Ear wax can be extremely uncomfortable when it builds up within the ear canal. Not only can it feel irritating, but you may find that after a while, it could cause hearing loss.
That’s why it can be extremely useful to have your doctor or a hearing specialist take a look and have the ear wax expunged. With that said, one of the questions that may be on your mind is whether ear wax can lead to tinnitus. So, what’s the truth? We’ve set it out below.
What is tinnitus?
The first thing you need to know about tinnitus is that it is not a disease. Instead, it is a sound within the mind/head. This noise is triggered by a health condition or external factors. This can include trauma, loud noises, hearing loss and ear bone changes.
With each of these health conditions, you will find that tinnitus will actually interrupt how the sound enters and is interpreted by the mind. Your tinnitus may also be created by the transmission of sound within different areas of the ear.
Will ear wax cause tinnitus?
Unfortunately, a build-up of ear wax can cause tinnitus. If you allow your ear wax to build up, you will find that it can affect the level of your hearing. Therefore, it is likely that you will experience some form of tinnitus during your lifetime.
You may also experience tinnitus if you impact the inside of your ear trying to remove earwax. This can happen if you use earbuds or small objects to try and pick out the wax.
Tinnitus doesn’t have to occur in both ears. Instead, if you cause damage within one ear trying to remove ear wax, you will find that it will only appear in one of your ear canals.
Why does ear wax in particular cause tinnitus?
To put it bluntly, if ear wax becomes impacted, you will find that the pressure inside your ear canal will cause your nerves to become excited. These nerves live in your middle and inner ear. Your brain will end up mistaking this nerve movement for a signal that a noise is occurring. Therefore, those who suffer from ear wax may end up hearing a noise that does not actually exist.
Just keep in mind that if the ear wax is removed, and it truly has been impacted, it is likely that the tinnitus noise will go away as well.
Another issue of ear wax build up is headaches, read our article ‘Can Blocked Ear Wax Cause Headaches?‘ to find out more.
How can I get my ear wax treated?
Whether you decide to go and see a ear wax specialist for ear wax removal near Essex or you speak to a private doctor for advice, you will find that there are many ways that it can be removed from your ear to stop your tinnitus.
A specialist can remove the wax through an ear wax removal service, such as microsuction, or you can use specialist drops to soften the wax so that you can remove it yourself. In order to prevent it from reoccurring in the future, make sure you speak to your doctor about preventative measures.