How to use FOAM Hearing Protection and Ear Plugs - Proper Insertion Technique

Dr. Clifford Olson, Audiologist and former Marine Corps Scout Sniper from Applied Hearing Solutions in Anthem Arizona, teaches the proper way to insert foam earplugs.
Website: www.DrCliffAuD...
Clinic Website: www.AppliedHea...

[@Krissy_Bunnie]

Great for neighbors with no concept of time or sound

[@maryamzahid5149]

Actually I am that neighbor!!!! True though lol

[@shadyyam2488]

OMG I RELATE WITH THIS

[@PurplePinkRed]

Or people you live in the same damn house with 🤦‍♀️

[@dianaz9221]

Oh my god, that is why Im here.

[@qwertyCandy]

Diana Z Same here. Damn, do I love his dog and the way it barks all night long... 😩

[@john78tv]

I bought some ear plugs that were 4 1/2 stars online. When I used them, I could still hear everything - it was b/c I wasn't using them properly, so thank you for this video!!

[@DrCliffAuD]

Glad to help John!

[@laurabernaystudioforvoicetuiti]

I know what you mean, I had same experience. The noise (ball thud) is actually more prominent as all other noise blocked out EXCEPT the basketball! Grrrrr....

[@goonersfanno1]

My roomate snoors a lot, so I bought some foam earplugs, and at the first didn't help at all. I'd just put them in my ear and could hear everything. Didn't know I had to shape them and put them deep in my ear. Last night is the first time in a while I got some good sleep. Thanks, bless ya

[@Shejejjenwn_02]

My parents snore wayyy too much and our new apartment is not soundproof so I always have to put the tv and fan and piano music on so I can relax and try to sleep with a better sound but damn I wake up do stress because I’m cold and is so loud AGHH I’m a very sensitive sleeper so once I’m up I’m up so reading your comment gives me hope for tonight

[@aniketchoudhary8936]

Get ones with string as a chord.

[@uzairarshad4231]

But how do you hear your alarm?

[@goonersfanno1]

@@uzairarshad4231 Vibration wakes me up.

[@MarcLloydZ]

@@uzairarshad4231 SMARTWATCH VIBRATES GOOD PLUS USE IT WITH PHONE VIBRATE OR TOY VIBRATION IF U KNOW WHAT I MEAN

[@AuraAzarcon]

Using this to help block out noise when I'm studying. Thanks for the informative video!

[@DrCliffAuD]

Happy to help!

[@noushicalicut3502]

Hi how are you

[@roshanara9644]

Yeah

[@ET-si7rl]

@thakurhimanshu tomar wow

[@moej3911]

@thakurhimanshu tomar go to store, purchase

[@jessejames863]

problem is lack of info and knowledge, we teach kids the dangers of smoking, drinking drugs, etc. cancers.....but there is no knowledge or info on hearing protection taught in schools or by parents, most people don't even know that parties and concerts and clubs damage hearing. its crazy how there is such a lack of knowledge of protecting ones hearing. most people don't protect thier hearing and thats the sad part. i wish society would teach children the importance of protecting hearing in school

[@H37P5kY57]

It's also ridiculous going to the movie theater and needing to wear there to watch a movie.. I also go to sporting events with these too. Unfortunately, I can't seem to get these earplugs into my ear canal - so I'm at a lost on what to do besides wearing them the wrong way as this dr describes.

[@learningisfun4315]

None of that should actually be

[@jessejames863]

@@H37P5kY57 go on amazon and buy concert ear plugs they are ten times better than foam plugs and are easy to put in. they cost more but they work a lot better

[@H37P5kY57]

@@jessejames863 thanks so much for that piece of advice. I wasn't sure if those ones even worked

[@adamatch9624]

bartman1995 all the things you mentioned the teach are deadly that’s why like do you want them to start teaching kids to wear sunglasses to not tan as it fucks your skin or teach them the importance of correctly cutting your nails? Then teaching about hearing protection is not need all that much like going to parties ain’t that bad as normal, the sound is coming from one place like stop being so worried and let people live the way they what.

