Excessive ear wax causing vertigo?

[rickford66]

For more than a year now, I have suffered from a mild vertigo.  It was happening often throughout the day, but was the worst when I layed down at night.  It was quite an annoyance.  My wife kept telling me about little wax balls that kept appearing in my ear canal.  I have always used q-tips on my ears daily.  Anyway, I began to wash my ears "better" by running warm shower water into them for a few seconds each morning.  A little unconfortable, but doesn't hurt.  After a week or so of this, the vertigo had diminished greatly.  Then, I forgot to keep this up.  After a few weeks, the vertigo came back, along with the wax balls.  I started washing again the same way and the vertigo is almost gone again.  Also, the wax balls are gone.  First, can too much ear wax really cause vertigo, or is this a coincidence?  Second, if so, what is the safest method to clean the wax away?  Shower water under pressure makes me a bit nervous.
Thanks.

[Scott0237]

My first experience with Vertigo was in my early thirties. I was extremely dizzy and nauseous. My wife drove me to an urgent care clinic, and a family practitioner found that she couldn't even see in my ears without removing some wax. When she did, I felt nearly instant relief of the symptoms.

For a few years, I simply saw an ENT doctor who removed wax with suction a few times a year for me. My wax is harder than it should be, so I've figured out ways to remove my own with the end of an unfolded paper clip. I don't recommend this obviously, as it's not the kind of thing you're supposed to put in your ear, but you get the idea. The earwax/vertigo thing is real, and treatable.

[Shash33]

How long does it take for the vertigo to go after cleaning the wax? I am suffering from the same thing and would like to know. This is completely disabling

[ClaireyB777]

I had a "drop" experience yesterday and have tinnitus. Also, left ear felt full. Menieres came up when I searched symptoms. Hoping it's not and trying the olive oil and steroid inhaler for wax and Eustachian tube disorder. Both previous problems and preferable options! Good luck with your symptoms.

[Eclipsemill]

Do you eat wheat and dairy? If the answer is yes, I would eliminate from diet to see if that changes anything.

I am still in "much better stage" of a first time vertigo episode. It was horrible, woke up with the room spinning, wanting to vomit, diarrhea. Went to ER. Was given IV and anti-vert, along with a scrip for nausea medication.

Went for acupuncture week ago Friday, after being up all night Thursday sitting up on the couch staring straight ahead. Felt almost normal, until drive home on very windy mountain road, not wind but turns. Taking chinese herbs also. Drinking ginger tea seems to helo too. Feel much better not 100%, but some of these "alternatives" might help you.

I would get off wheat and dairy first though. Might just change your life.
Best wishes

[vertigowoman]

I can sympathize with you, the vertigo I have had for last year and it has destroyed my life. Just a warning to others not to have elective surgery on nose and ears because the ENT says it will help with constant ear infections. DO NOT TRUST the ENT surgeons they only want your money.
I was fine till July 2013 my ENT said I should get a deviated septum nose surgery and modified grommet ear tubes (with hooks in back). I did have surgery hoping to decrease sinus and ear infections. OMG wrong decision. Been having vertigo, dizziness, ear pain, sensitivity to weather changes, vision issues since surgery. Now one yr later and after seeing every kind of doctor available I am having surgery to take tubes out  next wk- I hope it helps since I really hate living like this now- can not work or drive, have to be on a walker etc... as I never know when vertigo while hit.

[dizzy33]

I also have suffered from vertigo for about 7 years now.  I am terrified to fly as I fear it will bring on the dizziness even more.  At first when it all began I woke up and the bedroom was spinning.....it was terrifying.  Then I would throw up and it was uncontrollable.  I did have the epley maneuver performed a few times and the dizziness did subside but it has never totally left me and I tend to get a bad sinus infection or two every years where I am very dizzy.  I too have been told that I have excessive ear wax but it never surfaces.  I wish I could go back to life before this all began 7 years ago but I fear I will be haunted forever.

