Ear wax

[Pink6-]

Hello

One reason for a slight increase in T is that the audiologist, with whom I visited today, told me that the wax in both ears is probably not helping. Has anyone had micro suction and if so, were you OK with it?

[Suz_2]

i had ear wax for years and used to get irrigation at the GP practise, but they no longer do this . I had microsuction only once with a private ENT consultant who turned down the volume of the machine somehow and i was fine. Although it did not make my mild T worse ,I would not do it now coz i have severe T and the same private ENT cleared wax manually last year

[Chedders in reply to Suz_2]

How do they do it manually please

[Suz_2 in reply to Chedders]

they just use special hand held instruments and a tiny camera - done by a specialist only. Most ear wax removal specialists could do manual as well - no noise,no machines

[Chedders in reply to Suz_2]

Thanks have to look into that .but to be honest if you look at all forums about tinnitus you will not do anything in life because it seems everything can set a spike .you still have to live I have cut out caffeine I used to drink loads of diet pepsi for years not no more I don't smoke I don't drink alcohol I will not go cinema pubs west end shows .I dont call this living .

[Suz_2 in reply to Chedders]

yeh - the food and drink changes are no problem andneither is manual ear wax removal - but I agree, not being able to do stuff is a problem - I dont go to cinema or restaurants anymore and i am worried about flying, so i cant go abroad at moment ( or possibly ever again) . Worried about going on train for 2 hours to see my son - its just a nightmare - we need medical science to find something so we can live a life again

[psycholady666 in reply to Chedders]

Poor you . But the CBt model shows you that avoidance ( safety behaviours) maintains the problem. Try going to the cinema, pub as an experiment. You will find it ok and open up your life.

[Chedders in reply to psycholady666]

Thanks for that I will try can't let this spoil my life.

[psycholady666 in reply to Chedders]

just try one thing at a time and see how it goes.. good luck

[bournville in reply to psycholady666]

I largely agree about safety seeking behaviour being an issue but in fairness the sound system at cinemas and music concerts operate way above the safe noise thresholds. Ear plugs for cinema and concerts seem a sensible preventative measure for those with tinnitus - especially noise induced tinnitus. Enjoy life and don’t miss out but not protecting our hearing in very noisy environments is how many of us ended up with tinnitus.

[doglover1973 in reply to bournville]

Completely agree  bournville I wouldn't go to the cinema or a concert without ear protection. That's not safety behaviour. It's sensible behaviour! One of the reasons T is on the rise is amplification. Anything over 85 decibels is harmful. There are no safety guidelines for leisure activities as there are in the workplace. Hopefully one day there will be.

[doglover1973 in reply to Chedders]

Giving up, caffeine, fizzy drinks and smoking is good for your health. Alcohol in moderation won't do you any harm. Going out is possible with good ear protection. See Alpine. They have a range of plugs and muffs for every situation.

[doglover1973 in reply to Chedders]

alpinehearingprotection.co....

[Pink6- in reply to Suz_2]

I'll find out more about that. Thanks Suz26

[Pink6- in reply to Suz_2]

That is interesting that they can turn down the volume. They vary in price from £55 to £75.

I wonder if the more expensive uses a more advanced machine?

[surviveT]

u should do a search in top right box of this page - and brings up the experience people have with Microsuction and T , for some peopleif can cause or worsen T - i wouldnt do it myself as i have severe as well

[PeteCatton]

I had micro suction , it increased my T . I later phoned the registrar back through audiology secretaries, He called me back and apologised.

Too 2 weeks to settle

I now have mine done manually, every 6 months no problem.

[Fridays_Child_62]

Traditionally, I've had my ears syringed on a regular basis but in recent years I've had microsuction three times. It is quite noisy but the immediate effect on my tinnitus was to reduce it to virtually zero - loud noise can do that for me. Of course, the tinnitus was back soon enough. On the whole, I'm not keen on microsuction and prefer syringing. More recently, I've just had the wax removed manually, but I'm not keen on that either and I'm not sure that it can thoroughly clear the wax.

