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Flushing Ear Wax?


In your Spring 2014 edition [Hearing Health Professional Question and Answers section] you recommend flushing the ear with water to clear the ear of wax.


I’ve read in your Questions and Answers before that this method is not recommended as it can increase the tinnitus sound in that ear. This is my experience after the doctor flushed my ear with water. Therefore, I felt compelled to write.


Sincerely,


Loretta Bronk Greenfield, WI ATA Member since 1997


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The opinions expressed here are strictly those of the letter writers and do not reflect an opinion or endorsement by the American Tinnitus Association. If you are interested in any treatment mentioned, please consult with your healthcare professional to determine whether that treatment is right for you.


Nikki DeGeorge Weaver, the guest Hearing Health Professional in the Spring 2014 issue, responds:


Loretta:


I personally have only seen one peer-reviewed study discussing the possibility of tinnitus following irrigation for wax removal. In that study 2,400 people were surveyed and 11 had tinnitus following the procedure. Of these 11, most experienced pain or dizziness during the procedure.


My opinion is that these irrigations were performed in a very aggressive manner, with perhaps more pressure than should have been used. This could cause a pressure change in the middle ear or irrita- tion of nerve endings in the canal, causing tinnitus. The other possibility is that an irrigating machine


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Tinnitus Today | Summer 2014


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