[@thefunplace4269]

I'm afraid that if I insert the plug too deep, I won't be able to get it out.

[@abhijeetsutar4212]

Too much deep will cause problem in eardrums

[@Shejejjenwn_02]

Me when I was about to use a tampon the first time. That didn’t go bad so I hope this won’t

[@rover5058]

@@Shejejjenwn_02 lmao

[@xiddiabbas1311]

connect both airpads with each other through a small silky soft rope..so that you can pull it out easily if you want to pull

[@MrMeat347]

it is actually not possible to put them in too deep because the are only like half an inch and the ear canal is not straight and it bends.

[@toddburnett4853]

Wow, I work around airlines all day and my company provides the foam ear protection but never should me how to use them. I thought they were crap. This video may have saved my hearing.

[@Carlos-td6bz]

How many days would u use the same pair of earplugs?

[@zuzu2593]

i recently tried using the second type of earplug shown in this video. after rolling the plug into a thin form, the person that was teaching me how to insert them told me to "insert it in my ear canal and then push AS HARD AS I CAN for about a minute." DO NOT MAKE THIS MISTAKE. pushing AS HARD AS I CAN removed ALL the air from my ear canal, and as soon as i removed my finger from the plug, the resulting expansion created negative pressure on my ear drum and my ear drum ruptured (in other words, my eardrum got "sucked" outwards" and made an extremely painful pop). i've had severe hearing loss in my left ear for the last 2 weeks. i thought it would come back but it's still the same and i'm worried that the damage caused is irreversible. so, learn from my mistake people. only need to apply a bit of pressure when holding the plug to your ear after inserting.

[@apostolismoschopoulos1876]

wow what happened next? are you ok now?

[@learningisfun4315]

Yeah tell us

[@godschild5587]

please update us, are you ok now?

[@69p.a63]

How are you now?

[@mrwhatsreal8430]

Now im scared to even put an earplug

[@bermaingim9652]

I'm glad i see this video before the earplug package came, LOL. You got 1 Like from Indonesia. Thanks

[@sagawa1179]

cuy cara pakek ny gmn yg pvc

[@evander29]

@@sagawa1179 kalo yang pvc setauku colok aja langsung

[@verachandra5934]

Kak pakai nya merek apa ya kalo bole tau?

[@remingtontreich9986]

I was so shook when all the sound just disappeared

[@h.m.d5264]

I love ear plugs! I usually use them to concentrate on my work in noisy environments, and those plugs does indeed help me being productive! Thank you for the amazing video!

[@patsyw4141]

I'm really surprised to see its safe to push the ear bud so far in. What if you can't get it out? Plus when I've had some in well, i can hear my heart beating, which is very off-putting. I found gel ones good, but as i noticed regular use saw them disintegrate, i stopped using them.

[@vamos419]

They're not gonna get stuck inside but you just push some ear wax deep into your ear canal.

[@mjrhelpstootherathletes8422]

@@vamos419 thanks for helpful commemt I was ordered it recently I had this fear that it will stuck inside.

[@ninam1061]

I work night shift and my neighbors decided to remodel their home and yell over the drills and hammers, I couldn't figure out how to shove these little Orange things in my ears, thank you.

[@aristoteles9895]

That’s the same problem I have. My neighbors started remodeling about 6 months ago and I am slowly getting insane because of this constant noise an the lack of sleep.

[@mrpresident8798]

Always a pleasure to hear Jim Carrey's health advices. Thank you!

[@drajai8405]

🤣🤣🤣 i m searching comments related to jim carrey

[@griizzd]

Trippy…..cuhh sound like cuhh more than he look look like cuhh

[@juliodelrio1737]

Thank you...about 18 Years ago I shot a 38 special without hearing protection and felt some pain in my right ear and ringing and slowly there after I been having ringing in THAT ear... gotten a little louder pitch over the years and now its permanent...I'm now 57 and wish I had listened too my friends..so please people put ear protection in...good video thank you....

