Did I rupture my ear drum or is it impacted wax?

[AbeLinkedIn 41]

So this morning I was cleaning out my ears and my left ear felt more full. Now it's acting funny and while I don't feel much pain, it feels like I can't hear as well out of that ear. Full disclosure, my dad's side of the family has more earwax production and I went through a similar experience 5 years ago. I made an appointment to see my GP but the earliest I can see him is tomorrow at 10 in the morning, so now I'm left to worry if I ruptured my ear drum and permanently damaged my hearing in one ear or if it's earwax. How would I know if I did get my ear drum? 

[AbeLinkedIn 41]

Update: My appointment was cancelled and I seem to be okay, but when I plug my finger in my ear to release suction it goes back to feeling like a fluid's in there. Opinions? 

[mollyfin 366]

Yeah, you've got wax.  Sometimes that hurts like crazy, sometimes it just feels full and off.  Happens to be from time to time.  Dunno why I seem to be waxier than most people.  I go to my doctor and get it flushed out because I never have luck with the over the counter drops.

[AbeLinkedIn 41]

I'm beginning to wonder if cancelling the appointment was a mistake. Every time I create a vacuum in my left ear I hear popping and it get muffled for a few seconds. I might have to see if I can get it back

 

[AbeLinkedIn 41]

Turns out my appointment's still on, but this feeling sucks. I want to be back to normal. I hear a popping in that ear and it's getting me concerned more and more. 

[AbeLinkedIn 41]

I'm starting to think I bust my ear drum more and more. There's a slight pain and the hearing feels decreased from my left ear. I did something stupid and I'll likely not hear from it for a while and there's nothing the doctors can do except laugh at me for being so careless 

[AbeLinkedIn 41]

I know I'm spamming this thread but the feeling seems to come and go. If I put my finger in my ear and create a suction the symptoms return. What could it be? 

[Sunnydays 9]

Sounds like wax or fluid to me. I would go to the appointment so they can clean it out if its wax. 

[AbeLinkedIn 41]

I'm beginning to think the same. If I ruptured my ear drum, my hearing wouldn't come and go would it? 

[utrocket09 115]

55 minutes ago, AbeLinkedIn said:

I'm beginning to think the same. If I ruptured my ear drum, my hearing wouldn't come and go would it? 

If you ruptured your ear drum you would have fluid coming out of your ear either possibly blood or pus. I have ruptured my ear drum as a kid. Kind of painful

[AbeLinkedIn 41]

I don't have any fluid coming out to my knowledge, but I still have that issue where if I make a vacuum with my finger in my canal it gets that clogged feeling for a few seconds. There is some pain but not unbearable, more the canal being sensitive 

[Sunnydays 9]

29 minutes ago, utrocket09 said:

If you ruptured your ear drum you would have fluid coming out of your ear either possibly blood or pus. I have ruptured my ear drum as a kid. Kind of painful

Yes, a friend of mine said she ruptured her eardrum and this is how it happened for her. 

[Shanowl80 73]

It doesn’t sound like a ruptured ear drum to me. I believe you would be in a lot of pain for that to be the case. 

[mollyfin 366]

Everything you're describing is what I get with a blocked ear.  Sometimes I get pain with it too, sometimes not.  Ruptured eardrums are painful, however.

[ScardeyCat 8]

I had the same thing like 2-3 months ago! Yes, I had the suction cup fixed,induced ear muffling and fullness you described. It happened the first time. While I was cleaning my ears!  I felt a lot of pain after scratching the inside with a qtip, then ear fullness,muffled hearing. Scared me badly, thought I'd lost my hearing. However suction cupping made it come and go. Mine was a ear infection that got suddenly worse when I cleaned it with the qtip.  I had soreness and then very awful smelling wet earwax and skin flakes coming from my ear. My ear infection lasted for like 2- 3 months. Even now I have flakes of skin coming out of my ear and My hearing seems less good. No more infection though. Not sure if It was caused by wax buildup. I kept my ears dry for a week and the infection got better. I think in my case it was likely swimmers ear (caused by overbathing and the ear not draining) I think my ears have wax and skin sheets that had caused the water to not leave my ear. Try keeping dry ears! also avoid doing the suction cup thing. If you get it to clear the ear using suction don't suction the ear again even though it's tempting.

[AbeLinkedIn 41]

I got a couple of hours until my appointment. I don't have any real pain and I get that crackling/popping when I do a deep yawn, so I'm guessing it is wax or at least not a ruptured ear drum. I'm still nervous though, I have so many what ifs playing out in my head 

[AbeLinkedIn 41]

Update: Just came back from the doctor's, turns out it wasn't a ruptured eardrum or wax, but eustatian tube fluid causing my popping and cracking and he noticed my ear canal was red and irritated (No surprise there). He prescribed some steroid for the tubes and ear drops for the redness.