[elektrobank]

Here is something that I don't understand. I hear a lot that we shouldn't stick things in our ears and when cleaning our ears with qtips we should stay out of the canal otherwise we could damage our ears. So how are we able to cram these ETYs, which are bigger and hasher than a qtip, deep into our ear canals several times a day without causing any damage? And can't the frequent use of these earphones cause wax to be pushed further down into our ear canal causing more problems?
Can someone please explain how these aren't bad for our ears?

 

[joelongwood]

First off, Etys, if inserted properly, do not go far enough into the ear canal to do any damage. A Q tip, if inserted too deeply, can puncture the membrane of the ear drum. Etys shouldn't go that far.
And regarding ear wax, I would advise a thorough cleaning using a commercially available ear cleaning solution before getting involved with Etys. Some people need to do this frequently. If you are pulling out the Etys and noticing a lot of wax on the tips, a cleaning is in order. Hope this helps.

 

[Drathen]

What an interesting question to ponder, especially for me. I'm 26 yrs old and have been wearing hearing aids since I was 3 yrs old. In essence, I have 23 years experience of sticking things into my ear, especially the hearing aids I have to wear so that I can hear people talk. That being said, I cannot remember the last time I've had any type of ear infection or discomfort of any kind in my ear canal. Of course, the hearing aids I wear are custom molded to my ear and are made of solid plastic that are somewhat slick (easier to put in), but they are in my ear for 12-16 hours a day, everyday.

I would not worry too much about sticking the earbuds in your ear unless you're experiencing any physical discomfort within the canal. If they are even just a little rough, inserting them into your ears several times a day couple definitely irritate them which, if that were to happen, simply stop using the buds until your ear feels better. Also, you'll probably notice more earwax in your ear if you start using the buds a lot. When a foreign object is inserted and left in the ear canal, its normal for the body to produce more earwax as a defense. This protects against infection and lubricates the canal so that it is easier for the object to be removed.

Ahhh.. hopefully the above info was helpful, post any questions if you have them.

Drathen

 

[vb1]

actually Drathen, that info is invaluable. thanks! : )

What you should NOT do, ever, Is stick anything into the canal that is not made to go there, such as Q-tips; Too risky, and a very bad habit to form.

The only things made to go into the ear canal are a hellofalot shorter than Q-tips.