would improve.

I waited it out for a few days thinking it was just feeling weird because of the procedure, but it never improved. I didn't notice tinnitus developing until about a month after, around Christmas. It has gotten worse in that ear since then, but has stabilized, and I now have a little bit of tinnitus in the other ear as well.

I haven’t been able to see an ENT because they want me to get a hearing test first, which I’ll only just be able to get in a couple weeks because things have been booked out.

Both my GP and the doctor I see while I’m away at school believe it is Eustachian tube dysfunction, which I just have trouble believing. Because how could an ear irrigation even cause that? Which is why I think it’s some slight sensorineural hearing loss.

Anyways, my left ear still feels full with slightly reduced volume and now mild to moderate tinnitus.

While I don’t think it’s a large amount of hearing loss, it has still changed how I hear. Like my own voice and everything around me.

I’m already a very anxious person and these last 2 months have been hell on my mental health. I just have a lot of regrets. Those being: digging around in my ear in the first place, not researching ear irrigation risks before I went, not trying better home remedies to get the earwax out, and waiting it out to see if it got better after the irrigation.

It sucks how something so small can cause a life-changing problem.

I’m having trouble dealing with these things and thought maybe I could find some support here.

 

Hi Sean. You are not alone. Your situation mirrors my situation. I have just joined this chat hoping for support. I have had tinnitus for 20 years and a few ‘spikes’ in my tinnitus for different reasons. They have all settled in time. The internal ear structure is susceptible and takes longer than a typical injury to repair. Regardless, your brain WILL adapt to the change in time. I'm going back to the doctor to insist on a sedative on Tuesday to help me relax. Xanax was a lifesaver when I first got tinnitus!

Try to see a doctor for medication to relax - it’s a great starting point.

 

Try to get an audiogram and Prednisone as soon as possible. Rest your ears and try to stay calm.

 

I do not recommend an audiogram. It could worsen things.

You are at school, a teenager?

Healing is on your side.

 

I’m 21 and in college. I’m an engineering major, which already stresses me out. And this hearing loss and tinnitus has added to that

Yeah, I was put on Prednisone, but only for a week. This was two weeks after the irrigation. I didn’t even complete my trial of it and have a few tablets left over. Kind of regret not continuing to take them. But I don’t know if it would’ve made much difference. Thankfully, I do have an audiogram scheduled for the 19th.

I really appreciate the support. I’m already on an anxiety medication (Buspirone), but it doesn’t seem to be helping me relax through this.

I guess the worst part is that I’m able to mask my tinnitus with white noise, but that also makes other noises with my tinnitus louder

 

Hang on @seanab2616, I got my tinnitus 4 months ago from irrigation and microsuction. I have the fullness and tinnitus in both ears but no hearing loss up to 18 kHz. Give it time and things should improve, ears are just so bloody slow to recover.

 

Back on here looking for hope again.

I have some good news and bad news. For context, I believe I got tinnitus in my left ear from an ear irrigation and probably a cold I had not long after it. I thought I had hearing loss too because of ear fullness I’ve had since the irrigation.

The good news is, a hearing test showed no hearing loss, I feel like I’ve gotten used to the ringing in my left ear, and I feel like the fullness is actually getting better as well.

I think I would be doing really well if not for something that happened about a month ago. You see, I’ve always struggled with anxiety and have Asperger’s. When I was really little, I had a bad habit of hitting myself in the face when I was frustrated or very anxious. I rarely do that now, but I was working on homework and it was just making me so anxious and I was frustrated about the stuff going on with my left ear that I hit myself pretty hard a few times in quick succession on my face just below my right ear (not directly on it). I noticed ringing in that ear right after which went away shortly.

But I started freaking out afterwards and was paranoid I gave myself tinnitus in that ear as well from the hit. And frankly, I think I did. It’s not as loud as the left, and is intermittent. I find I can manage it though. My right ear also feels kinda wet or full, like something inside it ever since then.

What I’m really struggling with is these sound distortions I’ve been experiencing ever since this happened. I didn’t notice anything the night of, but the next day it’s like every white noise like a fan, a car going by, being in a plane, a fireplace, air conditioner. They all seem to generate these whistling sounds that sound like they are coming from the source. I also seem to get it with people’s voices sounding echoey, or my own voice. Most disconcerting is when I breathe deeply I hear it.

Thankfully, music doesn’t seem to have been affected as bad. Just certain notes will trigger it.

The distortions don’t sound like they’re coming from any particular ear either, maybe different ones in each ear?

Anyways, I’ve been really worried that I’ve done something permanent to my hearing and have just made things worse. And I understand if I don’t much sympathy because I did this to myself (I will NEVER hit myself like that again, and I know I should’ve known that in the first place).

I’ve read that people who have similar distortions with tinnitus have recovered, I’m just really unsure about my situation and how that’s even possible to get from being hit in the face.

The audiologist tested and found normal functioning ear drums on both sides. I am still seeing an ENT, but that won’t be until May as I am away at university. I’m also only 21, I really hope I have youth in my side for things to get better.

 

These distortions often go away in 12-24 months.

 

I’ve had T since November last year, and since then, it has only gotten worse.

Sleep has been such an issue for about six weeks. I’m very lucky if I get 6 hours, maybe 3-4, of lousy sleep on average.

I’ve always only been able to sleep in total silence and am very sensitive to sounds when I sleep. So my tinnitus which is now 6-10 tones and reactive has made it so hard.

I play jungle sounds, which seem to mask them somewhat or at least give my brain something else to listen to. I don’t want to listen to noise, though; my brain doesn’t seem to tune anything out. I’ve only been able to sleep with benzos, which I know is just making the situation worse. I believe my worsening is in part attributed to them.

I’m starting to lose hope.

 

Your 'benzos' may not be making matters worse at all.

How much sleep did you average before getting tinnitus? Many people aren't even aware of how many hours of sleep they are getting on average.

At the time of your last post, it would have been five months of living with tinnitus. That's considered a short time period as it's only after 6 to 8 months that tinnitus is considered chronic.

It takes a while to find the right sound to sleep with & the brain to adapt. People who receive TRT use pink or white noise during the day & night. The level should be at a level just lower than your tinnitus. This is very difficult for people with reactive tinnitus, which I suffer from. You have to find a 'sweet' spot where you're not having a large reaction to the sound. So, depending on how bad your hyperacusis/reactivity is, it's best to start with a low sound that's still audible. If you don't like the pink/white sound at night, try something very relaxing, such as meditation, or even listen to some ASMR videos to relax you for the first couple of hours at night.