ear is full of earwax and is hard to hear

In My Humble Opinion
1

Work up in the morning and my ear is full of earwax and is hard to hear. Still feel like there are some earwax there and still hard to hear.

Well it been over a week and it still feel like there is some earwax there and still hard to hear.

And my tinnitus is worse now and the tinnitus is louder an electrical hissing sound like a electrical power line or transformer.

When I’m by fan, refrigerator or AC I get phantom sound that sounds like thumping/fluttering/engine sound.

Does it sound like the earwax have done damage? If it is causing this phantom sound?

Also by one of my fans I have the this phantom sound that normally always starts of like a thumping/fluttering/engine sound than goes to soft humming sound.

2

Have you been to an ENT or did you remove the earwax your self? You need an ENT to put a scope in your ear to see what’s up.

3

I had a horrifyingly large plug of earwax removed about 15 years ago. The first and only time it’s happened, and I wasn’t aware of it before it was removed. I don’t think you need to worry about permanent damage. The fluttering sound may be water or the earwax itself. If you can’t go to a doctor, I think you can buy kits that include drops that you use for a few days to soften the plug and a bulb syringe to flush it out afterward. You should probably get advice or at least read up on the subject before having a go at it yourself with one of those kits. If seeing a doctor isn’t an option, maybe you can get the kit and some advice from your pharmacist.

4

I’m going to make appointment with my family doctor. In the mean time I’m not sure if an infection, fungus or yeast that would cause those phantom sounds if no water, hair or earwax is found by the eardrum?

Or if this is typical of hearing loss by old age or some thing else going on causing those phantom sounds.

Well tinnitus that is constant sound is one thing but changing different phantom sounds is other thing.

5

I’ve dealt with the same issue as the OP. With me, it usually happens after swimming.
My ear will typically stay clogged up for about a week or so. And then suddenly, it will open back up and I can feel a tiny little gush of water come out.

And when that moment comes, there is no better feeling in the world.

6

About infection, fungus, yeast, etc., everyone knows that those are highly unlikely and that the most sensible explanation is that your brain is eating you alive.

Seriously, if you have no good reason to suspect those things, wait to hear your doctor’s opinion before considering remote possibilites.

The earwax itself can create odd sounds and sensations, I assume because of the reduced passage for airflow and proximity to your eardrums.

ETA: After showering, press a towel into each ear to absorb the water. Doesn’t have to (shouldn’t) go in deep.

7

My wife’s ears get plugged regularly, to the point she has a standing appointment with the ENT every three months. Pretty much start getting plugged right on schedule. But removal of the wax is all it takes and she’s back to hearing normally again.
My son also has it to lesser degree, he just takes the urgent care route cause he’s 23 and stubborn.

8

jerez I guess what I’m worried about is odd phantom sound. A strange sound or tinnitus is one thing, but odd changing different phantom sounds have me worried it could be some thing more.

If it sounds like it could be some thing more a walk in center may be better than waiting for appointment to see family doctor.

9

Yeah, if you’re very worried, I apologize for joking in my last post, but I really do have to insist that it’s probably nothing to worry about.

I’m not a doctor and I have no specialized knowledge of these matters, but I think it’s safe to assume the following (experts, chime in):

  1. If it were a serious problem, you’d probably notice other things like fever, loss of balance, etc. If you have any of these symptoms, don’t waste you time looking for advice on a message board and see a doctor ASAP (especially in the event of fever).

  2. Earwax causes noise and other sensations, as I’ve mentioned. I’ve observed this enough to say confidently that the frequency and intensity of the problem can be surprising.

10

I go to the nurse practitioner every 16 months or so for an earwax evacuation. Getting about time now.

11

Hearing aid salesmen in strip malls will clean it out for you for free, so you can hear them pitch their high-priced product line.

12

I have had good luck with NeilMed’s ClearCanal ear wax removal complete kits BUT I also have fallen back on doctors even more often. I have chronic eustachian issues and sometimes one aggravates the other. YMMV

13

It’s probably not what you had, but about a month ago I could feel/hear a rustling noise in my ear whenever I moved my jaw and ear canal. It seemed like it was right against my eardrum!

I made an appointment at the doctor to see about it, but I also Googled to see what in the world it might be. I came up with “hair clippings in the ear canal”, and that sure sounded like what I had.

The solution was to introduce into the canal some warm water mixed with a little hydrogen peroxide, and let it stay for about ten minutes. Presumably that loosened any sticky wax in which hair might be lodged. Then flush the canal repeatedly with clean warm water (which I did in the shower). That did the trick. The scratchy sound vanished and hasn’t returned.

I think I’ll put cotton balls in my ears the next time I get a haircut.

Oh, and here’s a video I found when Googling.

14

I had a family doctor who LOVED to clean out your earwax on your regular visits. He moved away and the new doctor said that he doesn’t do that - sad!

I’ve noticed that the Express Clinics that have popped up include ear wax removal (ear wash!), if that’s something easier to work into your day.

15

I regularly use something called cerumol to soften the wax in my ears and a bulb to clean it out. Your druggist can show you what you need.

16

I’m ethnically Chinese, so I have “dry” earwax that generally does not clear itself as it should (I get pinky-nail-sized chunks of very dry yellow wax fall out of my ears every now and then but it always builds up inside over time). I should go to the ENT every year to get them cleaned, but I’m lazy so I only go every 4-5 years, and by then I’m near deaf. They pull out a lot of quite impressive chunks of wax out. Every time they tell me to just put a drop of mineral oil in my ears every day or two and it would be better, but I don’t.

To anyone who’s never had a doctor scoop out your ears, it’s quite unpleasant. Can feel like they’re looking for the other side of your head. Or maybe I should just find a gentler doctor.

17

I don’t know if that’s costing you much but those home kits seem to work pretty good. My wife used to occasionally go to the doc to get her ear cleared but was once forced to try the home version. Worked great and now she always does it herself. She doesn’t even use that softener mentioned upthread, just a few rounds of warm water from the squeeze bulb.

18

Be careful using the home kits – I did once and it made it worse, because the wax in my ears was so dense it just softened part of it, and filled my ear full of fluid. :frowning:

I’d reccomend going to the doctor and having it flushed out. It’s not fun, but you’ll feel better afterwards. And the noise is definitely from the build-up – any time you have something like that in your ear it’s going to cause noise. (I imagine it’s because it’s pressing on your ear drum?)

(Note: do NOT wear anything that isn’t waterproof – better yet, wear a raincoat. You will get soaked. At least I did)

19

You probably should have done it a few more times or used one of the recommended ear wax softeners. You really don’t need med school to flush out an ear.

20

Note: I was only recommending that to jonesj2205’s wife, who knows she has a recurring ear wax problem, not to the OP who for all we know has some inner ear infection or a spider colony in there. If this is a new issue then he should definitely get it checked out by a professional.