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Thread: Can Eustachian Tube Narrowing Lead To Chronic Ear Wax Buildup?

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    Quote Originally Posted by annekat View Post
    It is possible to be very careful. It is sometimes impossible to resist putting things in the ears to dislodge wax, etc. Just know how far not to go.
    It is best not to push the q-tips or any thing else through the ear drum. Or to pull off the cotton inside the ear canal or scratch the skin of ear canal so it gets infected.. Moisture buildup can also lead to infection or fungus in ear canal like swimmers itch so keeping them dry can help prevent those problems. The drops to dry out swimmers ears work good but a milder form of alcohol can also do the job much cheaper. Pure alcohol can irritate the ear canal. There are lots of different kinds of drops that can help reduce itching in ear canal and most are safe to use.
    Last edited by drz; 09-23-2012 at 01:04 PM.

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    All my ENTs told me to use a Q-tip.
    Phil Berggren, dx 2003

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    I've used Q-tips to dry and clean my ears every day since I was a teenager. If I don't swab them out after a shower they get itchy. My docs always remark on how clean my ears are. Like Anne said, you can do it very carefully. Don't go for broke like you're cleaning a toilet bowl.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Sangye View Post
    I've used Q-tips to dry and clean my ears every day since I was a teenager. If I don't swab them out after a shower they get itchy. My docs always remark on how clean my ears are. Like Anne said, you can do it very carefully. Don't go for broke like you're cleaning a toilet bowl.
    Whew! I'm glad you concur on that, Sangye!
    Anne, dx'ed April 2011

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    Quote Originally Posted by beeinformed View Post
    Hi!

    Since Nov- Dec, 2011, my ent doctor has had to frequently remove ear wax. When I saw him in Dec, 2011, I also tested positive for eustachian tube dysfunction and since then, my ears gets blocked (with ear wax) too frequently. For example, one month after recently seeing my ent doc, my hearing decreased (along with experiencing symptoms such as ear popping and high pitch tinnitus sounds).

    It seems like now I will have to go to my ent doc every one to two months and have him remove the ear wax, so I can hear better. I find this so frustrating and was wondering if anyone has had similar symptoms and could this be from a narrowing of the eustachian tubes? Thanks!
    OMG I nearly fell off my seat when I read this! I have this too!!!!!!!!!!!

    Do you find that you can hear your voice really loudly sometimes too? It drives me CRAZY! ENT tells me there's nothing they can do, it's just one of those things!

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    I've had my ENT doc remove ear wax, too, but unfortunately my e-tube dysfunction is too severe for the wax removal to make a difference in my hearing. I'm not sure why narrowed e-tubes would cause more ear wax to form... maybe because the ear drum doesn't vibrate as much, which might normally knock the wax loose? An uneducated theory.

    Yes, Gwen, I have the sensation of hearing my own voice really loud, too, because I'm hearing it from inside my head instead of from out in the environment where my voice has placed it. Someone else can explain that better than I can. Did your ENT doc use one of those tuning fork things to test your hearing function? That tells him whether the sound is coming into your brain through the outside opening of your ears or you are hearing it through the bones of your skull. Or something like that. Someone correct me if I don't have it quite right. When I'm wearing my hearing aids, I hear my voice much more normally, along with everything else.

    As for ear wax, years ago my PA told me I had a huge chunk of ear wax way down in my ear, and I should try putting mineral oil in there, letting it soak for a bit, and then directing shower water into my ear. I did it and it slid out right away! But other times I've tried it, it hasn't worked and maybe I just didn't have the patience to do it enough times.
    Anne, dx'ed April 2011

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    Quote Originally Posted by gwenllian111 View Post
    OMG I nearly fell off my seat when I read this! I have this too!!!!!!!!!!!

    Do you find that you can hear your voice really loudly sometimes too? It drives me CRAZY! ENT tells me there's nothing they can do, it's just one of those things!
    Hi Gwen,

    Yep, this is what I am experiencing now. I will be seeing my ent specialist on Oct. 11th and hopefully he will be able to explain why I am experiencing these symptoms.

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    Quote Originally Posted by annekat View Post
    I've had my ENT doc remove ear wax, too, but unfortunately my e-tube dysfunction is too severe for the wax removal to make a difference in my hearing. I'm not sure why narrowed e-tubes would cause more ear wax to form... maybe because the ear drum doesn't vibrate as much, which might normally knock the wax loose? An uneducated theory
    Hi Anne,

    I think that perhaps the e-tubes are narrowing because of blood vessel inflammation which then causes the wax to get trapped and build up in them. Anyways, that my guess!

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    Quote Originally Posted by beeinformed View Post
    Hi Anne,

    I think that perhaps the e-tubes are narrowing because of blood vessel inflammation which then causes the wax to get trapped and build up in them. Anyways, that my guess!
    I don't know.... the narrowed e-tubes are on one side of the eardrum and the ear wax is on the other, so I have trouble seeing the connection. However, there could be a generalized inflammation around the ear drum and outer ear canal, too, which could stimulate more production of ear wax, and also sort of trap it down in those recesses...... someone help us here!
    Last edited by annekat; 10-02-2012 at 04:12 AM.
    Anne, dx'ed April 2011

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    The e-tubes run from the back of the nose-mouth to the inner ear. Their normal function is to equalize pressure on both sides of the eardrum. I don't think there's a connection between narrowed or collapsed e-tubes and increased earwax production. That may be the result of a localized inflammation or something.
    Pete
    dx 1/11

    "Every day is a good day. Some are better than others." - unknown

    "Take your meds as directed and live your life as fully as you can." - Michael Chacey, MD

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