Hearing in my left ear has been muffled for the last couple of days. made worse when i tried cleaning it with a q-tip. after being told by my friend's mom (a doctor) to try putting a drop of oil and then hydrogen peroxide it feels like its even worse i'm

It : It sounds like you may have had a wax impaction that you compressed with the q-tip plugging the ear canal further. Any of the wax drops to soften wax should be followed within a day or two of useage with irrigation (assuming no history of eardrum perforation) to evacuate the softened debris. This can be easily done with a baby bulb syringe and luke warm water (so as not to evoke a caloric "dizzy" response). If this doesn't work see a physician who can look in your ears, make a diagnosis, and clean them out for you if needed. I certainly would want to make sure some of the cotton from the q-tip didn't get separated and lodge in your ear canal.

Dr Wolfe agreed

I : I agree that this may be a wax impaction. There are over-the-counter drops that can soften the wax and allow it to be irrigated/flushed out--body temperature water please, or you will get extremly dizzy. This can be dangerous if you have a hole in the ear drum. A qtip pushing wax against the ear drum is usually painful too. If this does not get better, see a doctor. Many primary care docs can flush the canals. If this does not work, then an otolaryngologist can do this under a microscope int he office. Another possibility is that you have eustachian tube problems. The ear pressures cannot be eaqualized and then you can get fluid behind the ear drum. This will usually resolve on its own but it can take weeks. If it doesn't clear, you may benefit from ear tubes.

Dr Mallia agreed