Fire Alarms. Not Worth My Worry.

[Taylorslay]

So yesterday I was at Walmart with my boyfriend getting groceries and food for our date. That particular Walmart was doing fire alarm tests at the time. It was god awful loud, it hurt a lot. But, it really wasn't that bad. Just put my earplugs on and everything was alright.

This tells me that I can go back to school. It tells me I can do more things without having that fear that I'm going to get worse. Because yesterday I didn't. To top that, I almost even forgot that whole situation happened yesterday.

I feel like my life is going almost completely back to normal.

 

[New Guy]

I'm noticing that my response to loud noises, while still there, is becoming less. I feel like the veterans weren't leading us astray when they said in time things will get better. It's so hard to believe in the beginning but it is the truth.

I hope he was cooking for you. You've got to set the tone from the beginning.

 

[Adriel93]

I feel like the same noises that used to bother me, don't bother me as much. Cheers to the both of us @Taylorslay

 

[Michael Leigh]

So yesterday I was at Walmart with my boyfriend getting groceries and food for our date. That particular Walmart was doing fire alarm tests at the time. It was god awful loud, it hurt a lot. But, it really wasn't that bad. Just put my earplugs on and everything was alright.

This tells me that I can go back to school. It tells me I can do more things without having that fear that I'm going to get worse. Because yesterday I didn't. To top that, I almost even forgot that whole situation happened yesterday.

I feel like my life is going almost completely back to normal.

That is great news @Taylorslay and I'm pleased for you. I remember how you were in the early days with tinnitus and hyperacusis. So uncertain and scared for the future which is quite understandable. Your progress has been outstanding and I hope that you won't forget us when you go back to school. The reason being, I think your positivity, enthusiasm and drive will inspire those having difficulty coping with tinnitus and hyperacusis, make them believe that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Well done and all the best
Michael

 

[Bill Bauer]

That particular Walmart was doing fire alarm tests at the time. It was god awful loud, it hurt a lot. But, it really wasn't that bad. Just put my earplugs on and everything was alright.

This tells me that I can go back to school. It tells me I can do more things without having that fear that I'm going to get worse. Because yesterday I didn't.

Check out the post I quoted below. I believe his experience is very relevant.

You see I've had tinnitus since May of 2006 and the first couple of years I was extremely cautious and used protection when ever I felt there was a chance that there could be loud sounds. This meant me using custom made earplugs at work, using heavy foam earplugs the extremely few times I went out to a pub or similar (after all I was 22 when I got this thing and couldn't as well isolate my self).

After a few years though I started using protections less and less. And by that I mean I didn't use earplugs at work anymore (I worked extra as a bus driver at the time while studying at a University). I still wouldn't dream of going out without plugs though. And between 2009-2015 I pretty much never used earplugs at all. I didn't go to clubs or concerts or anything like that so I even stopped bringing plugs with me. I actually didn't even have a set of plugs in my pocket for years.

My tinnitus was stable for all this time with a few milder spikes that never lasted more than a day. But to be honest I probably wouldn't even know because I didn't even think about my tinnitus for years. I was "cured". I didn't hear it unless I listened for it. If tinnitus came up in a conversation I would listen for it and go "yep there it is" and then it would go back to the oblivion.

Then in January 2015 I had a major spike that became permanent. After that my tinnitus is not as stable anymore. Recently I went to a wedding reception and even though I wore SNR:35db earplugs the whole time I am having a pretty bad spike at the moment that has been lasting a good couple of weeks that I'm praying is not going to become permanent. This would never have happened only a few years ago!

So what I'm trying to say is that it's not as clear cut as you might think. Your tinnitus might be stable for now but there can come a time, like it seems to have for me, where something that shouldn't be harmful according to all of the sound level charts just for some reason is. I am going to have to come to terms with the fact that I can never ever go to a loud venue again, even with the heaviest protection, and that is sadly the fact for many others. It's not unreasonable fear. It's simply common sense.

 

[glynis]

@Taylorslay ,
Great news and lovely to hear a member is doing well.
follow your dreams duck and enjoy every minute.
love glynis

 

[victoria9273]

Yeah! I'm so happy for you! I also began to feel that all those noises are just temporary and does not do any harm to me after all.

You'll always be safe I'm sure. Very glad for this thread.

 

[Taylorslay]

Check out the post I quoted below. I believe his experience is very relevant.

Oh I'm not protecting less and less. I'm saying I am not going to go around worried about every little thing like a car horn going off while I'm outside. What I'm trying to say is, I'm not going to allow myself to be worried over everything and ruin my life due to stress and anxiety over sound. Which many people on this forum have done. I'm not naming anyone but I have seen people who came into this forum the same time I did and, have and continued to stress themselves to the point I think they're going to end up die early.

