Best Protection for This Event, for Someone with High and Low Frequency Tinnitus?

OnceUponaTime

OnceUponaTime

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Nov 11, 2014
1,868
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Tinnitus Since
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Noise
#1
What would be the best hearing protection to go to this event?



My husband will be receiving a medal in 10 days at City Hall in NYC, (outdoors). We will have VIP passes and a limo to take us there and back home. Lots of people. I'm debating weather to go or not. It is an important moment in my husband's life, which I understand, but I do not want to make things worst for me.

I would not be sitting through the entire ceremony. I'm thinking about waiting inside city hall and when he is called I can come out with hearing protection to stand next to him and then go straight inside city hall or go to limo.

Life is difficult with t. and many people do not understand. I am so happy for my husband and wish to be there next to him and at the same time, I worry to have a permanent spike.

I am also concerned with bone conduction spikes when wearing earplugs or earmuffs??

Thank you all for your time and advice. Wishing you all quiet and easy days.
 
#2
How wonderful that your husband is being honoured in this way and what a dilemma for you.
It would be such a shame for you to miss out on the occasion but I completely understand your concerns.
Living with T is extremely challenging and it sounds as if yours is reactive.
Your plan sounds to be a good compromise, I don't wear ear protection myself. I avoid any loud public places and I live in a quiet area. There are other members on this forum who can advise you though and I'm sure they will be happy to help.
I really hope that you can find a way to enjoy the day alongside your man.
Eve x
 
#3
OnceUponaTime said:
What would be the best hearing protection to go to this event?



My husband will be receiving a medal in 10 days at City Hall in NYC, (outdoors). We will have VIP passes and a limo to take us there and back home. Lots of people. I'm debating weather to go or not. It is an important moment in my husband's life, which I understand, but I do not want to make things worst for me.

I would not be sitting through the entire ceremony. I'm thinking about waiting inside city hall and when he is called I can come out with hearing protection to stand next to him and then go straight inside city hall or go to limo.

Life is difficult with t. and many people do not understand. I am so happy for my husband and wish to be there next to him and at the same time, I worry to have a permanent spike.

I am also concerned with bone conduction spikes when wearing earplugs or earmuffs??

Thank you all for your time and advice. Wishing you all quiet and easy days.
Click to expand...


I'd take some custom plugs (ACS, Etymotic, etc), but are you sure you need earplugs for this event? Do you have hyperacusis? If loud music is played then I'd definitely be using some earplugs (brass band maybe?).

I remember you talking about this a while back and know you are really concerned about it. I just want to say how awesome it is that your husband is being acknowledged and is receiving a medal. You must be really proud.
 
#6
That's showing off by proxy!! Clever girl.
I'm just back from the beach near me.
It's packed down there and very hot. My son has the three little boys on his own today and the stress was showing!
Eve x
@Ed209
 
#8
Ed209 said:
I'd take some custom plugs (ACS, Etymotic, etc), but are you sure you need earplugs for this event? Do you have hyperacusis? If loud music is played then I'd definitely be using some earplugs (brass band maybe?).

I remember you talking about this a while back and know you are really concerned about it. I just want to say how awesome it is that your husband is being acknowledged and is receiving a medal. You must be really proud.
Click to expand...

Maybe a mild case? Loud noise tends to bother me and my ears get tired. It is an outdoor event but with lots of people, speakers, bagpipers and city noises. I hate to miss this event for stupid tinnitus. :(

I am a proud wife, thanx. Even though when I think about how dangerous it was for him on that day, my stomach gets in a knot. ugh.

Well, I hope someone can give me some info on bone conduction?? The low frequency t. is the worst.
 
#10
OnceUponaTime said:
Maybe a mild case? Loud noise tends to bother me and my ears get tired. It is an outdoor event but with lots of people, speakers, bagpipers and city noises. I hate to miss this event for stupid tinnitus. :(
Click to expand...

If they can make them quick enough, get some custom earplugs and pick a couple of different filters. They are much better for toning down noise without making you have to listen to your own tinnitus the whole time.
 
#11
OnceUponaTime said:
Well, I hope someone can give me some info on bone conduction?? The low frequency t. is the worst.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't worry too much about bone conduction as it takes around 40db off the incoming sound. I would only be concerned about that if I was at a really loud concert exceeding 120db, for example. In which case, I'd be long gone before any bone conduction got me.

Try not to overthink it. I know you're really worried, but it's the stress from all the worrying that will make you overanalyse all the sounds. If you had a bad case of hyperacusis it would be a little different, but at a ceremony like that, earplugs should be fine. Just try and stay away from any bagpipes and speakers.

Try to relax and enjoy yourself.
 
