ear plugs and ear pain

[erik]

anyone else ever had problems with ear plugs making their ears sore?

I have. I think it's probably due to a buildup of ear wax though. I went to the doctor today, who referred me to a medical centre to get them suctioned out, the nurse there said that I needed to use ear drops for the next few days to soften the wax and come back on friday.

So now I'm awake, have been awake since maybe 3am, because the ear drops have made my ear sore. It feels like they're irritating the skin and like they've got between the wax and ear drum so my ear feels blocked as well as sore.

Grumble grumble grumble...

[bugjuice]

they'll feel a lot better for doing it..
My ears used to hurt when I first started using plugs, but the pain of not using them was worse (crap helmet, wind noise etc). I was given some of those 'tree' type ones, and they just hurt like hell. Now I only use the spongy soft ones, and they don't have to touch your brain to make them work. You can get away with putting them in just far enough that it blocks the noise, and doesn't fall out in your lid.. Some people do have sensitive ears tho..

[Sniper]

Try having 12 sets of gromits till you turn 10 then complain about ear pain. I know what you mean erik. Ears can be fucken painful things, get them sorted otherwise all hell will break loose when you are bugjuice's age lol

[bugjuice]

Try having 12 sets of gromits till you turn 10 then complain about ear pain. I know what you mean erik. Ears can be fucken painful things, get them sorted otherwise all hell will break loose when you are bugjuice's age lol

oi! cheaky fuk..
just get your ears cut off.. problem solved..

[Sniper]

Hehehe, nah they can turn into a huge problem, Whenever I go diving there is no way I can equalise but because my eardrums are covered in scars and other shit I just let them burst. I dont even get dizzy anymore and the pain has stopped bothereing me

[vifferman]

Things should get better once your ears are de-waxed, but it may just be the type of earplugs you're using. Try a few different types till you find the right ones. I use the tapered orange 3M ones, because others I've tried like those cylindrical ones aren't comfortable for very long at all.

If all else fails, you could get some custom earmoulds done by an ear specialist.

[erik]

Went back to the medical centre and another nurse had a go at suctioning the wax out of the sore ear. She got some, but there's still a lump in there. They've given me some other drops for the sore ear and I'll have to go back next week. But at least my ear doesn't feel so blocked anymore and isn't as sore. What a relief

I've tried a few different types of ear plugs, there were some EAS ones that were kinda rough which seemed to block the sound well, but weren't too comfortable.
The last ones I've been using are smoother sponge ones and they're comfortable.
But the nurse said that something's been pushing the wax deeper inside my ear, I'm not sure if it's the earplugs, or if it's from when I tried cleaning my ears with cotton buds, before I learned you're not supposed to do that.
Maybe I'll experiment with trimming the earplugs shorter when my ears are better so they don't go in so far.

[N4CR]

I used to get pain wearing them every day practicing drums for the first couple of months (now 5-6 years) - it is a combination of wax and 'virgin ears' eg they need to be loosened up a little bit

[Dadpole]

Don't give up on the earplugs though. A bit of discomfort is better than long term hearing loss. Wish someone had told me that a few years ago. What was that? WHAT? WHAT? Sorry - just the voices again. They say they like you, and want to visit. I will take them down and put them on the bus today.

[curious george]

Have a go yourself with hot (warm) water and a syringe. Hydrogen peroxide supposed to be good also, but I check with somebody who knows first....

[Sniper]

Curious, hydrogen peroxide will do the wax wonders and not only will it get it out, it will ensure you never get earwax again. LOL

[Beemer]

I don't have a particularly deep ear canal so earplugs can be a little uncomfortable for me at times. As for ear wax build-up, never experienced this because I clean my ears out every day when I wash my hair and also gently use cotton buds to remove any wax every week or so! Consequently, my ear plugs look new even when I've been wearing them for a month or more, while my husband's look like they've been rolling in mud!

Maybe it's a man thing, not cleaning out ear wax? I know they say not to put anything in your ears, but a gentle wipe around with a damp cotton bud has never created any problems for me.

There are heaps of different ear plugs on the market and those 'tree' style ones are horrible - my ears felt like they had been rubbed with sandpaper after using them! The foam ones are much better, but still a bit fat for my wee ears!

[Pixie]

I tried many different types of plugs.My ears used to get so painfull I couldn't remove my helmet.
I tried all the E.A.R. brand plugs (they have about 4 styles) and found the E.Z.Fit the best for my ears,which have narrow lug'oles (and are pointy)

[Ixion]

I have never used ear plugs. Though what i do do is, with a new helmet, spend some time gluing soft foam rubber in place so that it fits snugly up against my ears and against my face just in front of the ears when the helmet is on.

Interestingly my newer HJC helmet is much noiser than my ancient FFM one.

On the Whale though I can put the screen up and find a point where there is no wind noise or buffeting

As far as I am aware I do not have any hearing loss.

[Posh Tourer :P]

I always get sore ears when I pull my helmet off. It is normally ok when I put them in and put my helmet on though. I find if I put my earplugs in less, they dont block the noise properly though.... maybe I need custom ones?