[@Sunshine-rq1ow]

You know you’d think inserting an ear plug would be common sense. Nope. I was doing it the wrong way, the way you showed in the video actually. Now, I can’t hear a thing. 🙋🏼‍♀️ Thank you.

[@KevBautista]

Thanks Doc. Cliff. Our cats wake us up early in the morning and we've lost sleep over it for almost a week now. Appreciate this guide. Now I can use my ear inserts properly.

[@hanantaha-md]

This is SO cool... I tried it as you describe and I could HEAR your video sound volume decreasing as they expanded in my ear! Thank you so much! I always thought these plugs were useless, and it turns out I just wasn't inserting them correctly!

[@kc4ril]

I was interested to know if there are any significant difference in the different brands of foam ear plugs? I see some marketed as "mute and noise canceling" but I don't know if there is any significant difference between them and the cheaper ones.

[@makeye]

Are there any additional cleaning procedures you should take for your ear to prevent pushing earwax deep into your ear? I clean my ears normally now but wonder if I need to do anything more if I start using ear plugs nightly.

[@scottiehippie]

I am currently going to an audiologist tomorrow. It's extremely nessicary if you feel there's to much ear wax in your ear.

[@emilbashir2817]

I use those every night when going to bed I'm worried that it might push the earwax against my eardrum causing rupture eventually

[@barbhaines2357]

When I roll my earplugs, they won’t thin out. They stay the same way I bought them.

[@apostolismoschopoulos1876]

they are not foam?

[@trut52]

happens when they are super old or cheap

[@tilakdhakal7138]

Thank you so much Doctor for the information.. I would like to ask you is it healthy to use during sleeping?

[@Zairasmemories]

Thank god i found this video i have ligorophobia (fear of very loud noises ex fireworks, gunshots, etc) and since today is newyears eve i got the 3m earplugs at a shooting range so i wouldnt be startked by fireworks again

[@afrogaluk7]

Neighbour has been harassing me with anti-social noise so just brought some plugs. Thanks for showing the correct way to insert, it was clear & concise.

[@MrCodgod666]

Want to stop hearing my bloody husband snore 😴😡

[@SheAndMe]

Have been using foam ear plugs for very loud OrangeTheory classes. Always difficult to get them in and sealed. Thanks for showing the proper way to insert them.

[@SuomiFinn42]

Never knew about the holding down the finger trick. Thank you! I do a lot of shooting as a hobby!

[@pedrogouveia9884]

Great video and very useful information. One question: can I use these earplugs for sleeping. Is it safe using on a daily basis??

[@jkerman5113]

Thanks for your informative, accurate, and well made video! This has helped me and many friends.

[@Shejejjenwn_02]

What???? I thought you just put it unbend done 😂😂 the way you said I’m even using this for school, annoying teacher? Forget that I can’t hear y’all

[@MiguelPeniche]

What is the recommended time for disposing this earplugs or are those washable /reusable? Good video!

[@jamesnickel4748]

Thank you so much for this advice! I used these things incorrectly for a couple of years, and now know how to do it perfectly. All the best! 😎

[@redmann4523]

Wow I learned something new today...i never knew why my ear plugs didnt work correctly...i was in the marines and was never trainned how to properly put these in 🤣

[@suryavanshpratapsingh2839]

What if they get stuck in our ears? Plz reply

[@horsesattack]

This is so important to help with all sorts of loud situations Trust me you don’t want tinnitus.

[@markm691950]

I tried both of these when I was working in factories Did exactly what you explain. My ear canal swell up close in 2 days. I had to have custom ear molds the only one my skin could tolerate. :-)

[@07THE19]

I have titinus and I’m also a police officer. Thank you so much for this video.

[@DrCliffAuD]

My brother is also a police officer. Thank you for your service.