#12
Just in case you want further info on this here's a copied excerpt:

In noise attenuation, there is a ceiling effect, whereby more and more protection does not offer any additional noise reduction. We hear noise through two channels: the air-conducted noise (sound through the air) and the bone-conducted noise (vibrations amplified through teeth and skull). Bone conduction is the pathway used when you bite down on crunchy food and hear the sound amplified through your teeth and skull louder than air-conducted sound heard through the ears. Hearing protectors effectively can stop only the air-conducted noise, but not the bone-conducted signals. For many people, the noise-blocking ability of the outer ear for air-conducted noise maxes out around 40 dB. Above that, you will still hear sound, but it's coming through your skeletal system, and you would need acoustically sealed body armor to stop that.
 
#13
@Ed209 Thank you so much for your advice. I don't think I can get custom earplugs on time now....sigh . I need to buy some good earplugs soon... So many different ones online, not sure what to pick!

@Nanny chocolate you are so kind. :) It is a great honor for our family and I would cry my heart out if I cant make it. I wish they can make reversible hearing aids.... instead of amplifying the sound it would lower the sound that comes into the ear. That's what I need now...

Well, I just spoke with someone from the Medal Desk and they are working/arranging something for me. They will let me know by Friday. Then I will make my final decision.
 
#14
OnceUponaTime said:
I wish they can make reversible hearing aids.... instead of amplifying the sound it would lower the sound that comes into the ear. That's what I need now...
Click to expand...

That's pretty much what custom earplugs do. See if there's a location near you that can fast track them.
 
#16
Most high quality hearing protector manufacturers provide a table which shows the laboratory based attenuation values that they have measured for test subjects. Usually the mean attenuation, standard deviation, and Assumed protection value (=Mean - standard deviation) in dB are given, based on measurements on test subjects. Usually they are given for multiple frequency ranges (or bands) having midpoints from 63hz (or 125hz) to 8khz. The Assumed protection value should give a hint what kind of protection the protector should give against noise in that range for most people (and the deviation how much the amount of protection deviated among the test subjects). If low frequency procection is needed, then the values in 500hz and below are the ones to check out. I've seen the APV attenuation for 63hz for example to range from 2dB to 26dB, and for 125hz from 7dB to 28dB. Higher frequency attenuation can be checked in the same way.

To see the overall attenuation performance the SNR and NRR values are used. General rule is roughly that higher the number, the more effective the protector is. This single number however doesn't tell how the protector performs against different frequencies. SNR values go from 10dB up to 37dB.

Everybody's different so the numbers in the package are just numbers. One really important thing is to find a protector that fits ones head or ear, from those which should theoretically give sufficient protection. If one can't fully and correctly insert a plug, or the fit is not tight and not good enough, then another model should be considered. Partially or badly inserted earplugs or muffs won't give much attenuation, if at all. Earplugs need to be always correctly and fully inserted. Manufacturers provide instructions how to do this properly, depending on the type of protector.
 
#17
#18
I don't know, they have mixed reviews. I would rather keep my money for "real" custom plugs.

In the meantime you can take a pair of plugs like the Alpine Party Plugs, or another alternative in the US (I think Alpine is Dutch).
I personally really love the Eardial ones because they are very discreet and easy to put in. But I think their NRR is a bit lower (still, that should be enough for this purpose). Also, they come with a keychain-case, which is quite convenient.

 
#19
OnceUponaTime said:
What do you think about these??
Click to expand...

I can't really comment as I've never tried them. I've tried Alpine classics, ACS ER-20 (tree type plugs), wax plugs, and various foam plugs.

Out of those I'd say I like the alpine classics best, but they are still nowhere near as comfortable, or as good, as custom plugs. If it comes down to it you can always use foam plugs, but they would be overkill for what you need them for. The ones @Julien87 recommended look good. I've never used them but I'd trust his judgement.
 
#20
@OnceUponaTime , my post was a bit technical so feel free to ask if something left you wondering. As you mentioned LFT is a bit tricky one, and, while being just one Tinnitus among others, it comes with a twist. I also have LFT, so I wanted to give some further information what you should consider when buying plugs. My emphasis, was really on the last chapter. Whether you decide to go with re-usable silicon plugs, disposable foam plugs (you should really dispose them after use), custom or muffs, finding ear protector that fits, is crucial if you wan't get the maximum benefit out of them.

I personally think that foam plugs when inserted properly all the way give most effective protection against low frequencies, and also lowest occlusion. But if they protect effectively against lows, then usually they offer even more protection on the mid and highs, so it's a bit of a dilemma.
 
Last edited:
#21
Thank you @RingerBell . LFT is difficult. Once I was told that using foam earplugs caused this LFT. So I don't know what to think anymore.

I pray and trust in God all will be well.
 
