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Earmolds - Lubrication, Ear Itch

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I know there are products like Otoease to apply to the outer surface of earmolds to assist in their insertion. Ounce for ounce though I have found applying a very small amount of 1% Hydrocortisone cream or gel before inserting my earmolds to be much less expensive with the added advantage of the itch relieving properties of the product. Another advantage of Otoease or 1% Hydrocortisone cream or gel is the mold is much easier to keep clean and preventing a build up of dry flakey cerumen (ear wax).

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^^^^ Be VERRRRY careful about applying cortisone to your aids to ease insertion. It is ultimately an anti-inflammatory, but it can also “mask” underlying infection. I learned that the odd way when I tried to self-treat a bellybutton irritation with it, and it bloomed into infection requiring more like neosporin.

I have tried applying Miracell oil to lubricate my hard-case aids, and in about 2 days flat, had a reaction to that, too. My hard case Agil Pro are indeed tough to insert first thing in the morning. But rather than risk applying topical ointments or creams that can clog your delicate ear skin pores, I’d opt for a different style mold - maybe try the flexible silicone domes?

My own experience has been that tight-fitting aids can really lead to irritation when combined with creams or lotions that are locked into place for HOURS every day. No kidding, even couch potatoes can get “jock itch” in the ear, if that makes sense!

If your having to use anything on your earmolds after the first couple weeks to one month out you need to go back to your provider because something is wrong, either they are too tight, too lose, your allergic to the material, etc.

Prolonged use of Hydrocortisone is associated with skin thinning and reduced intrinsic body production.

Most people who suffer with this sort of thing are either allergic to the mould material itself or more usually the was byproduct of the bacteria/fungus within the canal - hearing aids serve to push this material further into the ear and it doesn’t grow out with the skin there. Good hygiene around your moulds - especially alcohol/UV swabbing after use will help too.

To reduce intrinsic body production I’m pretty sure one needs to take it systemically (orally or injection) and in significant amounts. (Although I guess if you slathered it all over your body that could probably do it too) I think the key to Nebraska’s success is the “very small amount” part. If it’s actually making it easier to keep his hearing aids clean, he must be using it very judiciously. Although I wouldn’t recommend it to others because of the potential issues with skin thinning (particularly around face and I assume that would include ears), I think Nebraska found a solution that works for him.

@Um_bongo said:

Prolonged use of Hydrocortisone is associated with skin thinning and reduced intrinsic body production.

@MDB said:

To reduce intrinsic body production I’m pretty sure one needs to take it systemically (orally or injection) and in significant amounts. (Although I guess if you slathered it all over your body that could probably do it too) I think the key to Nebraska’s success is the “very small amount” part. If it’s actually making it easier to keep his hearing aids clean, he must be using it very judiciously. Although I wouldn’t recommend it to others because of the potential issues with skin thinning (particularly around face and I assume that would include ears), I think Nebraska found a solution that works for him.

Just using a small amount of 1% Hydrocortisone creme on earmolds inserted his ear canals might be working for him right now, but how about in a couple years when the skin in his canals have thinned out and he has a number of open wounds in them that makes it too painful to use his ’s? Three or four years ago on this site there was a member who constantly used the same cream and she eventually encountered the same problem I described. There is a reason Hydrocortisone creme is a prescription drug and that’s to keep it from being used as it is by the OP.

Just to clarify, at least in the US, hydrocortisone cream is a prescription med only at certain strengths. I believe 2.5% is the cutoff. 1/2% and 1% are available . As I said I would never recommend it to somebody as there is the risk of skin thinning. However I’m also loathe to tell somebody he shouldn’t do something when he’s been doing it for awhile unless I’ve got really good reason to. Your experience with the member would definitely make me cautious. On the flip side, Nebraskan is a moderator and I’m guessing has been doing this for a number of years. I think if he were using it in any significant quantities, it would make dirt cling to his hearing aids. Anyway, pure speculation on my part.

No. I would simply NOT go there with hydrocortisone cream as a lubricant! For that matter, I wouldn’t swab my ears out with rubbing alcohol either as my dear dad did every day of his life. I have very thin, dry skin as it is, and not only does the cortisone thin it out more, but you also have the hard-case mold literally PRESSING it like a flat-iron into the skin, with no air circulation whatsoever. That is a recipe for bacteria and inflammation. I’ve been there. Got REAL red, inflamed ears from putting lube on the aids, and learned instead to keep the aids sterile, but otherwise leave my ears & ear skin alone.

After wearing earmolds for a few weeks you shouldn’t even need anything because your body gets used to having something in the ear and basically shuts down the itch signal. I have had molds for years and yes, they itched for the first couple weeks but I never found it to be so bad that I had to use anything to combat the itch. By about the third week they never bothered me again. I do use a DrynStore with UV light every night and wash them about twice a week but that’s about it. Ditch the Otoease and any other creams and you may be surprised that you really don’t need it.

I also use the Dry 'n Store. But I have had two bouts of allergic reaction caused by being fit with the so-called “hypo-allergenic” plastic earmold (the ones that fit on the straw tubing). First time, it was the clear plastic ones; second time, the pink-tinted one. Both times it took maybe 2-3 days for the first glimmer of an itch … which became a burning itch … and finally, within 7-10 days, full-out otitis in both cases. That required me to remove both aids and go tree-trunk DEAF for a week or more as I treated the otitis. Combine that with a 2-day power failure and NO lights whatsoever up here on the mountaintop several years ago (dead of winter), and yeah, I was HELEN KELLER who didn’t know sign language.

Even with my Opn aids, my aud-guy recommended the smoke-topaz silicone domes from Widex. He said about 1 in 20 patients have a reaction to the Oticon CLEAR silicone domes. And he said, “If anyone has a reaction to these domes … it’ll be YOU!” <:-(0)

Edited

That is a problem if you start trying to mask the itch with various creams you can get yourself into a serious problem. In #3 I said: If your having to use anything on your earmolds after the first couple weeks to one month out you need to go back to your provider because something is wrong, either they are too tight, too lose, your allergic to the material, etc. I will expand on it and say: if at any time your having a problem with your earmolds go back to your provider and see what the problem is. Rule of thumb on earmolds is they should never hurt, if they do something is wrong.

In reply to @1Bluejay

I got my these (first) in 2013. Went to hard earmolds in the first year. In that time other than changes made at routine audiologist appointments I have replaced my myself only 4 times. About 50% of the time I have applied minimal 1% Hydrocortisone cream or gel and the other 50% of the time minimal baby oil. So far I haven’t had any problems. I haven’t had any problems inserting them. Like some of you have mentioned it was only in the first week or two that I had any itching sensation. My audiologist has commented on how clean my earmolds are all of the time. I was only sharing my experience with this procedure but reading your perspectives I will stick to just using baby oil from now on. Thanks, so much.

In reply to @seb

EXACTLY as you said, seb! I did have a fit prob, and the upshot was a new case had to be made. I had to lump through with the reactions and whatnot, but now I know better …

@seb said:

That is a problem if you start trying to mask the itch with various creams you can get yourself into a serious problem. In #3 I said: If your having to use anything on your earmolds after the first couple weeks to one month out you need to go back to your provider because something is wrong, either they are too tight, too lose, your allergic to the material, etc. I will expand on it and say: if at any time your having a problem with your earmolds go back to your provider and see what the problem is. Rule of thumb on earmolds is they should never hurt, if they do something is wrong.

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