plugged and ringing ear

[ashley756]

hi. i am 17. i am concerned about my right ear. i noticed that it felt a little plugged so i went to clean it out witha  q-tip and ever since it has felt extremely plugged and has been ringing ever since. i am really concerned because now it is starting to hurt a little and is feeling kind of like it is swollen, but whenever i hear a noise it kind of sounsds close up like it's right in my ear and i thought maybe i had some how managed to bust my eardrum or something. what should i do?

[dreydn]

A related discussion, ears are plugged and ringing was started.

[RightPainEarGirl]

A related discussion, Right Pain only in Right Ear was started.

[Eric P Wilkinson, MD]

Ashley,

It is possible that you have a cerumen (wax) impaction in your ear.  You should probably see an ENT physician to have the wax removed.  You can try over-the-counter products such as Debrox, but they can cause irritation of the ear canal.

Hope this helps.  Good luck!

This answer is not intended as and does not substitute for medical
advice - the information presented is for patients education only.
Please see your personal physician for further evaluation of your
individual case.

[elltkeen]

I've read up a lot about tinnitus because I'm still trying to diagnose how mine started.  It sounds like your case is related to wax.  Tinnitus can be cause by excessive wax in the ear.  Using q-tips will only jam your ear with wax.  My ears would plug up worse some times after I would use q-tips so I know it can happen.

Schedule an appointment with your Doctor and he/she can clean your ears out.  If the tinnitus is a result of the wax the ear cleaning should clear that problem.

Good luck!