Q. I recently attempted an MRI of the head and had to stop the scan a few minutes after starting, as the high pitched pulsing sounds were hurting my ears, even with the supplied foam ear plugs. Foam pads were also used on each side of the head, partly covering the ear, to keep the head stable. The technician claimed those pads were also meant to protect hearing. They however did not completely cover the ears and were useless to that end - as I explained to him.
I have read one review on some of your products that claim the dielectric types will not fit inside the head stabilizer. Another review claimed they were able to wear during a head/spine scan. In my experience it seemed that the cradle for the head was wide enough to accommodate protective earmuffs with the tension band rotated under the chin and thinner foam pads placed to stabilize the head. The cage placed over the face seemed far enough away in my case to not change head position.
I had a Bilsom dielectric rotating ear muff set that unfortunately was no longer usable and discarded. My thought was to use ear plugs along with the earmuffs for the greatest protection possible.
Any chance you might have experiences or suggestions?
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A. First off, we cannot guarantee any specific lab or clinic will allow you to wear hearing protection devices you bring in yourself. We always suggest calling your MRI center first to ask if you can bring your own dielectric (metal-free) ear muffs before you invest in your own set.
Next, we do have several MR Safe earmuff-style hearing protectors available. These products bear the MR Safe badge so you can easily recognize them, and they are all dielectric and safe for use in MRI machines. However, most of these are primarily recommended for helping children cope with the noise; most ear muffs are simply too large to fit into a head coil when worn by an adult, unfortunately.
The Pro Ears Ultra Sleek is likely the lowest-profile MR Safe ear muff we offer that is designed to fit adults. However, the Pro Ears Revo, which was designed for kids, also fits most adults except for those with the largest heads. These have a smaller headband than the Ultra Sleek, and most people can wear them. Still, they will be a tight squeeze to fit into a head coil for an adult, and they may not fit at all.
If you can find ear muffs that will work with your center's MRI machine, then the dual protection method becomes an excellent option. You mentioned wearing ear plugs underneath a set of ear muffs. Your intuition here is good: wearing ear plugs underneath a pair of earmuffs is the best solution for extremely loud noise. Using the dual protection method is an excellent way to keep the MRI noise you must endure at a tolerable level. But again, even the slimmest dielectric MR Safe ear muffs may simply not fit into the head coil.
And that brings us back to ear plugs.
It is possible that the foam ear plugs may still offer you some help. Finding a good pair of ear plugs is only half the battle; getting them properly seated in your ear canals is the rest of the challenge. Make sure to roll the ear plug down between your thumb and forefinger until it is a tight cylinder, avoiding any creases or irregularities. Next, insert the plug as deeply into the ear canal as it will comfortably go. Finally, gently hold the plug in place with a fingertip over the next few seconds to let the foam expand. If the ear plug does not completely fill the ear canal - if it feels loose at all - then that particular plug may be too small to fit your ears. See this helpful video for a demonstration of proper ear plug insertion.
Until next time, be safe and do the right thing.
Tom Bergman, Vice President
Ear Plug Superstore
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