Anyone had excess earwax? Driving me mad!

[Bunnylady53]

I am going up the wall with the noises in my ear! So much sympathy for tinnitus sufferers. A nurse has told me I have wax build up but I had no idea it could be like this. Everything seems extra loud, although I can’t hear properly. The noises vary - at the moment it’s water running. Scared it could be permanent, although once the wax is softened ( I’m using drops) I can get my ears irrigated.
Has anyone had experience of this & was it ok?

My sister has. She was fine after the drops and irrigation but she has to get it done every couple of years as she never cleans her ears. I use cotton buds to clean my ear canals every day and never have this problem.

I occasionally get really blocked up with wax after a cold. It is really irritating, last year I ended up having to get my ears irrigated which worked immediately.
I got another blockage this summer but managed to clear it with otex express drops.
You are not supposed to use cotton buds I. Your ears as it can push the wax down. Ear are supposed to be self cleaning. Getting blocked ears is not due to a lack of cleaning.

My drops are bicarbonate of soda but DH swears by Otex so I’ll get some tomorrow.

@ Nightsof how was your sister affected?

I get really bad tinnitus but it’s definitely not linked to excess wax as I clean my ears daily.

Ent says never put anything smaller than your elbow in your ear.
Definitely don't use cotton buds, they compact the wax, really bad idea.

I have had this and it stopped after giving up dairy. I have since read that excess wax can be linked with a dairy intolerance.

Yup, earex softened the wax then had them irrigated. Was fabulous, would happily have to pay to have it done, Can see the lure of colonic irrigation now.

But no more cotton buds = no more problems.

Having your ears irrigated is BRILLIANT.
I went through a period where I could hear everything in my own head super loud - chewing, singing, neck cartilage cracking - it was awful.

Couple of sessions of irrigation dealt with that - I do a lot of open water swimming so do have problematic ears.
Irrigation also turned my husband's hearing into a superpower - he would stroke paper near me, or gently rub his shirt, or drop a pin (you get the idea) and it would be can you hear that? I can!. Gah.

I have no sensible answer to your question, OP, but if you step over to Mn ’s Sporner Corner, you will be met with an excited gaggle of posters wanting photographs of what emerges from your ear irrigation, with coins added for scale.

One day my ear was blocked with wax, couldn't hear on that side - like you I got booming noises but couldn't hear people talking to me. A week of drops (and the odd noises when they were applied!) and an irrigation resolved it, the irrigation was unpleasant, but the relief at being able to hear again was great. No ill effects afterwards and hearing back to normal - so hopefully you should be the same.

Now I try to ensure my ears get water in them in the shower and I also carefully use cottonbuds whilst the wax is wet. Lots of advice is against this - I do try to be super gentle!

Irrigation is becoming far less common. Microsuction is much gentler on your ears. I have had both done, I would never go back from Microsuction.
Whichever you have, the relief at clean ears is immense.

For clarity, i dont push the bud into the canal, just around the entrance.

My sister was affected by standing next to a Marshall amp for 90 minutes! She couldnt hear normal sounds as everything was muffled. She had masses of wax but the drops and irrigation sorted it out. She’d left if for months before getting treatment though so the wax had solidified

Recent sufferer, ended up at the GP to be told both ears blocked (I was surprised as only one was ringing and the other seemed fine to hear with). She suggested sodium bicarbonate drops - cheap, but didn't seem to do much.

Switched to the Otex drops and it was like hearing bacon frying in my ears, so I knew they were doing something! Much better now, although I'm wondering if a trip to nurse for irrigation / suction would be a good idea.

Used to get ears syringed regularly - but you do need to use something like Otex for a week beforehand to soften. Do not use cottonbuds!

Otex now has an express version which includes a ballon so you DIY at home. Same process, use for a week, fill the rubber balloon with warm water and squirt (I do it when I'm in the shower).

So I tend to do this a couple of times a year.

I've had inner-ear problems recently which isn't was related but when I went to Docs and she said my ears were clear - I replied that I do the above as part of my good housekeeping :D

I enjoyed the irrigation, everything sounded so clearer afterwards. It felt good too, like the odd pleasure in popping a zit

I’m finding if I do anything near my ear it sounds so loud eg after the ear drops, I pat the excess off with kitchentowel & even that action is super loud. Is this normal with wax build up?

TMI. I know this is an old post but I tried this Otex in lockdown desperation today or rather DH did.

I used this. I had suffered for months with itchy ears and muffled hearing. I finally tried ear drops which I had been using for two weeks. Dr said I had to persevere for a further week. But DH got me this below. See results above. No wonder I couldn’t hear properly.