Tinnitus and Ear Irrigation

Hello

I am a 25 year old male and have chronic tinnitus for the past three months. I am struggling with the ringing and have already spent considerable money on treatments.

my story begins. i woke up 4 months ago and heard a high pitched tone. i waited a week and then went to a local GP. the GP looked at my ears and said that they were heavily impacted with wax. she then proceeded to irrigate my left ear. i felt that the irrigation took a long time and occasionally during the procedure i felt a couple of pinching pains and pulled my head back. i also found the water fairly cold. after carrying out that irrigation she looked at my right ear and said to use drops and come back in a week.

i have got my ears irrigated in the past but the nurses who did it would not irrigate until a week of drops was carried out. i felt very worried leaving the office in case the GP had damaged my ear.

i went back the week later and the GP irrigated my second ear. I still had ringing and in fact i found the sound was worse after the irrigation. i found the ringing in the ear that was irrigated without the use of drops was much worse.

i went back to the GP and met a different doctor a week after. he looked at my ear and said there was now fluid behind the my left ear and he put me on steroids to drain it out.

I got my hearing tested and i have no measurable hearing loss i have no hearing loss greater than 5db. i in fact have 0 dB hearing at some of the higher frequencies. i was then referred to an ENT and was in with him for only 10 mins and got no information, he only said do i want an MRI.

the ringing in the ear that was irrigated without the use of drops is irritating me heavily i can hear it during the day as well as night. my other ear dose not bother me during the day.

can irrigating ears without the pressure of drops cause tinnitus. my ear drum was not perforated but can the act of water hitting the ear drum damage the ossicles or in any way physically damage the ear causing tinnitus. i completely regret going to the GP and she irrigating my left ear without drop as i am worried that this caused my tinnitus. since that day i have spent 1000 euro on different appointments including acupuncture. This Tinnitus is causing me a serious problem and i have recently just started a new job and the tinnitus is effecting me. will it ever go i am only 25 and honestly feel like i am going to have to stop work because of it.

Can tinnitus by carrying out an irrigation without the pre use of softening drops?

thank you for taking the time to read my query

please i need help, if someone can help me answer this question

 

Hi @benny -

I am sorry that you are having such a difficult time of it.

Ear irrigation can in rare instances induce or exacerbate tinnitus, but the use of drops prior to irrigation really should not play a role in that regard. Moreover, it's not like you can "undo" the ear irrigation - so from a pragmatic standpoint, whether or not the irrigation or the drops had anything to do with it is largely irrelevant. So why give it any thought at all? I do not wish to seem harsh, but that is the reality.

All the best -

Dr. Stephen Nagler