[@Only1Charnelle]

I’m very scared that I will put it in too deep and mess up my eardrums. I couldn’t imagine putting it so far in that someone can’t see it

[@Tom-j4y8e]

What if you do it correctly but don't put the full 3/4s inside the ear? Does it still provide some protection, for example would it provide, say, -20db instead of -30. I've been using different earplugs for years, sometimes foam, sometimes branded reusables. I mainly use them in bars and small venues with live music and playing live myself because I don't want my T to get worse. But with the foams I've sometimes not put them in all the way, but I did have noise reduction, as in I could hear that the sound was significantly reduced. In that case we're they providing protection?

[@HarshYadav-yw2cn]

No matter how I hold the my ear while inserting the earplug, it never fully goes it. Could my ear canal just be smaller?

[@steelsactap]

This was going great until I got the second one in and couldn’t hear the video anymore…

[@VikingRasbornStrong]

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@cassidylockheart]

Sir is there maybe a danger that when u sleep so deep moving a lot then that thing goes all insinde of your ears while sleeping? Then u end up in hospital?

[@DrCliffAuD]

They will not migrate into your ear canal further once you have them placed.

[@cafinalist9897]

Who is getting "eeeeeee" sound when you put it on..

[@tuvelout]

I want them to avoid having earing loss caused by constant backround noise, can't get less than 23db even in the most silent room I sleep.

[@thetruth9885]

Ok ok hear me out ....i literally can turn a normal dream im having into a lucid dream ...and its so fun until i hear my brothers talking or dishes hitting eachother, so i wake up and using these will definitely help me concentrate and sleep more

[@asimazfitness1125]

Now I realize ears as important as eyes. 😭

[@markpayne9112]

I need this badly! My next door neighbour does sexcorsism few times a day and quite often at 2am. It drive me nutz!

[@misschievous7553]

I see, though I bought foam earplugs cuz once upon a time, there was this insect that went inside my ear and it took us awhile to take it out and it hurts. Then I keep on having paranoia that I'd experience it again so I am using protection. But now I guess I could use it to lessen the noise too XD Thanks for teaching.

[@britneyalyssa1314]

They help keep your ears safe from loud noises… but are they safe in general?

[@HarjinderSingh-ls8kz]

Can i cut the cord of earplugs

[@joshuablovsky1744]

I had a failure last year with foam plugs. Right one didnt expand fully. One mag from a glock pistol and horrendous tinnitus from it. I've always used ear protection religiously in the past to. Double up if your shooting any type of weapon. It's been a very regrettable part of my life.

[@Nothing-qj8mv]

don't these ear plugs push the wax further into the canal?

[@Midnight_Agony]

I'm just here looking for good earplugs, because I can't sleep in a room with a TV on (I don't have my own bedroom). But I learned a lot. Thank you.

[@BUCHIVELI]

Absolutely wonderful!!! The best lesson from the best Teacher. Enjoyed and appreciated it from the onset.

[@payday7006]

This video solved 1.4K people sleeping problem 👍

[@GRAVESGGS]

im just glad this video is out there and actually shows how to properly use ear plugs

[@LyricBossYT]

Now I can block out my annoying roomate blaring the living room tv at 2am

[@beccabellcampbell4682]

I know the feeling it happens with me as well having loud music from the ground level flat and sometimes from the top building.

[@zuzu2593]

damn. you need a new roomate.

[@physetermacrocephalus9986]

I use these for railfanning sessions since I'm a noob and can get scared easily from noise like trains passing and airhorns

[@dananshen2423]

you are handsome. Surely getting all the ladies.

[@BenavidesHauling512]

I work as a trash man. Haven’t been wearing ear protection since January 2020 it’s now October 2020 and I can tell my hearing is fading. Only 19 so I’m ready to buy some ear plugs.

[@hasanimtiaz264]

You know why I wanna buy ear plugs. It's because there are always every single the neighbor's dog will start to bark at night for 3 to 4 hrs and I can't sleep. I've class in the morning; but I don't get proper sleep because my sleep is already ruined. Then, they will some big mini truck, car will come nearby and turn on some loud music. I really hate the place where I live. My people around me never complains. I don't think they are humans, if they were, they would say something about this noises. How do they even sleep with these loud noise?

