Ear Pain and Tinnitus Spike from Foam Earplugs

[PeteJ]

Hi, I hope someone replies. Actually, hopefully, quite a few people...

I get anxiety whenever I experience ear pain, especially when it causes a tinnitus spike.

In this case, ironically, the pain is not from noise but from earplugs. I ran out of my usual Howard Leight Laser Lite foam earplugs, the pink and yellow ones, so a friend gave me a bag of HDX orange earplugs. I looked them up and saw that Home Depot carries them, among other places.

I tried one in my right ear. It fit, but I did not like it. Still, I managed to insert it properly, though it was not as comfortable as my usual earplugs.

Then, I decided to try one in my left ear. I suspected I would not like it, but I had just dropped one of my last two Laser Lites, so I gave it a shot. Unfortunately, as soon as I inserted it, it really hurt my ear, possibly my ear canal. Now, I have significant pain there, and it has made me feel depressed. Worse, I seem to be experiencing a tinnitus spike because of it.

I searched the forum and found that a few people have reported ear pain or issues from using or inserting earplugs. I am hoping people will share their experiences. How long did the pain last? Did you have any lasting damage? I really hope not.

I did not force the earplug in, though maybe I did not roll it tightly enough before inserting it. These orange ones are definitely harder than the softer, mushier Laser Lites, but it is not like I kept trying to insert it over and over. I just do not see how foam earplugs could cause permanent damage. Right?

I did just order a new box of 200 Laser Lites a few minutes ago, even though it cost me 40 dollars that I really did not have to spare. But I had no choice. I needed them. I still have Plexor earmuffs, but I do not want to wear those all the time.

Side note: Do not buy these orange HDX earplugs unless you have really tough ear canals. They have mixed reviews on Home Depot, and now I understand why.

Any thoughts?

 

[vilebubbles]

Yes, and the pain subsided in about four days. The spike did as well.

 

[PeteJ]

Yes, and the pain subsided in about four days. The spike did as well.

Such good news for you! I hope that applies to me as well.

I think I have some Eustachian tube dysfunction too. I can feel the sensation of air in my ear, a whooshing sound, which seems abnormal. There is a lot of pain and discomfort in my ear. As I have mentioned before, my ears are already very sensitive. If something physically touches my ear, a tree branch or anything else, it causes pain. I attribute that to some kind of nerve issue, so physical contact is very bad for me. I do not think it has anything to do with acoustic trauma or loud noise exposure.

I guess trying to insert earplugs that were too hard or the wrong shape caused physical impact that hurt my ear. I am so mad at myself because I should have known these plugs were no good! I tried them years ago, maybe a different brand but the same type, orange plugs, and I could not use them then either. The Howard Leight Laser Lites are the only ones that work for me. They are soft enough that I can insert and remove them as long as I am careful.

I have a dental cleaning next Monday, but I will probably have to cancel or reschedule now since I do not think my left ear will recover in time.

 

[vilebubbles]

Such good news for you! I hope that applies to me as well.

I think I have some Eustachian tube dysfunction too. I can feel the sensation of air in my ear, a whooshing sound, which seems abnormal. There is a lot of pain and discomfort in my ear. As I have mentioned before, my ears are already very sensitive. If something physically touches my ear, a tree branch or anything else, it causes pain. I attribute that to some kind of nerve issue, so physical contact is very bad for me. I do not think it has anything to do with acoustic trauma or loud noise exposure.

I guess trying to insert earplugs that were too hard or the wrong shape caused physical impact that hurt my ear. I am so mad at myself because I should have known these plugs were no good! I tried them years ago, maybe a different brand but the same type, orange plugs, and I could not use them then either. The Howard Leight Laser Lites are the only ones that work for me. They are soft enough that I can insert and remove them as long as I am careful.

I have a dental cleaning next Monday, but I will probably have to cancel or reschedule now since I do not think my left ear will recover in time.

I think rescheduling for now is wise, my friend.

 

[PeteJ]

I think rescheduling for now is wise, my friend.

I did… thanks for replying. I'm still in pain, and it's really discouraging. My left ear feels so messed up.

Why did I even try to use an earplug I knew would be no good?! Even if the Laser Lites don't block as much noise, at least I can wear them and put them in my ear with way less chance of a problem.

When my ear is like this—it feels like an ear infection or something similar—I get a spike too.

 

[PeteJ]

My left ear is still in a lot of pain, especially in the ear canal. I can't remember how long this usually lasts. Any idea? Anyone?

Whenever I've gone to the doctor to ask about it, they're no help. They don't give me anything, and sometimes they just say, "It's a bit red in there." I've never had a ruptured eardrum, so I don't understand why inserting an earplug caused so much pain and trouble. I didn't even insert it all the way into the ear canal. Could it have stretched the outer ear canal tissue too much?

The external acoustic meatus is the technical name for the ear canal, and then there's a membrane. Did the earplug push against something there?

It has healed in the past, as far as I know. I just wish I knew how long this pain is going to last.

 

[PeteJ]

Yes, and the pain subsided in about four days. The spike did as well.

