Manual Ear Wax Removal — Afterwards Tinnitus Spiked

I had ear wax removed yesterday by an experienced and reputable ENT. It was done manually. No syringe or microsuction. Now it feels like like my ear is louder as hell.

The wax was soft and it was done with tools. Anyone ever have a tinnitus spike from manual ear wax removal?

 

Anyone?

 

Spike seems to be getting worse. Has anyone gotten a spike from manual ear wax cleaning. I’m going insane here. No support on the home front from wife. Got no one really I guess.

 

Hi Scott
Good on you for just getting the manual clean and not micro suction which is a no no for folk like us.

Have you been on any medication recently? No noisy environments lately?? Perhaps your anxiety and preoccupation with your tinnitus is making it ‘spike’. The mind is very powerful.

 

Not sure what it is but as soon as my ears were cleaned out the volume kicked up and has been getting progressively worse.

I just woke up after an full nights sleep and it hits me like a brick. I don’t know, this is really the worst spike I have been in and I feel like this is my new baseline. I am so stupid for having someone touch my ears again. I originally got tinnitus from micro suction but then I have been going to this ENT for the last few years who is a specialist in tinnitus and he has cleaned out my ears before manually without problem. Don’t know why in the heck this happened.

 

You know I’m doubtful that a quiet procedure like a manual wax extraction would cause an increase. Perhaps your hearing is getting used to a better level of sound that can get through now and your brain is adjusting to it? I read that here once.

 

I don't think it was the sound that caused the spike, but more than likely the instruments butting up against some very sensitive and delicate inner ear organs. I had a brief spike myself after getting my ears cleaned manually. I thought the practitioner was very good, but it did cause a couple of slightly painful winces. That's all it took. -- I think I was back to baseline within 24 hours.

 

But extracting wax is an outer ear procedure, just in the ear canal - not internally into the inner ear region ??

 

In 2017 I did a massive search everywhere I could find on the Internet to see if anybody had a spike or worsening from this type because I was trying to make the best decision on which type of removal to get and I never found anyone for whom manual made it worse. Although of course that doesn’t mean that has not happened in your case. But try to be as calm as possible and that might help it go back down.

 

The instruments wouldn't butt against any very sensitive inner ear organs. When you do manual wax cleaning, the instruments work in your external ear canal. What it can bump into is the ear drum, which separates the outer ear from your middle ear.

The inner ear is on the other side of the middle ear, relative to the drum. You can reach the inner ear by following the ossicles: malleus, incus, stapes.

The instruments don't get anywhere near the inner ear (unless the doctor perforates your ear drum and keeps going through your middle ear).

What you could argue is that butting against the drum could transfer that energy to the inner ear via the ossicles, and somehow cause trouble.

 

Thanks for the clarification @GregCA -- So, it appears my eardrum got bumped, and I'm guessing @Scott T's as well, resulting in his spike. It's hard to imagine the spike(s) could have resulted from any noise from the manual procedure, because there was virtually no noise at all for mine.

 

Thank you all for the replies. It felt like I was alone in this.

 

Extremely wise choice!! I’m sure your ears will settle in due course!

 

Have you considered that the “increased volume” may be psychological? I don’t want to sound dismissive, but when I get anxious about a potential threat worsening my tinnitus, I think it’s gotten worse. Looking back, I wonder if it did get worse at all.

 

Yea. I’ve been wondering that. Not sure but I am having ear pain as well and a new loud tone. I had my wife look in my ear last night (physician's assistant) and she said it looked good. No redness, no wax on the ear drum.

 

It will settle Scott - find ways not to ‘hyper focus’ on it and ways to relax. You will be fine.

 

Did he use a camera?

I had mine done on Monday...manually and with a camera and so far so good.

 

Yea it was with a microscope. It was done at an ear institution by a reputable ENT.

 

Hopefully it will settle for you soon.

 

I'm praying for it to just go back to my crappy baseline.

 

Why would I have a new tone and sharper pitch. I even second guessed going on but my left ear was blocked and I started having tinnitus in that ear. So stupid.

 

If the ENT bumped the ear drum it would be loud. Right? If the entire procedure was quiet, then it seems unlikely.

@Scott T has it reduced at all? I hope it does. Manual ear clean is the only way I ever see myself getting my ears cleaned again (unless they somehow stay relatively wax free themselves...which isn't likely).

 

Perhaps Scott this is just our cross to carry with this condition. We get fluctuations and torture ourselves trying to figure out the cause. Sometimes this is just what tinnitus does - it’s not a fully understood condition and we have to learn to cope with the changes ....

 

The only other thing I can think of is that maybe the procedure irritated your ear canal and triggered your middle ear muscles to become overly sensitive, going into protective mode. When they contract and reduce sound going into the inner ear, it can increase tinnitus volume until they go back to normal. But not sure if they would do that for a week and you would feel discomfort from the muscle contractions...

 

I have been getting ear pain.

 

Can you go back and see what the ENT thinks? Or even your normal doctor? Or decent audiologist even...?

 

I had my wife look in my ear and she said it looks fine. I don’t know. I feel like I am F’d once again. Like all my fellow compadres.

 

Did she use an otoscope?

 

Yes. She is a PA and has done ear wax removal on patients before.

 

I'm not too sure what's going on. But I do know middle ears muscles and all the associated nerves around the ear in general can be sensitive AF. Once they get triggered and develop sensitivities, it can easily lead to tinnitus spiking. Give it some time to chill is all I can offer.