Is it advisable to use mineral oil to treat ringing in ears?

Hello,

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Whatever mineral oil or any oil you instill, will only act outside the eardrum. The cells that are outside the eardrum form cerumen or wax and these oils will be helpful. I can give you the dose and duration for that. But however, if there was fluid inside the ear, now resolved, the ringing should be due to that. The fluid we are talking about is the one inside the drum. In a scenario where the drum is intact, these oils are of no use to remove the cells which have got clumped inside the drum. Did the ENT do any test to confirm the presence of fluid inside the ear? Did he do an audiogram or a tympanogram? Can you share reports with me?

Hi,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

Usually dead cells, secretions of ceruminous glands (a type of oil and mucus), mucus glands and hair form wax which usually moves towards outside with the growth of skin from inside outwards. In some, this gets accumulated due to the tortuous nature of the ear canal or due to a narrow canal. In them there occur the problems of wax accumulation. Accumulated wax overtime gets nourished by oils, soaps, and water and acts as a nidus for bacteria and fungi which can cause infection. In your case, I do not really understand what weirded up means. Ideally, he should just examine your ear using an endoscope or microscope which would help him get a much larger and clearer picture than what he would with an otoscope. An otoscope is the first tool we use followed by either of the other two. Now, considering that your drum is intact (in case of perforated drums we do not suggest the following) you may use any wax solvent drops, and even mineral oil, a few drops few times daily. I advise my patients with thick impacted wax to use Waxsolve or Dewax drops, five drops five times daily and for about a week and follow up for suctioning under the microscope. However, if there is only very less wax, like a small layer outside the drum, I would directly suction the same under the microscope. In some cases, I would ask the patient to put two drops of olive oil (mineral oil also probably) twice daily for a week and review. If I am able to ascertain that the drum is healthy then I do not call back the patient for removal such minute amount of wax. If the drum is healthy and there is still ringing inside, I would advice hearing tests to check if there is anything else we should be looking for. I think, with the history you give, that your drum should be intact and that you may use the drops, say, two drops twice daily to remove just the weirded up a collection of cells outside the drum.

Hi,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

Yes. Even if it resolves you may still go to him and ask him to inspect your ears. You may encourage him to show you the ears on the screen after putting an endoscope. Do revert back to me if you need any further support. Happy to help you.