Originally Posted by jordanross /img/forum/go_quote.gif Glad you got it out!
How deep was it exactly?
I hope it wasn't painful.
Tri-flanged tips are deep insertion IEMs. They go pretty deep into the ear canal and make a tight seal. I know my earplugs go in deep(at leas past the bend in the ear canal).
To do it myself...
I would use a plastic stylus like you might get with tablet or similar device, it is narrow but softer, less hazardous than metal....Make sure never to insert any sharply-angled objects - "Blunt is Best" - think more like cotton swab than like tweezers....if you can get it into the interior "tunnel," or into the neck of a flange, you can VERY gently "push" the tip backwards until it loses seal. Then it will be loose enough to remove by hand. Different tips vary in flexibility - silicone being notable for both it's flex and it "grippiness" (friction is same thing?)
If tip is too deep or too tight, best bet is to have it removed by a medical office or the emergency room.
If a VERY cautious DIY removal fails, don't risk pain or injury... You could have a spasm, etc. and puncture your ear drum; there are other scenarios.
This <not the puncture, praise God!> did happen to me once with a badly oversize tip, and I STUPIDLY used an ultra fine point sharpie to slide it out... I had a blue line on the skin for a little while....
p.s. lubrication is essential...try using hot water - just not so hot that it burns...
lol i've had this happen to me more than once with stupid monster turbine tips (things do not want to stay on) and just took them out myself with tweezers, and on one occasion some needle nosed pliers! granted i was very slow and careful with them and didn't push the tip in deeper or jam the metal tool hard or deep in my ear.
doctor would be safest but i don't have insurance and am not willing to pay $300+ for a possible trifling matter. but honestly, especially since i was careful i doubt there was any risk of me doing any damage. aren't tri-flange tips impossible to push against the eardrum anyway? seems they get so wide they couldn't get past a certain point anyway.
lol i've had this happen to me more than once with stupid monster turbine tips (things do not want to stay on) and just took them out myself with tweezers, and on one occasion some needle nosed pliers! granted i was very slow and careful with them and didn't push the tip in deeper or jam the metal tool hard or deep in my ear. no damage done, little discomfort but no pain and they come out slow and easy.
doctor would be safest i suppose, but i don't have insurance and am not willing to pay $300+ for a possible trifling matter. especially since i was careful i doubt there was any risk of me doing any damage. if you want to really play it safe be my guest. aren't tri-flange tips impossible to push against the eardrum anyway? seems they get so wide they couldn't get past a certain point.
Believe it or not, this is also one of the reasons why I decided to get customs after using universals for years. I had one moment where a tip was stuck in my ear, but it was shallow enough that my family member was able to pull it out using tweezers (it was visible at the entrance of the ear canal). Didn't want to experience that again, and so I started thinking about customs. The sound quality and comfort + the peace of mind knowing they won't get lodged in my ears = two happy ears.
lol i've had this happen to me more than once with stupid monster turbine tips (things do not want to stay on) and just took them out myself with tweezers, and on one occasion some needle nosed pliers! granted i was very slow and careful with them and didn't push the tip in deeper or jam the metal tool hard or deep in my ear. no damage done, little discomfort but no pain and they come out slow and easy.
doctor would be safest i suppose, but i don't have insurance and am not willing to pay $300+ for a possible trifling matter. especially since i was careful i doubt there was any risk of me doing any damage. if you want to really play it safe be my guest. aren't tri-flange tips impossible to push against the eardrum anyway? seems they get so wide they couldn't get past a certain point.
i got a comply tip caught in my ear a while back...it slipped off when i tried to remove my IEM and i made things worse when i tried to get it out myself by pushing it firther in...i ended up going to the doctor and he removed it but it was a real hassle and quite uncomfortable....i am much more careful now to be sure and i try to use the larger comply tips which if they get stuck are easier to remove
I would not recommend ER for such situations. Wait until you see your ER bill, then you would understand what I mean. I had this happen with my tips alot, I usually can take it out myself, if not someone else can do a better job and not charge me hundreds of dollars for their time.
Well, I'm a little over two hours into sticking my head into boiling water so I thought I'd take it out for a moment and give you a report...after I finish posting on "shrunken headfi."
I went to the ER and did wait two hours but it was worth it to have the security of a doctor using his safe and sterile tool to pull out the sucker.
And I'm glad I posted on the forum. We're supposed to be a supportive community and I found it helpful to hear an assortment of ideas as I was under great stress.
Some of you may think this is all about gear and gab but I have formed some very fine friendships here on headfi. And asking for help and reaching out to others is a part of that.
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