Ear pain after ear plug use

[EJWW]

Hi all, 

 

I've got a super pair of custom made ACS ear plugs. They work very well but the day after wearing them my right ear hurts like hell. The pain subsides over time and by the day after that it feels normal again. 

 

Anyone else experienced this problem? 

 

Could the pain be caused by me not inserting/removing them carefully enough?

 

Any thoughts welcome. I hope I can continue using them as they are 1000% better than any other regular musicians ear plugs I've tried over the years. 

[markbunney]

22 minutes ago, EJWW said:

Hi all, 

 

I've got a super pair of custom made ACS ear plugs. They work very well but the day after wearing them my right ear hurts like hell. The pain subsides over time and by the day after that it feels normal again. 

 

Anyone else experienced this problem? 

 

Could the pain be caused by me not inserting/removing them carefully enough?

 

Any thoughts welcome. I hope I can continue using them as they are 1000% better than any other regular musicians ear plugs I've tried over the years. 

Hi - I get this as well sometimes. Do you use the comfort cream when you put them in, as I find this helps a lot, along with pulling the top of your ear up and out as you put them in.

How long have you had them, I have to change mine every few years due to changing ear shape.

 

I once had to have a pair remade as they weren’t quite fitting correctly. ACS have great customer services and adjusted them for me, and they were much better.

 

[casapete]

I’ve had a similar thing. My ear openings are quite different, one fairly normal size and the other

quite a bit smaller. Using plugs to protect my ears would often result in them hurting a bit, especially

the smaller side. I have different sized plugs for each ear too, and am always careful when inserting

and taking them out.

Using plugs also compacts the wax in my ears a bit too, meaning regular visits to have them cleared.

I also use light olive oil sprayed into my lugholes, do it once a week which seemed to help. 

 

Anyway, I found the ultimate solution - I left the loud band where I needed to wear ear protection! 

 

[MacDaddy]

5 hours ago, EJWW said:

Hi all, 

 

I've got a super pair of custom made ACS ear plugs. They work very well but the day after wearing them my right ear hurts like hell. The pain subsides over time and by the day after that it feels normal again. 

 

Anyone else experienced this problem? 

 

Could the pain be caused by me not inserting/removing them carefully enough?

 

Any thoughts welcome. I hope I can continue using them as they are 1000% better than any other regular musicians ear plugs I've tried over the years. 

 

It may be worth getting your ears checked for eczema. Even if you've never had it, it can occur in later life and in the ear canal.

[MrDaveTheBass]

I've sometimes had an issue when using plugs pushes earwax onto the eardrum and it hurts like hell. Try a couple of drops of olive oil into your ear overnight for 5 days and if that doesn't sort it go and get your ears syringed. 

[Jakester]

I have and use several different ACS plugs and IEMs - I have a custom set for sleeping, and those can sometimes result in me waking up in the night due to one of them causing the ear to hurt. 

 

I do think it's probably the nature of shoving relatively inflexible things into your ears that they'll start to ache after a while, as the plugs aren't going to move as much or will move differently to your ears over time. 

 

I second the comfort cream recommendation; the only downside for me is the ACS stuff is so expensive.

 

There was a product called 'Auragel' which was perfect, but it seems the company that manufactured it went bust so it's no longer available. On alternative I had recommended to me is Otoferm, but I absolutely hate the smell of it, and it has triggered something like the eczema @MacDaddy mentions above. I'm in the process of trying alternatives still so will report back if I find anything that works. 

[casapete]

1 hour ago, MrDaveTheBass said:

I've sometimes had an issue when using plugs pushes earwax onto the eardrum and it hurts like hell. Try a couple of drops of olive oil into your ear overnight for 5 days and if that doesn't sort it go and get your ears syringed. 

The olive oil thing really does work for me. I’ve also found that the newer suction method of wax removal

is more efficient than syringing, and not so risky for your eardrums apparently.

 

Ironically you make more wax being in loud environments, it’s nature’s way of trying to protect your 

hearing, or what’s left of it. My earwax specialist does the suction thing and then has a tiny camera

so you can look down your own ear to make sure she’s done a good job - strangely satisfying, and for

a few days afterwards I can hear mice breathing….😁