I don't know what to do. Around two to three weeks ago, it seemed like things were getting a lot better, but suddenly it regressed. Now the pain is back—my left ear, deep in the inner ear or ear canal—and I have no idea why.

Should I stop wearing earplugs entirely and just try to avoid noise as best I can?

I also have a bad spike along with it. I don't know how to describe it except to say it feels like a big ice cube or a rock is stuck in my ear all the time. :-(

 

[FellowSufferer]

I don't know what to do. Around two to three weeks ago, it seemed like things were getting a lot better, but suddenly it regressed. Now the pain is back—my left ear, deep in the inner ear or ear canal—and I have no idea why.

Should I stop wearing earplugs entirely and just try to avoid noise as best I can?

I also have a bad spike along with it. I don't know how to describe it except to say it feels like a big ice cube or a rock is stuck in my ear all the time. :-(

Sorry to hear that, mate. Stay strong. Have you tried custom moulded earplugs? You should not have to force those in.

 

[Sodlin]

It sounds like your ear canals are irritated. That happens to me as well if I wear earplugs too much. Now I only use the earplug Moldex when I am doing something loud, and the earplug Express when I need to be able to communicate.

 

[PeteJ]

Sorry to hear that, mate. Stay strong. Have you tried custom moulded earplugs? You should not have to force those in.

No, I haven't. I've been thinking that I should have bought some a while ago, but they are expensive, right? I'm on disability, and I don't know if that kind of purchase would be subsidized.

I wouldn't say I exactly forced the "bad" orange plugs in. The problem is, even though I was pretty careful, they still caused pain and discomfort. I must have done something. Maybe I aggravated the area or caused inflammation or something like that. I honestly don't even know. All I know is that I created a major problem in my inner ear or ear canal. I'm not even sure if it involved the middle ear.

I can't just stay strong. I just want it to heal, and I really hope it returns to one hundred percent, whatever that means. At least back to how it was before. My ears are now permanently fragile, and I've posted here before about minor impacts, like tree branches hitting my ear, and then I have ear pain for days. But this is different. This happened from earplugs, or at least one earplug in my left ear, that caused a problem. I'm now trying to avoid using earplugs because I'm wondering if that might be slowing down the healing process, since something is already abnormal in my ear.

I know my Laser Lites are relatively comfortable. They are the best I have so far, so I use them if I have no choice. There are often sirens, trains, loud noise, construction vehicles, garbage trucks, and so on passing by. But I still don't want to use even the Laser Lites too often right now.

Sorry if this is a bit long. Thanks for replying. I'm really upset that doctors and ENTs can't explain what happened or tell me what I should do now, or how long it might take to heal. It's so discouraging. I already have the usual tinnitus and hyperacusis or noxacusis. I can't deal with anything else going wrong or with added complications.

 

[FellowSufferer]

No, I haven't. I've been thinking that I should have bought some a while ago, but they are expensive, right? I'm on disability, and I don't know if that kind of purchase would be subsidized.

I wouldn't say I exactly forced the "bad" orange plugs in. The problem is, even though I was pretty careful, they still caused pain and discomfort. I must have done something. Maybe I aggravated the area or caused inflammation or something like that. I honestly don't even know. All I know is that I created a major problem in my inner ear or ear canal. I'm not even sure if it involved the middle ear.

I can't just stay strong. I just want it to heal, and I really hope it returns to one hundred percent, whatever that means. At least back to how it was before. My ears are now permanently fragile, and I've posted here before about minor impacts, like tree branches hitting my ear, and then I have ear pain for days. But this is different. This happened from earplugs, or at least one earplug in my left ear, that caused a problem. I'm now trying to avoid using earplugs because I'm wondering if that might be slowing down the healing process, since something is already abnormal in my ear.

I know my Laser Lites are relatively comfortable. They are the best I have so far, so I use them if I have no choice. There are often sirens, trains, loud noise, construction vehicles, garbage trucks, and so on passing by. But I still don't want to use even the Laser Lites too often right now.

Sorry if this is a bit long. Thanks for replying. I'm really upset that doctors and ENTs can't explain what happened or tell me what I should do now, or how long it might take to heal. It's so discouraging. I already have the usual tinnitus and hyperacusis or noxacusis. I can't deal with anything else going wrong or with added complications.

No problem about the length, mate. It definitely sounds like you're dealing with something that nobody seems to fully understand. It seems to go beyond just hyperacusis and resembles a kind of sensitivity or intermittent chronic pain centered in your ears. I believe some writers, like Dr. Howard Schubiner, have written about treating conditions like that and offer a lot of hope to people.

Honestly, I find it frustrating that I can't really help. My own tinnitus, along with very mild hyperacusis, feels far less distressing than what you're describing. But even so, it was enough to make me question whether I could ever live a normal life again. That changed a few months ago when I started Tinnitus Retraining Therapy and noticed a small improvement in both volume and how noticeable it was.

Custom earplugs are expensive, to be fair. Mine cost £150, though London tends to be pricier for everything. Still, they last for years, offer stronger protection—around 25 dB compared to about 10 dB from foam plugs—and what I like most is that you can just pop them in without worrying whether you've inserted them correctly. You'd have to ask whether they could be subsidized, though. I'm not sure about that.