Tinnitus Caused By Ear Wax
The earwax buildup is one of most common problems in the ear that causes ear irritation, loss of hearing or even tinnitus. The presence of earwax in the ear in normal amount serves as coating in the skin of the ear. It also helps to trap water, dirt, foreign particles from penetrating the ear. Earwax has high acid level that acts as antibacterial substance preventing the ear from infection and other ear problems.
The ear has a self-cleaning ability that in ideal conditions, you should never clean your ears. However, the ear may produce disproportionate amount of wax for different reason, such as narrowing of the ear canal, skin, bone or connective tissue. The accumulated wax blocks the ear canal and hampers hearing capability. The sounds registered in the eardrum are misinterpreted and sometimes interpret sound that actually doesn’t exist.
Cleaning of the ear promotes better hygiene. Usually, we attempt to remove the earwax using cotton swabs. This cleaning effort simply pushes the wax deeper and impacts into the ear canal towards the eardrum causing a blockade. Some attempts also include the use of pointed objects such as hair pins, ballpen or pencil inserted in the ear canal risking further damage to the cochlea or even result in punctured eardrum.
Tinnitus caused by earwax can be treated by removing the unnecessary wax in the ear. In home remedies, irrigation for earwax removal is one favorable approach. This is done by irrigating a mixture of water, vinegar and peroxide warm to body temperature. Drop a few amount of the solution into the ear and let it stay for minutes and drain by tilting your head. The earwax becomes softer and easier to remove. If the tinnitus treatment doesn’t work, you can visit your ENT and ask favor to remove the excess wax.
