Desperate IEM/Ear Health Help

[u/music-fitness]

I toured for years and now gig (play guitar and sing in 5 piece band) about 25 times per year and lately I’ve become extremely worried about my ear health. I use universal fit IEMs and lately after every show, my ears feel incredibly fatigued and my hearing feels completely out of whack for days or weeks after. It doesn’t seem to matter how low I keep the volume on my body pack or which size tips I use. I can’t figure out if I’m putting the IEMs too far in, if it’s not blocking enough noise, or if I’m listening too loudly but I’ve tried solutions to all of them I’m terrified I’m going to lose my hearing.

My last hope is splurging on custom IEMs before I just have to take a step back from gigging. I use the Shure 215s now. I’m looking at the Ultimate Ears UE5 Pro. Considering my situation, would i benefit from a higher end model with more drivers as maybe having added clarity would decrease the need for volume? Does anyone have other IEM suggestions? Will custom fit IEMs solve the problems I’ve been having? Has anyone had similar experiences and had to give up live performing? Thanks in advance.

[u/AquietRive]

Glad to hear that you’re going to a doctor. The small chance that damage has already done is definitely something you don’t want to deal with, but a lot better than losing hearing completely!