[Whitebread]

Have any of you guys experienced ear infections as a result of using your Ety's often?

 

[GreatDane]

clean ears+clean tips= no problems

 

[bellsprout]

i think i just did

are u worried because ety's go in further and tips are wider than others? i think it's just because i'm reckless with hygiene

 

[Whitebread]

No, I'm not worried about the size of the tips, just if they wre causing ear infectons. I'm going to run out to the store and get some peroxide and give them a good cleaning.

 

[tnmike1]

WHOA: Peroxide might damage the eartips. Unless you're using the peroxide in yr ears and that's bad too.

I have Etys stuck in my ears about three hours daily. Here's what I do.

1) Hve several eartips and change them each morning. Wash the ones you remove in plain soap and water and let dry for 24 hrs.

2) Go to drugstore and get ear cleaning liquid. Forget the name but ask pharmacist. About every three days or so irrigate your ears with this stuff. It's purified water and a little medical stuff in it so it'sOK to use frequently. It avoids earwax buildup and other junk from accumulating in the ear.

Clean ears, clean Ety tips = no ear problems. But someone already posted that

 

[n_maher]

I've been using mine for 3+ years and have yet to have an issue with them. I generally change foamies as soon as they start looking like they need to be changed, there's no magic to it.

This reminds me of one of my favorite Ralph Wiggum quotes:

"The doctor said I wouldn't have so many nose bleeds if I kept my finger outta there."

 

[jules650]

AFAIK it's swimmers who commonly suffer from otitis externa which is infection of the outer ear (the bits you see up to your eardrum). Good hygeine should prevent any IEM user from getting a ear infection.

Urea-hydrogen peroxide is commonly prescribed for ear wax buildup. I've used it before with great results and my eardrum is still intact.

 

[drarthurwells]

Only way I could see that they could cause infections (assuming you don't share with others) is if they were tight fitting and irritated the skin of the ear canal, causing very tiny skin ruptures that allowed microbes to enter under the skin. As long as skin integrity is maintained, infections shoudn't be an issue.

More likely the latex or foam material could cause an allergic reaction to the ear canal.

But what do I know?

My doctorate is in pornographic film making.

 

[JeffS]

If you keep them clean and keep the ear wax to a minimum you should be fine.

For cleaning the tips, here's what I've done for a few years:

Silicone Ear Tip Only:
soak overnight in hydrogen peroxide. It won't damage them, and will help
to restore some of the whiteness that gets lost over time and usage.

Rinse with fresh water.

Shake Dry

Quick dip into isopropyl alcohol, and allow to air dry the rest of the way.

When I say quick dip, it's about 30 seconds to a minute, enough to get all surfaces, and should kill all the germs that might be there.

The alcohol serves a second pupose, Any water that was left on them, will now be displaced by the alcohol, and the alcohol will evaporate off very quickly. The air dry should only take about a minute at that point.

Then you're ready to put them back on.

If they are wet when you put them on, you will mess up the filters....

good luck
-Jeff

 

[InEarMonster]

I haven't had a problem and even thought I'm not even a doctor of pornography, I shove them way in. I dunno if it'd help, but I highly recommend the comply canal tips.

 

[Whitebread]

THanks guys, I think I'm going to try the alcohol suggestion, as I have some readily avaliable.

 

[bellsprout]

any ways of "cleaning" foamies? i know theyre supposed to be disposable, but i'd like it if they lasted a while so i don't have to keep replacing them.

 

[Jokieman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tnmike1 2) Go to drugstore and get ear cleaning liquid. Forget the name but ask pharmacist. About every three days or so irrigate your ears with this stuff. It's purified water and a little medical stuff in it so it'sOK to use frequently. It avoids earwax buildup and other junk from accumulating in the ear.

Actually that ear cleaning liquid can result in infections. You're not supposed to use that stuff but maybe once a month, if that.

The cerumen (ear wax) in your ear is designed to protect the ear and insulate against infections. getting rid of all of it can do just what you are trying to avoid.

An alcohol Swab (http://www.drugstore.com/products/pr..._alcohol_swabs) should be plenty to clean you're non-disposable rubber ear-tips. As for Foamies, just replace them when they start getting funky.

P.S. You can also use Alcohol Wipes if the swab's are too unwieldy.

 

[kunwar]

Audiclean, it is essentially some form of sea water bottled off the coast of France, as for q-tips etc, might I suggest a simpler and far more efficient regimen..
Whe showering use some soap; and clean the inside of your ears, for all the smartypants around, No you do not shove soap down your ears instead use your fingers with some soap on it, then let some water run from the shower head directly into each ear for approximately 5 seconds, works perfectly,

Audiclean helps as it dissolves and removes ear wax , the above method works well for me, it might help you as well, also make sure your ears are dry

 

[GreatDane]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bellsprout any ways of "cleaning" foamies? i know theyre supposed to be disposable, but i'd like it if they lasted a while so i don't have to keep replacing them.

I use hot water and dish washing soap most times. Hydrogen peroxide or ispropyl alcohol can work too. Rinse them well and allow plenty of drying time.

Wash rinse, repeat...although after a couple washings the amount of isolation really suffers because the foam loses it fluffyness.