My neighbor’s air-conditioner squeaks. Very repetitive and nasty.
I have to use ear plugs to be able to sleep, otherwise the squeaking drives me bug-fuck crazy. (“Short trip.”)
But a friend said there can be health problems with regular use of ear plugs. Is this so? She said it’s something to do with moisture. Is there a mitigation?
(I have a noise-maker running also, but it can’t block the really high-pitched squeaking noise. The ear plugs block the high-pitched noise perfectly, while letting low-pitch noise through. They’re exactly what I want…but are they a bad idea for health reasons?)
This link lists the same warnings I’ve seen from other sources, which basically boils down to using foam ear plugs regularly isn’t a great idea because they increase your risk of impacted wax and ear infections, and recommendations are typically using noise machines, molded earplugs, noise-cancelling headphones, etc. It seems only using them every other night helps your ears balance out moisture issues, but if you’re at the point where you can’t sleep due to noise, that might not work well.
I’ve used disposable foam earplugs almost nightly for the last several years with no ill effects other than the occasional brief earache if I accidentally nudged one in too far. Unfortunately I haven’t found an alternative that can defeat my spouse’s snoring.
I’ve used them for almost 20 years–no prob. (One dog snores.) I buy a big container of them at Target. They are THE BOMB. I use a pair for a couple or three nights and then dispose of them.
I used to buy big boxes of these (200 pairs) when I worked the midnight shift. They worked like magic. http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_EU/PPE_SafetySolutions_EU/Safety/Product_Catalogue/~/3M-E-A-R-E-A-Rsoft-FX-Earplugs?N=7576574+3294361592+3294857473&rt=rud
I’d make sure my fingers were clean, roll (one at a time) into a thin cylinder shape, stick it in my ear while pulling down on my earlobe, wait for it to expand before letting go, then repeat for the other ear. I only ever used them once each. I knew people that rinsed them and reused them, but for the amazing benefit they brought me, I felt they were worth the price even if only used once, and I didn’t fear infections and such from sticking a used one in my ear.
Missed the edit damn time.
I would pull up the top of my ear, not down on the earlobe. (I work days now, and actually forgot the installation method I’d used countless times!)
I have worn them every night since my husband first moved in, six and a half years ago. No problems. My ears are cleaner because the wax comes out on the plugs (TMI?)
Early on I worried about whether this was healthy, and brought it up with him. He says that when he worked in a factory everybody wore them for the whole 8.5 hour shift. There were guys who had worked there for thirty years. It wasn’t a problem.
^Exactly. Kazillions of construction and industrial workers use them daily for years, and I have yet to hear about any epidemic of ear moisture problems.
That said, as one of those kazillion factory workers that’s very familiar with foam earplugs, I’ve found certain brands/materials very irritating to use. There was one kind we had for a while that my ears had a bad reaction to, red and inflamed and sore, but that was solved by simply switching to a different type. It’s easy to see how someone could have a reaction and make the assumption that all foam ear plugs are potentially hazardous instead of it being a more singular thing.
I love it when you squish them down and stick them in your ears and as they expand, the volume of the world around you goes down…down…down…down…until there’s just this lovely silence. Like being in the womb again, only quieter.
Irrelevant to the question, but have you asked your neighbor to fix their AC, at least enough to cure the squeak? Such things can be hugely expensive (failing compressor, etc.) or trivial (put a plastic bushing under a screw).
And if someone is worried about that, a quick shot of the hair dryer (on low, and on low heat) pointed into each ear for a minute will take care of any moisture problems. (Pro tip: it also helps if you tend to get swimmers ear.)
I’ve used foam plugs for several years (more than 5), and never have a problem. I change them every 1-3 weeks depending on how dirty they get, but it’s to the point I can’t sleep without them.
When I first started using them, the only warning I’d heard was they cause micro-abrasions in your ear canal. As far as I know I’ve never experienced that, but maybe that was the problem with that brand. I think I’ve used the same brand the entire time and haven’t had issues, possibly due to dumb luck.
Thank you, everyone! I’m feeling much safer and more confident now.
What’s funny is that, for me, they work just the opposite! I squish 'em into my ears, and everything is dead silent, but then the foam slowly expands, and so the background noise level very slowly rises. But it keeps the hellish evil squeak from Tartarus below the threshold of audibility, so that’s all that matters.
Also, it makes the sound of my own breathing seem very loud…but I get used to that very quickly.
I haven’t had the nerve to go and talk to him. Foolish of me, I know, but I have this nightmare of a long-term neighborhood feud, with him retaliating against me with leaf-blowers, motorcycles with no mufflers, Oontz-oontz music, and so on.
This happens because you don’t have them in far enough. If you can hear your own breathing, they’re not deep enough in your ear canal. Don’t worry-- they won’t get lost in there. When they’re all the way in, it’s dead silence-- like having your head encased in… hmmm…what? A block of candle wax? Snow? Silly putty?
This is similar to the tampon issue. I had girlfriends who wouldn’t use tampons because “they hurt,” or “they were uncomfortable.” The rule of thumb (as it were) is that if you can feel it AT ALL, you don’t have it in far enough. I’m guessing that example doesn’t help you all that much.
