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Conditions and Diseases > Ear, Nose and Throat Disorders Forum > Moldable earplugs and ear inflammation
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Q: Moldable earplugs and ear inflammation
asked by: DoctorQuestion on February 21st, 2009
I am a very light sleeper living in an apartment building where I am frequently kept awake by my neighbors' conversations, music, television, etc. So I sometimes wear ear plugs while sleeping. The foam earplugs which are inserted into the ear canal are painful for me due to the pressure they put on my ear canal, so I have been using the moldable wax or silicone earplugs that cover the ear canal and seal it, since these do not need to be inserted into the ear canal. Due to the water-tight seal they create, I usually find a little bit of fluid in my ear when I remove them in the morning, which quickly dries. In the past, I tried using these earplugs every night, but got recurrent ear infections, so I switched to just using them occasionally, which seems to work without any problem. More recently, moldable earplugs have become available that include an anti-microbial ingredient. Are these earplugs safe to wear every night?


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Dr. Goce Aleksovski , MD
replied on February 23rd, 2009
Ear, Nose and Throat Disorders Answer A5855


No studies can be found about the moldable earplugs. The manufacturers claim that the moldable earplugs are quite safe to wear.


However, given the symptoms that you reported, you might experience fluid in the ear again as the earplugs are water-proof and won’t let out the natural wax that is formed in the outer ear canal. This wax contains a small quantity of fluid which might irritate your ear and cause inflammation again. The inflammation does not necessarily mean that you have infection, too.




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mrtudball
replied on June 25th, 2009
New User
ear plugs
simply put, your ear is one of chambers in your head that most times needs ventilation.. remember to least keep your ears open as much as tolerated.. as we all understand anything inserted into the ear can cause issues.. i recommend trying out many brands and types.. i had to, i soon found several brands and certain types work well with me. i find foam is more breathable. stick with better quality brands also, just do your research, trial and error and once a month just some gentle cleaning of the canals with a simple solution such as murine eardrops can help things out and a weekly doucing of a mild cleanser such as 50%-70% isopropyl alcohol. (earplug user of 20 years, so i do know my stuff.)
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