[DownUnderInAus in reply to Fridays_Child_62]

Loud noise can also reduce the volume of my tinnitus. Sometimes when I go to bed my tinnitus is screaming out. I have found that if I turn up the volume of the bedside clock radio for about two minutes, when I turn it off, my tinnitus has settled down to an acceptable level. I cant explain this but it works.

[Hedgehog75 in reply to DownUnderInAus]

Hi,

I found this comment interesting as I V went to a party at the weekend and was dreading my tinnitus being really affected but for 24 hours afterwards, it seemed quieter. I was very surprised. Of course it’s back to normal now 😞 Any ideas why this happens?

[DownUnderInAus in reply to Hedgehog75]

Hi, Sorry, I have no idea why this happens. I first noticed the reduction in tinnitus volume after a night out where I was sitting directly in front of a loud band (not by choice). The next day the volume of my tinnitus had significantly reduced. From there I tried turning up the volume on my radio to see what might happen and the volume of my tinnitus reduced again. I don't do this often only when the tinnitus is unbearable. Give it a try?

[Hidden in reply to Hedgehog75]

I have read that if the noise / loudness is the same frequency, meaning if matches the T on a equal enough level, the tinnitus gets drowned out. I haven't tried this, just learned about it, and will test soon.

[ETHEL103]

Hi Microsuction made T worse.Ear syringing is the way to go with olive oil for a week to soften.Good luck.

[Whistler-]

hi yea had that done and no problems after

[Chedders]

My t got worse and then I found out I had wax in both ears then had them microsuction still the same no louder no quieter just the same .

[Pink6-]

Thanks for your comments. There is a mixed reviews about whether to have microsuction or not. I had it done at the hospital last year at the request of the audiologist who was carrying out an ear test. They didn't carry out the test as they wanted me to have the wax removed first. I had the microsuction - yes it was loud (had it in one ear) but no after effects that I can recall just the normal pattern of my T.

I haven't had ears syringed but read that it can puncture the ear drum!

I think it is because I wear hearing aids for the mild to moderate hearing loss, that causes more wax to build up.

Great to know that we are all supporting each other.

Did you find that after microsuction, did it return to normal after a while?

[bournville]

look into suz76 comment about manual ear wax removal by ENT using an ear camera and hand instruments. Microsuction is effective but not without risk due to the extremely high noise levels during the proceedings

[Lefty51]

Hi Pink6 - I have also had problems with ear wax, which started about 20 years ago. I also developed t a year or so after. My first ear wax treatments were by syringe, which was brilliant in clearing out the wax (far more effective than pump irrigation or dry vacuum), but I suspect the syringing was at least partly the cause of my subsequent t problem. I started having to have my ears de-waxed at 2-year intervals, but these intervals have become progressively shorter and are now down to every 3 months. I would rate my t at about 5/10 most of the time, which means it doesn't bother me during the day, but is more noticeable in the evenings and at night, and especially after 'brain challenging' activity, eg driving and dealing with IT! - but, so far, it hasn't interfered with my sleep. I suppose I have now habituated to it and, so far, have managed to avoid a hearing aid although I am beginning to experience hearing loss, especially in trying to hold a conversation where there is a lot of background noise. Like Suz26 has said, my GP no longer does irrigation/dry suction, but I am now on a 'PIFU' list (in Wales) which is a Patient Initiated Follow Up, so I can get quick access to the local ENT department when I need ear wax removal. I don't think they are too bothered about t, as they can't do anything for it anyway!

[Pink6- in reply to Lefty51]

Yes good idea Left51, I'll find out about manual and a few of you on this forum seem to rate it highly.

[rabbits65]

I had micro suction two years ago , it was alright but I found it was horrible. I won’t be having it done again.