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.

[rickford66]

Well, as far as I can tell.  When the shower is over, I dry them with a Q-tip.  I assume what I don't get will evaporate.  One other thing, they used to itch alot, but not so much anymore.  Also, I used to have Tinitus, but that has also been greatly reduced.  Hmm, I wish I knew if there was a connection, or if it is just a coincidence.

[Imaz]

Do you actually get ALL the water out of your ears everytime?

[rickford66]

I just stand with my back to the shower head and position my head so that the water enters my ear canal.  I hold that position for about 10 seconds, then switch to the other side.  I take hot showers, so I'm thinking the water is softening the wax, but I'm not sure.  I haven't had a doctor look at my ears yet.

[Imaz]

I've been having dizzyness/almost faint, though have never tried this before.  How do you wash your ears in the shower? you pour water into them?

I'm the complete opposite, since my problem I have never had any if not almost no wax from my ears.  In the past when I was normal(without dizzy spells), I was king of wax and it was almost without fail my wax use to turn up LOTS that look even orange at times on the cotton tips...