[@usercs_2682]

Mohammad Imtiaz exactly, my neighbours have like 4-5 dogs and they always bark at midnight. I have no idea how the owner slept with dogs barking around in his house and not doing anything about it. Now I bought the earplugs and it blocked all the noises outside😎

[@marloubaguio5333]

@@usercs_2682 what brand of earplugs did u get?

[@morganmorales9474]

Halo doc, can an earplug reduces seasickness when we wear during heavy seas?

[@noahhuraan5353]

Id be terrified I wouldnt be able to get them out

[@DDSForbbiden]

Those are essential for operating an angle grinder or any other kind of power tools for a long amount of time 👍

[@evaseto9120]

I think that the ear plug will stay in ur ear good thing I done wear them

[@selinakaur3361]

Needed this , for noisy brothers that live above you 🤦🏽‍♀️

[@khubaibmohamed4401]

My roommate is a complete nuisance, I can't even sleep because he keeps talking even at night. So I had to get these damn earplugs. Thanks for the guide. 👌

[@viswanathanshanmugam2003]

does the ear plugs protects us from loud crackers sound above 100 db

[@hannahm2430]

I go to music college and we never had a class or any info on hearing protection! I’d go on stage to sing each week no protection because I honestly didn’t know any better as a 20 year old. Being around drummers has taken a notch down of my hearing. Pretty sad cause it only took 2 years. Wish my college out of all places would have encouraged or at least mention to wear ear protection while on stage but not one mention. Lesson learnt and now I bring ear plugs everywhere I go

[@jai598]

I have same 3M earplugs they get inflated very fast

[@REDLINERUNNER]

Thank you!! Today I bought myself 3M plugs and I wanted to know how to properly use them to sleep, because neighbour is laying concrete. So can I somehow push them too deep and get them stuck maybe?

[@mario8833]

How many times can I use a single pair of the first type, the yellow one?

[@mario8833]

And also, should i wash it after every use?

[@_slier]

how did you know that u didnt put it way to deep until u cant even pull it out lol

[@agalioukostantina]

I am using the soft foam earplugs for few years now and my ear cannot tolerate them more than 2 hours, my ears are hurting and I get a hitchiness effect. Any idea why?

[@Manu52498]

I hurt my ears 👂, I am not able to insert these plugs in my ears, 😭😭😭😭😭😭 It quickly comes into its real shape. Any other alternative Sir!!!😥😥

[@radhikakalia13]

Can we have a link to buy this silicon one ...and I also want to know is it good for pollution protection and is it protect from water also ..can u doctor cliff ..help me to get best ear bud for my ear ....

[@merlenippi399]

I'm doing this because I'm scared of thuring on my blender I'm trying to make a soomthie

[@nuclear_reactor5x5]

Question: Can I reuse my earplugs?

[@alexanderarmstrong5306]

Yes I wear ear plugs all the time like cloths

[@PurpleZen]

Wow, amazing. Never used ear plugs right. Will try this tonight.

[@dillonA080]

I’m here because I got a pair of these stuck inside of my ear. I still prefer these over ear muffs just making sure what I did wrong.

[@monim990]

thank you very much...i just bought this and i had know idea how to use it.🙏🙏🙏

[@kerrythomson7788]

I live near noisy traffic. Would these prevent me from hearing an alarm clock? Or the alarm on my phone?

[@kerrythomson7788]

I guess I'd just test and try it 🤷

[@DrCliffAuD]

Yes, I've slept through alarm clocks with foam earplugs in.

[@kerrythomson7788]

@DrCliffAuD thanks. I was told by a pharmacist that foam inserts should not be used for prolonged periods - meaning sleep 😴 I also believe that there should be mention that hands should be washed prior to doing this

[@jandros17]

I tried this but it hurts when I insert it. Don't know if I'm not opening the canal correctly 😑

[@harshitdwivedi539]

Does it have side effect

[@patriciamercer9960]

Thank you so much! I've been wearing them incorrectly!

