Advice Wanted — Attending a Press Conference — Speaker and Shutter Noises, Inescapable Press Room

[kmohoruk]

I was protecting my ears religiously, and over time my ears became less reactive.

That's great that it worked for you. I would just say when you say religiously, then long as it's warranted that makes sense. If you are protecting when you are driving a modern car, having a shower, unloading the dish washer etc... than those are examples of overprotection in my opinion.

I had followed the same strategy - I used hearing protection only when the noise made my ears uncomfortable. In my case, it didn't matter for me how loud the noise actually was - if it caused any discomfort, I made sure to avoid it.

I can see what you're saying here and I sort of agree. Sometimes it depends on the frequency or pitch. There were times when certain sounds like a low bass of a car, or a very sharp sound would cause me discomfort or startle me. But often these are short bursts that would just require me to plug my ears. If you are using hearing protection when walking through a moderately busy mall (again within reason), then that in my opinion would not warrant hearing protection.

I just want to tack this on here for people reading this thread (so random side note haha) .

I was extremely lucky to get to work with Glynnis Tidbal here in Canada, you may have heard the name since from what I understand you are Canadian as well. She is an audiologist who is very engaged in the T and H community and has been working with patients for decades and from all walks of life. She was the one who pushed me to get out in the world, use hearing protection when warranted, and to not over protect!

As she said to me before "If you want to be apart of the regular world, then you need to accept that you cannot control the sound in your surroundings". Essentially, that there would be bumps in the road, but you need to keep moving forward as best you can and when protecting when needed. When I did that, I started to have success and slowly started to recover (and of course with my owns bumps in the road). She additionally did a great job at showing me how worry, anxiety, fear related to T and H feed into it and can inflame those conditions. For me, once I started controlling my emotions and reactions to my T and H (more so my H), I noticed that it started to mellow out a bit.

Glynnis additionally has T and H herself, and has told me stories where she has has her own bumps in the road with sound (showing that even clinicians can have difficulties with sound), but, you have to keep moving forward if you want to be apart of the regular world.

 

[Autumnly]

It will make you have sound sensitivity because you auditory system isnt used to normal levels of sound. Richard Tyler has confirmed this in my interview with him that will be coming out. Over protection is not good for people with hyperacusis or tinnitus because it shifts you auditory thresholds.

Spoiler

Over-protection usually isn't good for people with tinnitus and hyperacusis but we don't even know what counts as over-protection. I didn't over-protect and my pain-hyperacusis continued to get worse and I tried the "push through the pain"-method. We have this discussion on here over and over again, there definitely seem to be people that are more prone to temporary and permanent spikes. What you would consider over-protection might help other people (not all but some) and what causes a temporary spike for you might cause a severe relapse for someone else. Over-protection and under-protection can be dangerous.

By Bryan Pollard, Hyperacusis Research president: "An even more significant finding that has historically been neglected is the issue of setbacks from new noise exposures. When asked, 'how often does the participant have a setback that makes their condition worse?', 36% indicated at least weekly and only 25% responded with rarely or never. This setback makes the sufferer's condition 'moderately worse' for 50% and 'worse than it ever was' for 23%. Figure 3 shows the results for the question, 'how long does it take for the participant to recover from a setback?" Recovery takes days for 59% and weeks for 24%. Recovery is also proportional to the loudness and/or duration of the impacting noise.

Most learn from painful experiences that a key to progress is to minimise setbacks. Clinical advice rarely comprehends setbacks or the risk of making the condition worse. These findings provide key characteristics that need research to understand the underlying mechanisms. Importantly, clinicians should exercise caution at making such ambiguous claims as 'everyday noise can't make your condition worse'." Source

I completely agree with you @Jack Straw that over-protection can worsen tinnitus and hyperacusis for certain people and even lead to debilitating fear & avoidance behaviors. However, for some on the severe end, under-protection might cause far more severe consequences.

Elfin, I truly think this will be a temporary spike for you. Obviously, no one can guarantee that but as Bill Bauer has said, most spikes are temporary. You wore hearing protection which already increases your chances of this spike being temporary. Some people say NAC and magnesium help them after loud noise exposure or when they're experiencing spikes. Hoping that it'll go back to its usual baseline for you soon!

 

[Bill Bauer]

If you are protecting when you are driving a modern car, having a shower, unloading the dish washer etc... than those are examples of overprotection in my opinion.

If you protect against one of those things even though they feel fine to you and have never resulted in a spike, then that Would in fact be overprotection. If those things (or something even quieter than those things) feel like they are irritating your ears, or have given you a spike sometime in the past year, then not protecting against those things is underprotection. Ignore the theory (dB rating), focus on the empirical evidence (e.g., past spikes and actual signals from your body).

If you are using hearing protection when walking through a moderately busy mall (again within reason), then that in my opinion would not warrant hearing protection.

Lex wrote the post below almost two years ago. Based on her later posts, the incident described below caused tremendous suffering for her for about a year (it was not just a T spike, it was a spike that involved burning pain). It had somewhat subsided this year, but the spike that began two years ago as a result of that mall incident is still not over.

I just have to write this down because I wouldn't know what I'd do otherwise. Almost a year into T and H, and things got worse over the weekend. My first real setback, and now I'm feeling the effects.