[knotty56]

what is the best way to clean your ears if you have Vertigo,I just recently got over,I take two meclizine tablets and it will make me sleepy,when I wake up my Vertigo is gone but my balance is still off a few days later

[saxsamatic]

Scott..
I use children's Benadryl to stop the vertigo.
take only 1 teaspoon at bedtime...
you should wake up fine...
take 1/2 teaspoon upon waking before dizziness start again..
this is the only thing that works for me...
I been to the ENT, on meclizine, Dramamine ect...
Again, CHILDREN"S BENADRYL ALLERGY

[Kevin07]

I had severely impacted earwax giving me a constant off balance feeling. The doctors I went to said my ears were clear and couldn't see a problem. After about 6 months Id had enough and purchased a 70 cent plastic syringe from the local pharmacy and filled it with warm water and flushed out my ears. Nothing appeared for 2 nights but by the 3rd night I couldn't believe the amount of dark wax that came out. The relief was instant! No more dizzy feelings. I'm not suggesting you try this yourself but putting warm water into your ears for a few nights and then getting your doctor to try syringing  your ears may just solve the problem. And don't use cotton tips!

[bmorris115]

Cathasson (Catherine) I don't know if you've realized this since the time of making your post which I'm replying to here or the most recent post you'd made in this thread (Jan 18, 2012), but I just wanted to inform you (for your sake and the sake of others reading these comments) that Ear Candling is a well known/ long since debunked new age health industry scam that uses (as many of the purported "cures" or "remedies" in the alternative medicine realm do) the power of placebo to convince users of its validity.

Ear Candles can be potentially dangerous, in fact (I've read of numerous accounts where nurses and medical care practitioners have claimed they've had to deal with patients coming in with ear canals closed shut by the melted candle wax dripping into their ears, and requiring surgery to extract the solidified build-up).

There are many, many articles that you can read and videos that you can watch online that should offer enough clear proof to you that Ear Candles do not actually extract wax from your ears at all and are in fact just another huge scam in an industry filled with scams (no different than magnetic/ balance bracelets etc, etc):

Here are a few examples
(Article):
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1103/how-do-ear-candles-work

(Video - divided into 2 parts):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RLbwGoWaCc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oF3FIwzVgSE

Cathasson, you said that you used 5 and 6 candles in each ear, respectively, and they "were full of wax and yeast".  I suspect that had your vertigo not put you in a state of near desperation by that point, those kinds of results probably would have been proof positive to you right then and there that you were being had.

What do you think you would have found in the candles if instead of using only 5-6 per ear, you went with 50 - 60 per ear? Well, I'm sorry to say, but you would have found the same amount of that so called "wax and yeast" in all of them... wouldn't have mattered if it was 5 or 500,000,000.

[cathasson]

I have used ear candles for the wax also ear drops for ear wax. The candles can be purchased at a health food store for a couple of dollars each. The ear wax drops are sold at any pharmacy over the counter.  I have also had a lot of luck at the chiropractor with my vertigo. If it's not earwax then sometimes it is a problem between C4 and C5 on the spine. Once that is adjusted my vertigo will go away. This is after trying most medical treatments....physical therapy, valium, sea sickness patches, etc.  Good luck.

[Vertigoboy]

Gday, I read with great interest your comments about candling ! What is this actually ? I have had Vertigo now for nearly 3 years, I have only had the vomiting way back when I first got it in the US on my holidays, since then I get some dizziness most days and some are good days and some are off days. I find its worst in the dark.

[windingdown]

This will blow your mind but I have to tell someone!! I had bad vertigo myself started in 2008,  started taking alerga, anyway, in Nov 2010 I had chest pains and after a few days went to the Dr, he said my lungs were a bit frozen and gave me a breathing treatment with a nebulizer, anyway, after that my chest pains all but went away in about 15 min! AMAZING? Well the amazing thing is since I got my own nebulizer and filled my script my vertigo went a way!! OMG YES I mean while I was doing my breathing treatments every 6 hours then cut back to 2 a day I was dizzy and vertigo free!!! NOW I have CFS and I think that makes me breath shallow, but since I now get more air to my brain I think that was a key? Well, and I stopped my treatments and used the rescue inhaler, mind you I dont have asthma, only allergic asthma they said.. but when I stopped using the nebulizer I started to get dizzy again. SO Im ready to go do a treatment now.. ANYONE else have this happen to them? MAYBE SOME OF US just need more air to our brains? Love to hear from anyone..

