How Can I Manage Hearing Loss After Trying To Clean My Ear With A Q-tip?

Posted on Thu, 31 May 2018

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Thu, 31 May 2018 Answered on

Mon, 25 Mar 2024 Last reviewed on

Question : I used a Q tip to remove ear wax-resulted in inability to hear out of my ear. I%E2%80%99ve tried drops/ bulb syringe to soften the wax and remove it. Still can%E2%80%99t hear.

Answered by Dr. Lekshmi Rita Venugopal (3 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Diagnosis: Impacted wax

Detailed Answer:

Hello,

Thank you for trusting us.

Using a Q-tip to remove wax can cause further impaction of wax, which can make it difficult to get the wax out using drops and syringe.

At this outset, I'd recommend following up with your primary provider/urgent care to get the wax removed under direct vision. Once the earwax is removed, your hearing should come back to normal.

Hope this answers your question
Please let me know if you need further clarifications.

Regards
Dr.Lekshmi

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Arnab Banerjee