Warning on the use of ear plugs

I also use ear plugs frequently both because of noisy hotels and on aircraft.

However after contracting labyrinthitis, which is terribly debilitating (you can’t even stand up you are so dizzy), and also frequently recurs, I was told one of the possible reasons was because of using ear pluigs, so now I only use them when necessary, and try not to achieve a complete “seal”. It makes them less effective, but unscientifically, I hope it will reduce the chance of a recurrence of it.

I hope all goes well this evening Martyn.

I never use them on flights but have started to at home and find them very beneficial. My problem is that I get up in the morning and it takes me a few minutes to locate one or both. Usually at the bottom of the bed and thankfully not down my ear canal !!

Martyn: good luck with the extraction

The plugs sound like some I’ve bought from Boots to use for swimming. They come in a small box of six and can easily be shaped to the canal by moulding with warm hands while being kept in one piece. They have worked well since and my experience of total deafness (in Bogota) when water became unremovable from below ear wax has not been repeated.

Horrible, hope you’re ok MartynSinclair. Daughter uses them a lot when travelling with me – my snoring doesn’t help the fact that she needs them.
On a similar subject.
Anyone got a good recommendation for in-ear headphones? I prefer those to ear plugs for flying.
I have a good set of Philips ones with a noise reducing switch half way down the cable. I like them but they are almost done and looking for new ones is impossible/confusing. What should I pay? 100? 150? Make? Everyone likes different I know, but the noise reducing/cancelling function on my current ancient ones is great.

Straight from the Consultants mouth..

First time in 30 years he had seen silicon so close to the ear drum. The likely cause could have been combining 2 different pieces of the silicon or more likely, inserting small amounts and just pushing too far in… He said the product was good and he has used similar in his past time of shooting..

A couple of points he mentioned to help me in the future..

1. Always insert large amounts rather than small amounts. That way there is little chance of a small amount breaking away

2. A better product to use to soften noise and to water proof the ear is good old bostick blue-tak. Again, use larger chunks and mold to the ear in one piece.

3. The top end (the bose of ear plugs) is to have your own molded to your ear, plugs. These can run from anything from £70 to £150… I have just Googled the subject and entered into a brave new world of silence!!

Thanks for your good wishes… all has ended well and I have been educated at the same time..