Ear Plug Safety & Correct Use - A Guide
Whether you’re a regular ear plug user, or you’re considering wearing ear plugs for the first time, it’s important to know what you’re putting in your ears. This guide will answer some questions you may have about how to use ear plugs, when and why you should wear them, and how to minimise the risks associated.
What are ear plugs?
There are a wide range of ear plugs available for a variety of uses, and the type of plugs vary depending on what they’re designed for.
In general, they’re small objects designed to sit comfortably inside your ear, usually to protect your hearing or delicate ear canal from damage. However, as explained in this guide, there’s a lot of ways people utilize ear plugs.
What are ear plugs used for?
Probably the most common use for ear plugs you may have encountered is to prevent loud noises from damaging your ears. This can be loud music at a live concert, loud machinery on a construction site, or anything else where the volumes can reach dangerous levels that may temporarily or permanently damage your hearing.
Frequent swimmers also use ear plugs to protect their ears from a fungal condition known as swimmer’s ear. Some people may feel more comfortable wearing ear plugs when flying by aeroplane to protect against the discomfort of changes in air pressure, or even the noise of a plane taking off.
There are also ear plugs designed to help light sleepers block out noise, and some to help those who struggle with anxiety or feeling overwhelmed in loud or busy environments.
Can ear plugs help with tinnitus?
Noise-cancelling ear plugs can help to relieve tinnitus symptoms such as ringing in the ears. They’re especially helpful if your tinnitus is caused or brought on by loud noises, and can prevent further damage at the same time.
But this is not true for everyone. While ear plugs are not a cause for someone to develop tinnitus, sometimes they can make the symptoms worse. If your tinnitus is worsened by silence, the noise reduction by the ear plugs could make it worse. Since this will stop once the ear plugs are removed, it’s certainly not dangerous to give it a try – but don’t be alarmed if they don’t work for you!
What types of ear plugs are available?
It's important to choose the right ear plugs for your needs to help you get the most out of their use. There are many different types of ear plugs that are easily accessible. Depending on their purpose, ear plugs can be made from silicone, foam, plastic, glass or wax. They can be purchased in different shapes, sizes or materials to suit your needs, such as memory foam ear plugs that shape to your ear or custom moulded plastic or glass ear plugs. You can also purchase earphone-style ear plugs that fit in your ears like the earphones you may use to listen to music.
Where can I get ear plugs?
Depending on what type of ear plugs you are looking for, they can be found and purchased easily. Many pharmacies will stock ear plugs suitable for day-to-day life or sleeping, while hardware stores are more likely to stock heavy-duty ear plugs suitable for noise-reduction in loud environments such as construction sites. Specialised ear plugs can also be purchased online, while custom moulded ones can be acquired through an audiologist.
Does my employer need to provide ear plugs?
If you are regularly exposed to loud noises for work, it is your employer’s duty to provide suitable ear protection for you. In the UK, it is required by law for your employer to provide ear plugs or protective earmuffs if you are likely to be exposed to an average of 85 decibels over 8 hours. 85 decibels is comparable to the noise level of a hairdryer or household vacuum, and this limit is worked out on average so if your job requires you to be around louder noises for a shorter period of time (or quieter noises for a longer time), then you have a right to ear protection. Similarly, live music venues are also required to provide ear plugs for both staff and customers.
How do you insert and use ear plugs?
The most important advice to note, regardless of which types of ear plugs you are using, is that you must ensure your hands, ears and ear plugs are clean before inserting them. This will help stop infection from forming, which could lead to more serious problems.
Most ear plugs you purchase will come with specific instructions on how to safely use them. For soft silicone or foam ear plugs, you should roll them between your fingers so that they become thinner, and then pull the top of your ear up gently to expose your ear canal. You can then insert the ear plug into your ear, making sure not to push it in too deeply that it is uncomfortable, and hold it there while the material expands to fill the space in your ear. The ear plug will stay firmly in your ear without risk of it falling out.
For custom ear plugs, the general technique is to gently insert the ear plug into your ear (taking care that you are using the correct one for your left or right ear), and slightly twist it back away from the direction of your face while gradually pushing it into your ear canal. If your custom ear plugs are uncomfortable to wear or insert, it’s important to speak to the manufacturer or audiologist you purchased them from to make sure they’re right for you.
What are the benefits of using ear plugs?
Ear plugs can be a versatile and affordable way to protect your ears. If you think you may benefit from using ear plugs, it’s better to start using them before causing any damage. For swimmers this can be to prevent swimmer’s ear or similar infections, while those who are regularly exposed to high levels of sound reduce the risk of damaging their eardrums or their hearing long-term. But they’re not just useful for prevention; ear plugs can be a great way of taking the edge off in loud environments or blocking out sound completely to help you sleep, study, work, or relax.
What risks are associated with ear plugs?
The use of ear plugs does of course come with its own risks. The most common risk when regularly using ear plugs is ear wax impaction. Our ears naturally produce wax, and this is healthy as it helps clean and moisturise our ear canals. However, ear plugs can stop this wax from naturally falling out of your ears, and can even push it further into your ear where it builds up and can cause problems such as hearing loss, tinnitus, infection or even damage to your inner ear. There is also the risk that ear plugs may get stuck in your ear, potentially leading to damage or infection.
To minimize the risks, it’s important to keep your ears and ear plugs clean, and never use damaged, dirty or broken ear plugs.
How should I clean my ear plugs?
The best way to ensure your ear plugs are clean and safe to use is to wash them in warm water with a mild soap, and then rinse with more water to get rid of anything that may cause harm to your ears or harbour bacteria. There are some specialised cleaning products designed for ear plugs available to purchase online or in pharmacies, but it’s always recommended that you check the ingredients and make sure they’re safe to use and compatible with the type of ear plugs you have.
Conclusions
The most important things to consider when purchasing or using ear plugs are:
What do you need the ear plugs to do, and are they suitable for your needs? Do your research, or speak to your pharmacist or audiologist to make sure you’re choosing the right kind of ear plugs for you.
Are they clean, sanitary and comfortable to wear? Never use dirty or broken ear plugs, if you’re worried about the condition of your ear plugs then it’s always better to replace them than take the risk.
Pay attention to your ear health – if you start to notice any hearing loss or tinnitus once you have removed them, or if you’re concerned about a potential infection then speak to a professional.
