Is It Normal to Feel This Way When Wearing Earplugs? Uncomfortable Pressure on Eardrum

[sky_high]

I have tinnitus since two months and even if I don't feel like it is reactive to noises I want to be cautious and bought a pair of (quite expensive) earplugs. Model here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Senner-protection-festivals-aluminium-transparent/dp/B01N21FPDI/

Now the thing is I never ever in my life wore earplugs before and I don't know if there is a problem with these plugs, a problem with me, or this is how you are supposed to feel while wearing them.

I feel that they create a very uncomfortable pressure on my eardrum, even though not because I am pushing them too far in, but because the rubber they are made of, combined with the natural oils of the skin, provide a complete isolation, similar to the in-ear rubber headphones that I happen to hate. They are good at blocking sounds from the environment but when I am walking on hard pavement I feel my head vibrating and when I am talking I feel my own voice resonating inside my head with a weird echo. This tends to also make me dizzy a bit.

Is this normal? Should I try the regular foamy plugs instead?

As a side note I am not even sure if I need to wear earplugs, I do not want to overprotect, but I was just trying them out for situations where I might need them, like a movie theater, possibly concert at some point.

Thanks.

 

[cheyennes]

I'm not sure of the answer, but I empathize! Every time I wear foam earplugs, my ears feel irritated for the rest of the day and my T spikes. And I know it's not because of loud noise since I often wear earplugs to places that aren't overly loud but could be at any second, like the grocery store.

I've read that earplugs don't touch your eardrum though, even if you shoved them all the way in. Have you tried earplugs made of different material to see how they compare?

 

[Michael B]

I use 3M classic earplugs and at times feel the same.
I heard about yours and your link gave me the opportunity to see them. So thank you for that.
I'd remember wearing earplugs for only a few minutes at a time in the beginning in order to get used to them. And as you mentioned, only wearing them when needed.
Good post.

 

[sky_high]

I heard about yours and your link gave me the opportunity to see them. So thank you for that.

If you want to buy them I would not get discouraged by my 'review'. The other customers seem to really appreciate them. I think I have a particular situation since I could never wear in-ear plugs that are made of rubber because they make me feel like I am underwater, lol.

 

[coffee_girl]

Perhaps try swimmer's plugs? They are not as hard on your ears =]

 

[Gav]

If you have tinnitus, I would always recommend wearing plugs in any situation where the sound is greater than 85db. It's really not worth the risk of damaging your ears further and making your tinnitus worse.

I've found all plugs can make your ears feel full as I guess it isn't normal to have things stuck in your ears, but I've gotten used to it. Feels like second nature now. That said, I have found foam plugs to sometimes cause pressure problems, e.g. when on a plane.

I mostly tend to stick to using plugs like Alpine Music Safe, which have a small channel that lets certain frequencies (speech) and air to pass through. This stops the plugs feeling full in the ear canal. Especially useful on planes where I will wear them from take off to landing.