[baskingshark]

Just saw this post from china about some kid who had a fungal ear infection from using earphones:
https://sg.style.yahoo.com/boy-grows-moulds-ear-canal-114708790.html

Any of u get ear infections with using IEMs?

I'm not one to regularly dig my ears or apply eardrops, but I find foam tips do give me ear irritation occasionally. I think so far last year I had 2 bouts of ear infections after using foam tips. But so far I don't have issues with silicone eartips. And definitely no infections with earbuds and headphones.

 

[corgifall]

I never get ear infections but I also do the ear drops twice a year(if I remember) and clean my ears with normal q tips. When I last went to the audiologist to get ear impressions they mentioned I had no wax buildup when I asked so I was happy whatever I'm doing is working all these years haha.

I use iems about 85% of the time and usually at work so 6-8 hours a day alternating ears every two hours if I'm in the lab and can only keep one iem in and one out. I do worry about ear infections since I use iems pretty much all day.

 

[thesheik137]

Make sure to clean your IEMs/tips every once in a while. If there is moisture/wax/debris buildup there is potential for contamination that can irritate your ears.
Some IEMs cause stronger vacuum/seal effect, when if used for long periods can cause moisture buildup in the ear which is also not good for the ear.
Different tips and IEM shell materials can have potential allergens and are not biocompatible, causing a reaction when in constant contact with skin.
Lastly, if an IEM is uncomfortable or you are applying excessive pressure to certain parts of the outer ear that can cause inflammation/swelling.

Generally speaking, we should not be inserting any foreign objects into the ear. So yes, there are many factors that could potentially cause infection or general irritation. As a rule, if you are feeling discomfort or irritation after using certain IEMs, stop using them until your ear is fully healed and explore what the cause of the issue could be. Using good fitting, biocompatible material IEMs that are regularly cleaned should not cause any issues, but every person's ear is different.

 

[IEMusic]

Just saw this post from china about some kid who had a fungal ear infection from using earphones:
https://sg.style.yahoo.com/boy-grows-moulds-ear-canal-114708790.html

Any of u get ear infections with using IEMs?

I'm not one to regularly dig my ears or apply eardrops, but I find foam tips do give me ear irritation occasionally. I think so far last year I had 2 bouts of ear infections after using foam tips. But so far I don't have issues with silicone eartips. And definitely no infections with earbuds and headphones.

My guess is that the reason for more infections with foam tips, is that all of those pores/cells are great places for bacteria and fungi to sit and multiply, leading to infections, even though they are not as airtight as silicone tips usually are. It is much easier to keep silicone tips clean.

One of the main things is not to let moisture sit in your ear canal for too long without any ventilation. Make sure your ear canals are fully dry before using IEMs or hearing aids, and it’s good to take them out every few hours.

 

[baskingshark]

My guess is that the reason for more infections with foam tips, is that all of those pores/cells are great places for bacteria and fungi to sit and multiply, leading to infections, even though they are not as airtight as silicone tips usually are. It is much easier to keep silicone tips clean.

One of the main things is not to let moisture sit in your ear canal for too long without any ventilation. Make sure your ear canals are fully dry before using IEMs or hearing aids, and it’s good to take them out every few hours.

Yeah I've mostly given up on foam tips due to the infections they cause me. Plus they ain't too durable and need replacement now and then, so actually it might be quite costly in the long run.

I usually rotate my IEMs with earbuds and cans so as to give the ear canal a rest, but yeah I think it is a ventilation issue as you say.

 

[Malevolent]

Thankfully, I've never experienced anything as severe as a ear infection. The worst that I've encountered are occasional zits in my ears. They get big enough to cause some level of discomfort when using my CIEMs.

Make sure to clean your IEMs/tips every once in a while. If there is moisture/wax/debris buildup there is potential for contamination that can irritate your ears.

Yeah, good point. I clean my IEMs (and headphones) after each listening session. This keeps them in a pristine state (as best I can).

 

[Spareribs]

Anything weird can happen to your body. Historically speaking, on very rare occasions, there have been people who actually grew a horn on their head.

 

[jeejack]

I keep my iem's in a watch box and clean them after a while. No infection so far. I rarely use them now because i'm a fan of earbuds

 

[hmscott]

It takes but a second or two to spray some alcohol/hydrogen peroxide solution (also cleans my glasses and lenses) onto a tissue and spin the tip around in the disinfectant tissue to clean off the wax and film after/before each use of an IEM. It's kinda gross how much is there the next day after the liquids have dried overnight. The cleaning solution removes all the debris and makes the tips shine clean.

For me the AZLA Sedna tips haven't degraded in months of daily cleaning: Amazon.com : AZLA sedna

The cleaning / disinfecting solution might be enough for the Foam tips, maybe initially soak them in the solution a bit to reach into the cracks too. But, there will likely still be "cleansed" debris stuck in the cracks which can sprout again given time.

My occasional sore ear stopped when I started cleaning off the tips between uses...

 

[Yasin Caliskan]

Its %100 possible if you are careless. Infections can occur at everwhere of our bodies. And listening an iem that an ignorant fella of his general health listented before guarantees it.

 

[Ryokan]

I only get skin irritation using foam tips, so prefer silicone which I clean after each use. On the rare occasion I deep clean my ears I use a syringe with a nozzle that sprays only to the sides using warm water. Occasionally I'll put a smear of moisturising cream in my outer ear.

 

[Midcentric]

I didn't yet. But reckless people might cause it.

 

[slex]

No ear infection here too, i use ear drops too once a while and invest in sterilizer box for foam tips after use. I also use sterilizer box for drying out my silicon tips after washing.