I was walking past a stack of speakers at the mall when they suddenly blasted loud music. I didn't have earplugs on because I know that area of the mall is normally quiet. Just sucks that the speakers came on. But worse was that I froze in place, like a deer caught in headlights. I got exposed for I dunno, 20 to 30 seconds before survival instinct took over.

I've been in horrible pain in the last couple of days. Stabbing, burning ear pain plus cold and warm itchy sensations.

I just want to tack this on here for people reading this thread

Same here.

She was the one who pushed me to get out in the world, use hearing protection when warranted, and to not over protect!

In that case, she either doesn't know any better (with the patients for whom her suggestions backfire choosing to stay away from her), or she is a bit of a monster. Having said that, I might not be understanding her actual advice. If she is saying that no matter how hard you will try to protect your ears, setbacks are bound to happen (all you can do is minimize the number of the setbacks, but not eliminate them), but that it is ok, as most spikes are temporary spikes, so you are not to panic if you get an occasional spike, then of course that makes a lot of sense.

For me, once I started controlling my emotions and reactions to my T and H

Yes, it is important to try to keep it together.

but, you have to keep moving forward if you want to be apart of the regular world.

This reminds me of the following quote by Dave Barry:

You must not be afraid. Oh, sure, you got burned and you got hurt. But that is no reason to give up. You must not be afraid. You must show the same kind of gumption as the cowboy, who, if he gets thrown off a horse, climbs right back on, and if he gets thrown off again, climbs right back on again, and so on, until virtually all of his brain cells are dead.

If you keep giving spikes to yourself, you have to consider whether it is a good idea to postpone joining the world for a year or two.

 

[kmohoruk]

If you protect against one of those things even though they feel fine to you and have never resulted in a spike, then that Would in fact be overprotection. If those things (or something even quieter than those things) feel like they are irritating your ears, or have given you a spike sometime in the past year, then not protecting against those things is underprotection. Ignore the theory (dB rating), focus on the empirical evidence (e.g., past spikes and actual signals from your body).

I see what you're saying, but everyone's tinnitus is different. For example, mine is very reactive and fluctuates all the time form driving, food I eat etc....I think sometimes what people deem as a "spike" is really just a fluctuation. Again, everyone's tinnitus is different so I am just speaking for myself. But just because it fluctuates doesn't mean that you are doing damage.

Lex wrote the post below almost two years ago. Based on her later posts, the incident described below caused tremendous suffering for her for about a year (it was not just a T spike, it was a spike that involved burning pain). It had somewhat subsided this year, but the spike that began two years ago as a result of that mall incident is still not over.

I am glad to hear from Lex is doing better. But that's the issue though with using other peoples situations as justification for either protecting or not protecting. We don't know someones medical history on here, and what other issues could be feeding into that (TMJ, issues with anxiety or stress, ETD etc...). At the end of the day you need to listen to your body, and if you are able to have someone like a tinnitus counsellor to help you through that process then that can be much more beneficial than listening to suggestions on a forum.

In that case, she either doesn't know any better (with the patients for whom her suggestions backfire choosing to stay away from her), or she is a bit of a monster. Having said that, I might not be understanding her actual advice. If she is saying that no matter how hard you will try to protect your ears, setbacks are bound to happen (all you can do is minimize the number of the setbacks, but not eliminate them), but that it is ok, as most spikes are temporary spikes, so you are not to panic if you get an occasional spike, then of course that makes a lot of sense.

I think you misunderstood. She is essentially getting at what you went on to say. I was (and many people on this site) were stuck in that "I had a door slam 15 feet away from me and now I have a spike have I done damage!!! etc..." mode. The point that she was getting at it is if you want to move forward, you need to ACCEPT that you cannot control the volume around you all the time. Like you said, all we can do is minimize the best we can, but there will be bumps in the road, but we can continue moving forward.

This reminds me of the following quote by Dave Barry:
If you keep giving spikes to yourself, you have to consider whether it is a good idea to postpone joining the world for a year or two.

Yup and I agree. You can read my success story here from way back in 2015, but I did essentially that. I realized that I had to take a year break from my studies, get help, give myself time and come back. I was extremely lucky to have not only supportive parents, but also Glynis in my corner.

I think there are many people on here who would benefit a lot from working with someone like Glynis - again, I was extremely lucky. It's frustrating that there's not more audiologists who focus on administering the counselling portion when it comes to tinnitus help, and not just focusing on trying to sell them products or do tests which really aren't beneficial.

I apologize for getting into a side discussion like this. I just wanted to show @Elfin that it can get better and you can move forward. I hope just like everyone that his spike is only temporary .

 

[Bill Bauer]

fluctuates all the time form driving

Fluctuation would involve increases and Decreases in volume. If it is just an increase - it is a Spike, not a fluctuation. If something is making you worse (albeit temporarily), I think it is sensible to assume that if you Keep doing it, eventually you Might cause real damage and even give yourself a permanent problem to deal with.

We don't know someones medical history on here

Her case seems to prove that blanket statements such as "protecting at a mall is overpotecting" or "protecting against noises below 80dB is overpotecting" are wrong. Everyone is different, and that is why I argued that one should listen to one's body, and see whether a noise felt wrong or had given one spikes.

I was (and many people on this site) were stuck in that "I had a door slam 15 feet away from me and now I have a spike have I done damage!!! etc..." mode. The point that she was getting at it is if you want to move forward, you need to ACCEPT that you cannot control the volume around you all the time.

Makes sense.