[flyingdeb]

While it won't get rid of the wax, did you try to get rid of the vertigo with the head exercise on line?  After 5 days of suffering and a doc's recommendation to take some medicine that didn't work, I tried the on line exercise technique -- Brandt-Daroff Exercises for BPPV vertigo.  In both cases vertigo was relieved immediately.  

[scott60115]

I was diagnosed with vertigo over a week ago after two visits to the emergency room and being seen by multiple doctors.  I was extremely dizzy and couldn't see straight.  I could barely walk.  They prescribed me meclizine and valium and sent me on my way after doing countless tests.  They chalked it up to a viral infection even though I was completely healthy other than the vertigo.  I am going to try the ear candles and ear drops to see if they work.  I am barely functioning at this point so I am willing to try anything.  I can't afford to miss any more school or work.  I will post what eventually works to help others.

[windingdown]

I started having ear wax build up issues during my later years when hormones change. Then I started getting vertigo pretty bad, then last year I fell to the ground in the bathroom almost hitting my head on the sink! I COULD HAVE BEEN really hurt, thank GOD I wasnt. I was in bed and couldnt drive for 3 weeks too longer for me to trust my body since I did drop like a bag of bricks just by flipping my hair off my shoulders! I will try the 3% peroxide tonight. I HOPE IT WORKS, I also read its good to add a few drops of rubbing alchol after wards to dry the ears out. Also Olive oil warmed up is good too. GOOD LUCK TO YOU ALL

[marcos980]

I've had problems with ear wax for as long as I can remember, as had my father. I'm fairly certain a given shape of ear is more prone than another, so the problem probably in many ways is hereditary.
After spending lots o' $$ on over the counter stuff thru the years, I was told by both my ENT and family doctor that it's safe to use over-the-counter 3% hydogen peroxide. (Hydrogen peroxide, chemical equation H202, is the same active ingedient as what's in ear wax removal medicine "Debrox" and many others.
All you do is pour about 2-3 oz in a small cup, get a wash cloth & lie on one side, then VERY CAREFULLY pour a small amount in your ear as you're watching TV reading or whatever. If you've got wax buildup, it'll directly react with the hydrogen peroxide and cause a bubbling sensation in your ear that'll feel & sound sort of wierd at first, but just relax.
After a while, place the wash cloth over this ear & drain the peroxide. It will react again if there's wax on your ear lobes. Then roll yourself over to do this process to the other ear.

[kate2709]

has anyone had suction for ear wax? kate

[summerluvr]

candaling is not recomended by any ear specialists. To remove way they recomend a few drops of warmed olive oil in the ear and some cotton.  Or the wax softening drops.

[Imaz]

I've never tried or heard much of ear candling...  Is it instant relief?  Does the hot wax pour into the ear??

[cathasson]

I have had vertigo, severly...falling down and vomiting, off and on for 12 years. My husband is a doctor so we have exhausted the medical community, ENT, neurologist, internal medicine, chiropractic and all tests, MRI, CAT scan and the official vertigo test at the ENT.  Nothing found anything.  I finally heard about ear candling.  I used 5 in one ear and 6 candles in the other and had INSTANT relief and these candles were full of wax and yeast.  I will be repeating this as a preventative measure once a month or more often if needed but I finally have relief.  These are sold at healh food stores for 2 bucks each and you can do it at home.  Probably the reason we are not being informed of this at the doctors office!!!!  No profit in a cheap over the counter folksy cure!!  Good luck to you all!  CAtherine

[niceone]

I have been having ear pain and dizziness and my ears ring sometimes do you think the ear drops will help with that? The ENT wants to put ear tubes in my ears im still thinking about that last thang I will try

Shannon

[rickford66]

Ok, thanks.  I'll look for that.

[penelope220]

Sorry for this late response.  i have not have time to read my postings.  i was using Debrox but i guess any brand will do.  i mentioned Debrox a lot in almost all of my postings.  lying down on your side will help that drops get inside your ears.  maybe 30 min. to an hour, twice a day or once for 4  to 8 days.

[rickford66]

What type of ear drops are you using?  I've never looked into that.