Damage Ear Drum by Inserting Ear Plugs Too Far In?

[orbiter12]

I walk past a construction site on the way to work so I usually wear earplugs.

I think I might have inserted one too far and it made a sharp pain in my ear. My ear hurts now.

If I've burst my eardrum will it make my tinnitus worse?

 

[linearb]

unlikely to rupture a drum this way but if you're concerned, go see a doctor. Doesn't need to be an ENT, any random urgent care or CVS Minute Clinic can instantly tell if you have drum damage.

If you somehow did damage a drum, usually they just grow back largely intact within a few weeks, but as with any physical injury it's a crapshoot.

FWIW, I often get pretty extreme stabbing pain in my ears if I wear orange plugs for >45 mins while doing something which is sweaty (like motorcycling, working out, etc). I think it's just because the plugs expand with moisture. I try to stop and change out plugs before things get to that point but this has happened to me dozens of times and it's never caused any harm that I'm aware of (my hearing thresholds and speech recognition are unchanged from 10 years ago).

 

[orbiter12]

GP said no damage done ive just moved the wax back. Seems hard to believe with this pain