Please note that this is an old thread, resurrected by someone who just wanted to know what was the intended purpose of the earplugs. I tried them because I don't like the feeling of water in my ears after the dive. I had a very serious complication (described in my post #1) and so posted the warning. Apparently, from the replies that followed, some people use them without difficulty.
From talking to other divers, most folks, like me, dislike the feeling of water in the ears, but they tolerate it. So I just decided to suck it up, get the water out as well as I can (the kleenex method described above, hopping on one foot, ear-dry drops, etc.) For me, the plugs are not worth the risk. It was a very scary incident.
To munselln8, who asked the question that resurrected this thread, some folks use them to limit the amount of water that gets in. In my short diving career (less than 2 1/2 years, and 90-some dives) I have never actually met another diver who used them. I will not use them again.