#22
@OnceUponaTime ,
I'm sure you will be fine and enjoy the awards ceremony and see your hubby get his medal...
Just pop in some noise plugs if needed.
Let us all know how it goes.
Love glynis x
 
#23
RingerBell said:
I personally think that foam plugs when inserted properly all the way give most effective protection against low frequencies, and also lowest occlusion.
Click to expand...

Slight correction here. I agree foam plugs are the best for out and out protection, but they are the worst for occlusion. The best for occlusion are custom plugs by quite a margin.
 
#24
Ed209 said:
Slight correction here. I agree foam plugs are the best for out and out protection, but they are the worst for occlusion. The best for occlusion are custom plugs by quite a margin.
Click to expand...

You are then a lucky person, because based on many articles and forums online, people tend to suffer from occlusion with custom plugs too. Here's an article for example http://www.hearingreview.com/2014/07/high-notes-musicians-earplugs/

Are you saying that your customs don't cause any thumping when you walk with them? My personal experience with all kinds of non custom plugs is, and also what most of the sources i've encountered on subject state, that what matters is the amount of space that is left between the plug and the eardrum. That is also stated in the article above that the depth really matters with customs too. Otherwise there would have to be some channel for the sound to leave the ear. Some silicon plugs I've tried do have, but it doesn't have any effect.

We might be of course judging the occlusion effect differently. I judge it by amount of excess low frequency noise the protector causes. That is, how loud do the footsteps sound, how do external and muscle vibrations sound. I tend not to speak or sing with plugs so I don't care if my voice sounds loud or not.
 
#25
RingerBell said:
You are then a lucky person, because based on many articles and forums online, people tend to suffer from occlusion with custom plugs too. Here's an article for example http://www.hearingreview.com/2014/07/high-notes-musicians-earplugs/

Are you saying that your customs don't cause any thumping when you walk with them. My personal experience is, and also what most of the sources i've encountered on subject state, that what matters is the amount of space that is left between the plug and the eardrum. That is also stated in the article above that the depth really matters. Otherwise there would have to be some channel for the sound to leave the ear. Some silicon plugs I've tried do have, but it doesn't have any effect.

We might be of course judging the occlusion effect differently. I judge it by amount of excess low frequency noise the protector causes. That is, how loud do the footsteps sound, how do external and muscle vibrations sound. I tend not to speak or sing with plugs so I don't care if my voice sounds loud or not.
Click to expand...

All plugs cause occlusion it's impossible to avoid it, but you was factually inaccurate saying foam are low occlusion as they are the highest occlusion. Custom plugs are much superior in comparison but you still get it.

You are right about the gap being a big contributor. The other factor is that custom plugs are vented so some sound can escape.
 
#26
Ed209 said:
All plugs cause occlusion it's impossible to avoid it, but you was factually inaccurate saying foam are low occlusion as they are the highest occlusion. Custom plugs are much superior in comparison but you still get it.
Click to expand...

That was actually just my opinion but I would be interested to see a study where it's stated that deeply inserted foam plugs are the worst. Only one I could find sometime ago, stated that they were the best. They might be inferior to deeply molded customs, I don't argue that. You would have to still consider that heaviest plugs provide 10dB more protection on the few lowest bands than customs with 25dB filter. More easily the sound gets in, more easily it probably gets out? Of course it's obvious that if the plugs stick out from your ears like an antenna, there's lot of occlusion.
 
#27
RingerBell said:
That was actually just my opinion but I would be interested to see a study where it's stated that deeply inserted foam plugs are the worst. Only one I could find sometime ago, stated that they were the best. They might be inferior to deeply molded customs, I don't argue that. You would have to still consider that heaviest plugs provide 10dB more protection on the few lowest bands than customs with 25dB filter. More easily the sound gets in, more easily it probably gets out? Of course it's obvious that if the plugs stick out from your ears like an antenna, there's lot of occlusion.
Click to expand...

Yea same. I spent forever reading about all the technical aspects of earplugs including all the safety criteria and other boring stuff. I've probably tried most the earplugs on the market at one time or another.
 
#28
Hi @glynis . Thank you for your support. I am trying to work something out with the department and see if I can go. I think is very loud for me. You know I have severe t.... different tones...for 6 years. I have to leave my house when my husband is cutting the grass!

Maybe I'll walk up that stage and pass out! LOL..Then my husband will have to really rescue me.!. Ahhh Have to find the humor in the situation at hand.

The trip from my house to City Hall is about 1 and half hr!


Look at the video... sounds so loud to me. sigh
 
#30
Would it be an option to stay inside somewhere until he's called for an award, then you can join him for few minutes and leave again?
Damn tinnitus, it affects everyone around us:(
 

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