Rather than wait for weeks to have my ears micro suctioned by the NHS, I booked the treatment at a private clinic and finally had it done today. I knew my left ear was totally blocked and the right one wasn't much better and I was very apprehensive about having it done but to be honest, the whole process was uncomfortable but not really as painful as I had anticipated. I was shown the extent of the blockage via a small camera inserted into the ear canals and displayed on a computer screen. It looked awful, just a dense black mass which was the impacted wax but the clinician reassured me that it would all come out eventually. After ten minutes working first on the right side, I felt something give and there in the tweezers, was a solid black pea sized lump. She then worked on the badly impacted left side and at one point, was close to giving up as it would not budge. However, as she continued the process, I could feel movement and finally, after about twenty minutes, out it came. I was absolutely gobsmacked by the size of it! It was about the size of a broad bean, solid black and must have been in there for years! It was odd being able to hear fully again and almost instantly, my tinnitus, which was at full tilt previously, seemed to subside quite a bit. The hearing in my left ear has a slight echo to it at the moment but I was told this should settle down within a few days. It's great to be able to hear almost normally again and it would be a Godsend if my tinnitus stays at this lower volume. I would like to think the impacted wax was a major contributory factor to the tinnitus but time will tell. If you are considering having microsuction but you are apprehensive about it, I can honestly say it's uncomfortable rather than painful and well worth having it done. As far as cost goes, it can vary considerably but in my case, it was £50 and was money well spent.
A very positive microsuction experience - Tinnitus UK
A very positive microsuction experience
I'm so pleased for you that it was such a good result and your T is lower immediately, that is wonderful. How did you find the noise level of the microsuction?
I am going to have my earwax removed manually today. I tried microsuction but told called a halt after only 10 seconds as I was fearful of the noise.
That’s great. I’ve paid up for micro-suction twice and it is very good. Well worth the money and you’re right it is noisy rather than painful but you get used to it. The person who did mine said that it tends to be that the less oil that her patients put in the noisier it is. Unfortunately though I’ve still got tinnitus. Like you I’d recommend it to anyone.
I always now have microsuction to remove wax from the ear canal. It's great to be able to see the ear-drum ...and although the process is noisy, the T settles down again afterwards. Of course your T sounds quieter because you have rejoined the outside world of noise! Good luck - and occasionally use Earol so that the wax doesn't have a chance to build up again.
Good news you have some relief.
A silly question: how do you find a reliable private micro-suction specialist!
Has your tinnitus improved more?
We have a private ear clinic here in Caterham, Surrey .... but I have had microsuction on the NHS at Sutton hospital so it is out there as an alternative to syringing.
Hi JGBH. It was just a case of looking online for somewhere local and reading reviews. I had previously tried Specsavers and they gave up after just a few minutes. The clinic I eventually found were hearing specialists and the reviews were all excellent, so as it was only a few miles away, I decided to make an appointment and I am so glad I did. My hearing sounds a bit weird this morning but the tinnitus has settled down to a much lower volume than previously a d I hope it stays like that! I hope you find somewhere soon and look forward to hearing how you got on. Best wishes.
Hi,
How did you know it was impacted did someone look inside and tell you...or do you just know as your hearing was muffled?. My ears are churning out wax almost daily but my hearing seems fine, Im still suspicious of something still in there since my last irrigation which resulted in my T starting.
Thanks
S
Hi Shelli. The hearing consultant at the hospital told me after an examination but he was unable to remove it. The NHS audiologist I saw a wee while back, also confirmed my left ear was completely blocked and suggested micro suction. I asked her opinion about having irrigation instead and she said it could actually damage the ear drum so best avoid it. She said imagine pressure washing a patio and you get an idea how irrigation works! Oddly, my hearing wasn't too bad even with the blockage but latterly, I had ear ache and at times, sounds were getting a bit muffled. I would body swerve irrigation and give microsuction a try. Good luck with whatever method you choose.
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