Seeking Advice...

Hello everybody.

Around 2-3 months ago I devoped tinnitus in my left ear. The exact cause I don't know, however I do know it all started when I tried to clean my ears.

I had notice a slight buildup of wax in my left ear, so I had a shower and then tried to clean it with a Q-Tip or Cotton bud. This just pushed the wax deeper into my ear and blocked my hearing. This lasted a few days before I knew I needed to act, and I attempted to break it down using my finger in my ear canal. I also used warm olive oil to help break up the wax. While i managed to regain my hearing I think that this along with the cotton bud has somehow damaged my hearing and trigged this tinnitus.

Its only mild and in the left ear. But im finding it hard to cope. I love the sound of silence and I love music and this is something that effects me greatly.

I had previously had a similar situation where I had ruptured my eardrum doing the same thing. The doctor said that it had become infected and after a treatment of Antibiotics it was clear; hearing regained and tinnitus gone.

However this time I waited to go to the doctor as I thought it would subside on its own. I was wrong. I left it a month before going to the doctor. And now im wondering what i should do, and whether the doctors advice is correct.

I believe my tinnitus could caused by multiple things:
- Infact be an infection behind the ear where the eardrum has healed and can no longer be seen.
- Fluid buildup behind eardrum possibly from olive oil seeping through a (now healed) ruptured eardrum.
- Dislogement or damage to the inner ear/ bones due to exessive ear fingering.

The current treatment plan im on soley revolves around trying to remove excess fluid behind my ear. As the audiologist has said there is no wax buildup.

Its been about 3 months now since it all started. And about a week since i started treatment for excess fluid and its not getting better.

I dont want to accept to having tinnitus my whole life just from trying to clean a bit of wax when im 18.

If anyone has any insight please let me know. If you want more information im happy to supply.

Thank you for reading!