If you experience tinnitus, you may wonder where it stems from. The truth is it can come from many factors. From inner ear damage to medication that affects you and needs to be changed, all the way up to factors like smoking and drinking contributing to its severity, understanding how to limit its impact is key. You may wonder if earwax can cause tinnitus, as this is a common source of hearing loss, leading to many undergoing earwax removal procedures each year. The truth is that yes, earwax can cause tinnitus, but the contribution may be a little more nuanced than you expect.

What is Earwax, and How Does it Affect Hearing Health?

Earwax is a natural substance and has many wellbeing functions for the health of your ear. It’s known scientifically as cerumen, intended to trap dust and other debris, allowing your inner ear to remain protected. Usually, this earwax leaks out on its own. However, some people can produce too much earwax, press it in with earbuds and compress it or perhaps it doesn’t leak out as well as it should. In this context, it can affect your hearing and pressure in the inner ear can sometimes translate to symptoms of tinnitus.

Can Earwax Cause Inflammation?

Earwax can cause inflammation and in a sensitive system like your inner ear, this can be a problem. For example, your auditory nerve can be affected by earwax, and this can be an issue compounded by too much earwax leading to a sense of compression and fullness in the ear. As you may expect, this can also cause the ringing sounds in your eardrum, which can feel distracting. An audiologist will can inspect your ears to see if you are producing too much earwax, and if so, provide an ear cleaning.

What Should I Do If I Suspect Tinnitus?

Visit your audiologist at your earliest convenience. The sooner you go, the sooner they can identify or rule out other issues. For example, it may be that you have compressed earwax, but that doesn’t mean it’s solely caused by that. For example, perhaps you’ve started a medication, the side effect being increased earwax production and tinnitus as part of that.

Stopping said medication and having your ears drained of wax might help resolve the issue. This is just one scenario, as many can apply. Make sure you talk to your audiologist about when the symptoms began, the effect they’ve been having and if anything leads to the promotion or reducing of your symptoms.

If you want to learn more about tinnitus or if you have too much earwax, contact an audiologist. They will be able to diagnose and treat any issues you have related to your ears. If you notice you have produced too much earwax an audiologist can provide a professional ear cleaning to remove an excess wax that may be built up. By seeing an audiologist, they can find the right solutions for you offering you a better quality of life.