[Aman]

I recently had some experience with a cheap set of IEMs - my first experience with IEMs in a long time. The IEMs were a no-name brand model I actually bought in China for about three dollars. Anyway, when I inserted them, I immediately noticed that one of the channels was a lot quieter than the other. I took them off to discover that the left earbud was covered with earwax. The right side was too, but I must not have inserted them as far, and thus the sound was louder than the left.

I do apparently produce a lot of earwax. Now, most people here probably know that Q-tips are a no-no and my audiologist says to not touch the insides of my ears, saying that the earwax should leave my inner ear over time. I was a little freaked out when I realized that these IEMs could have easily pushed earwax further into my ears.

What I would like to know is, can anybody tell me whether or not this would happen with more respectable IEMs? Say I picked up some Shure E5Cs. Would this have happened with them too? I simply don't want my IEMs to be pushing earwax further into my ear. I have sworn by closed headphones for when I need sound isolation, but I may be getting to the point where I need better isolation than my AKG K271s headphones can provide. I'd like to try out IEMs, but I need to make sure that my health isn't at risk by doing so. Could anybody offer some advice?

Thanks a ton in advance!

 

[Ingo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aman /img/forum/go_quote.gif I recently had some experience with a cheap set of IEMs - my first experience with IEMs in a long time. The IEMs were a no-name brand model I actually bought in China for about three dollars. Anyway, when I inserted them, I immediately noticed that one of the channels was a lot quieter than the other. I took them off to discover that the left earbud was covered with earwax. The right side was too, but I must not have inserted them as far, and thus the sound was louder than the left. I do apparently produce a lot of earwax. Now, most people here probably know that Q-tips are a no-no and my audiologist says to not touch the insides of my ears, saying that the earwax should leave my inner ear over time. I was a little freaked out when I realized that these IEMs could have easily pushed earwax further into my ears. What I would like to know is, can anybody tell me whether or not this would happen with more respectable IEMs? Say I picked up some Shure E5Cs. Would this have happened with them too? I simply don't want my IEMs to be pushing earwax further into my ear. I have sworn by closed headphones for when I need sound isolation, but I may be getting to the point where I need better isolation than my AKG K271s headphones can provide. I'd like to try out IEMs, but I need to make sure that my health isn't at risk by doing so. Could anybody offer some advice? Thanks a ton in advance!

The Shure E5s would probably go even further into your ear. I used to wear IEMs every day for 6+ hours at a time (with very low volume) and I didn't notice any earwax backup or anything like that. I don't use Q-tips, but when I have, I was tempted to go much further into my ears than my IEMs go (and IEMs go further into my ears than most).

 

[Joshatdot]

I would think that single, double, tripple flange tips would not "push" as much as foam tips.

 

[steviebee]

And your audiologist says....?

 

[ClieOS]

IEM do sometime cause people to produce more earwax, as a reason IEM user should clean their ear canal over time. The standard way is using those over the counter earwax removing solution, the only concern is you have to be sure that you haven't suffer any inner ear injury lately or there will be a risk of infection (due to the introducing of liquid - but that also happen in shower anyway). If you do have inner ear injury, you should visit a doctor (obviously). Always make sure you ear canals are completely dry after the cleaning process. Also be sure that you never clean too often.

I made this post on the other similar thread, please see last point:
Quote:

Quote: Originally Posted by Mindless The doctors I've gone to about my hearing from past to present have always said this: "Never put something smaller than your elbow into your ears." - in other words, don't put anything into them, unless absolutely necessary. Lets don't take what doctor said out of its intended context. The three main reason for doctor to advise patient not to put something smaller than elbow into their earcanal are: 1) Risk of puncturing eardrum - almost impossible for IEM to do unless you are super creepy and suicidal. 2) Risk of infection due to scratched skin - IEM has tips to deal with scratch. 3) Risk of earwax clotting / deepening due to foreign object blockage - this problem can be easily avoided as 1) all IEM users should maintain clean ear canals. 2) most IEM are only intended to insert very shallowly.

Unlike Westerner, Asians tend to use some type of ear-pick to clean their ear, which is what I do most of the time (and never have any problem with it).

 

[BushGuy]

I got the same advice re both IEMs and Q-tips from Dr. here in N.Y.C.. Ergo, I no longer use Q-tips, and use IEMs much more sparingly. No more IEMs on my shopping list. I'm almost 65 and never had reason, before this time, to ever have need for an Otologist before...................pushing wax further into ear comment - I was told the same - and flanged tips are obviously a worse choice scenerio.

 

[Aevum]

there are some earwax disolving sprays, you can also use a syrengie with warm water or paroxide, just remember to NOT use the needle,

 

[DJShadow]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ClieOS /img/forum/go_quote.gif Unlike Westerner, Asians tend to use some type of ear-pick to clean their ear, which is what I do most of the time (and never have any problem with it).

I use cotton buds (q-tips) every time I wash my hair. Haven't experienced any ear related problems ever, probably due to the fact that Chinese, Japanese, Thai etc people produce the 'wet' kind of earwax/cerumen. European (Caucasian?) people produce solid earwax which is maybe why the doctor recommends avoiding using q-tips.

 

[ClieOS]

I think this is really a person dependent issue... I use IEM for 4 years now, and still having no problem what-so-ever with them. I once have an earwax clotting problem due to very bad dust problem in my living area, but using IEM doesn't seems to bother me a bit. Of course now I am cleaning my ear quite regularly (ever since the clotting). It is one thing an IEM user has to deal with, for isolating him/her-self from the noisy world

 

[BushGuy]

Isolation is best-achieved by living in a cave on a montaintop.........become a monk, a sage, a seer, a wiseman, an oracle.

A post above raised the question - what if I, a caucasian, married an asian woman - what kind of earwax would be produced by our child ?

 

[tbonner1]

It took me a while to get used to them. I have had no problem, use qtips to clean my ears and keep the IEM tips clean.

 

[spencexxx]

You could also try ear candles which you can find at the pharmacy or maybe an organic health store. They draw the wax out with heat and are not as dangerous as it sounds when I type it!

 

[starmaker]

I clean my ear out with q-tips every week or every other week.

 

[Aevum]

i think its more about humidity and envirenment, asian is more tropical/humid, giving the earwax a higher water content, making it more fluid,

so baiscly, take a white guy to asia, after a few months/years, he will have fluid ear wax,

 

[Ingo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aevum /img/forum/go_quote.gif i think its more about humidity and envirenment, asian is more tropical/humid, giving the earwax a higher water content, making it more fluid, so baiscly, take a white guy to asia, after a few months/years, he will have fluid ear wax,

I'm a white guy who lives in Phoenix Arizona (one of the most arid cities in the world, probably) and I have wet ear wax. When is this earwax stereotyping going to end? All colors and creeds can have any kind of earwax they want!

Quote:

Originally Posted by spencexxx /img/forum/go_quote.gif You could also try ear candles which you can find at the pharmacy or maybe an organic health store. They draw the wax out with heat and are not as dangerous as it sounds when I type it!

I've seen people crucified for bringing up ear candling on head-fi before. Some people say it's dangerous, but I just think it's silly. Getting your ears flushed is much more fruitful it seems.