[@kendramaple912]

Thank you! I struggle with figuring this out, so this looks easy to try and do. I have very waxy ears. Will there be any issues with stuffing those deep in my canal if I have waxy ears? I clean them everyday, but just develop a lot of wax.

[@Verboten_Joey]

This doesn't work for me. I have the cheap yellow ones, they expand back to full size in less than a second after having rolled them. If I try to hold it thin, then push it in my ear, it expands out, even after waiting 10 plus seconds. They're worthless.

[@xXBrownBoy12Xx]

Hey Dr Cliff, just subscribed! Was wondering though today at work I did the roll with the howard leight earplugs and I think it was too thin and hit my ear drum? I didn't notice any blood, hearing loss, or pain after only when I think I touched it, I might have just touched a sensitive part of the ear canal and not the ear drum i'm not to sure, but since I did get a small sharp pain for 1 sec how likely is that to do damage to my eardrum or ear canal if it did hit it with the foam earplugs? Thanks if you end up replying, you have some really nice informative videos!

[@kevinbarnard355]

just an FYI, you aren't likely to get responses to questions like that. Doctors and other medical professionals don't want to incur medical liability by giving specific recommendations or referrals without consulting directly with a patient. Make an appointment with a hearing care professional if you have serious concerns or symptoms. Layman's assumption (I'm not a doctor), you probably rubbed or scraped a sensitive part of your ear canal. If you watch other videos in this genre, you will see otoscope views of redness, or even pimples likely from rubbing with q tips or other foreign bodies.

[@sBentonfamily]

Deep in ear plugs can impact wax that is very difficult ti remove. Just had a visit with ENT doc to remove wax. Do not use expanding plugs deep in your ears without assurin they are very clear !

[@justusistifanus9465]

If used properly does it cancel the noise from a snoring roommate?

[@DrCliffAuD]

maybe not completely. You may need an additional masking sound.

[@justusistifanus9465]

@@DrCliffAuD what additional masking sound would you recommend?

[@mihtara]

Do these foam plugs also work as good protection for concerts? How many times can we reuse them? Also, what are your thoughts on silicone earplugs?

[@NaNaChAn666]

That's how I do it. I can finally sleep without listening my bf snoring!!!! But I ALWAYS wake up in the middle of the night and I am in PAIN! Is it because they are too big for my ears or did I push them too far inside? Ppftt

[@lewislam1566]

Hello Doctor Cliff, Are the Howard Leight ear plugs good for protecting your ears in loud clubs?

[@DrCliffAuD]

Yes, as long as they are inserted properly.

[@robertblahnik]

You are over doing this video. Only idiots don't know this. Oh, that's who you are addressing. My bad. I had some orange plugs that had a short Tampon like plastic attachment like you see on hearing aids. There was nothing high tech about it and I wondered why more aren't like this? Sometimes for small canals like mine, it's difficult getting them out of my ear with my big hands.

[@Notorious2108]

a problem I have is as long as i have my finger on the spot where I need to put it the ear plugs wont expand into my ear. All they want to do is expand outwards. Should I be using a different ear protection?

[@angie3986]

I need these because my brother is always making noises and almost everyday i can't sleep

[@ABC123.85]

After watching the vdo i come to how to do it but still it wouldn't get inside the ear canal that much its 1/4 part remain outside😢 its been 10-13 tumes i have tried but always it does not fit

[@woxineaucrows7355]

Listen I have tried these for years and at work, I have no issue but at home, we have the noisiest furnace I ever have had and it is driving me mad. If I drive this plug into my ear canal it will scrape ear wax which is GOOD into my ear wall and then after a week or so i can't hear anything and i have to go see the doc. and get my ears flushed as the drops at the Drugstore don't work at all. Our home is like a huge trailer home but nicer and the gas furnace is close to our room and is so friggen noisy i dont sleep much at all unless I drink myself drunk. So I give up and am on this computer looking for help and your not it thnx.