I wanna live my life but I definitely won't live it in hell. So trying to worry about the next bell or firealarm. I put on my hearing protection while being inside Walmart. I didn't simply just push through it. I'm not stupid. I also have not forgotten what hyperacusis has done to me.

 

[Bill Bauer]

Oh I'm not protecting less and less.

If you were to read the last paragraph of the post that I quoted (I will quote it again below)

So what I'm trying to say is that it's not as clear cut as you might think. Your tinnitus might be stable for now but there can come a time, like it seems to have for me, where something that shouldn't be harmful according to all of the sound level charts just for some reason is. I am going to have to come to terms with the fact that I can never ever go to a loud venue again, even with the heaviest protection, and that is sadly the fact for many others. It's not unreasonable fear. It's simply common sense.

you would see that your actions below might not have been wise:

That particular Walmart was doing fire alarm tests at the time. It was god awful loud, it hurt a lot. But, it really wasn't that bad. Just put my earplugs on and everything was alright.

I wanna live my life but I definitely won't live it in hell.

If your T gets louder, it will be hell too.

I put on my hearing protection while being inside Walmart.

What might have been a more sensible thing to do, would have been for you to put on your hearing protection and then to leave the area as fast as you could.

 

[Coffeebean]

So yesterday I was at Walmart with my boyfriend getting groceries and food for our date. That particular Walmart was doing fire alarm tests at the time. It was god awful loud, it hurt a lot. But, it really wasn't that bad. Just put my earplugs on and everything was alright.

This tells me that I can go back to school. It tells me I can do more things without having that fear that I'm going to get worse. Because yesterday I didn't. To top that, I almost even forgot that whole situation happened yesterday.

I feel like my life is going almost completely back to normal.

A very inspiring post. My hyperacusis has improved a lot as some might know, but I still have a bit of a residual fear that one day I might be exposed to a loud noise, such as a fire alarm, which will give me a set-back. Therefore I get a bit nervous when I am in a room where there are fire alarms or other alarms present (even if they are not going off). But indeed you should not live your life in fear, it's all about being careful but not fearful, and responding accordingly if you are suddenly exposed to a loud noise (e.g. fire alarm), by putting in earplugs and/or leaving the area.

I think it is important to be aware that when it comes to loud noises, the length of exposure is very important. Hearing issues are often due to concerts and/or prolonged headphone use, whereby one is exposed to sound which is not only loud but the exposure is also very long. So even if you are exposed to loud noise unexpectedly during the day (such an alarm), you should still be OK if you respond quickly and appropriately.

 

[dpdx]

A very inspiring post. My hyperacusis has improved a lot as some might know, but I still have a bit of a residual fear that one day I might be exposed to a loud noise, such as a fire alarm, which will give me a set-back. Therefore I get a bit nervous when I am in a room where there are fire alarms or other alarms present (even if they are not going off). But indeed you should not live your life in fear, it's all about being careful but not fearful, and responding accordingly if you are suddenly exposed to a loud noise (e.g. fire alarm), by putting in earplugs and/or leaving the area.

I think it is important to be aware that when it comes to loud noises, the length of exposure is very important. Hearing issues are often due to concerts and/or prolonged headphone use, whereby one is exposed to sound which is not only loud but the exposure is also very long. So even if you are exposed to loud noise unexpectedly during the day (such an alarm), you should still be OK if you respond quickly and appropriately.

This is not true on the bottom. It can take a minute or 30 seconds and more damage is done resulting in Severe T.

 

[Coffeebean]

This is not true on the bottom. It can take a minute or 30 seconds and more damage is done resulting in Severe T.

If it's extremely loud, yes, so you should not keep standing around for 30 seconds to a minute, but cover your ears / walk away / put in earplugs quickly (i.e. within 10 seconds).

Of course there are sounds so loud that they can immediately cause damage, such as explosions, which you should keep away from anyway.

I believe the point of the story is more along the lines of that it does not work to live you entire life in fear of every sounds. Be careful, not fearful.

 

[Tommi_boi]

So yesterday I was at Walmart with my boyfriend getting groceries and food for our date. That particular Walmart was doing fire alarm tests at the time. It was god awful loud, it hurt a lot. But, it really wasn't that bad. Just put my earplugs on and everything was alright.

This tells me that I can go back to school. It tells me I can do more things without having that fear that I'm going to get worse. Because yesterday I didn't. To top that, I almost even forgot that whole situation happened yesterday.

I feel like my life is going almost completely back to normal.

It probably also tells you that over time your ears are on the mend , congrats!

 

[SugarMagnolia]

Of course there are sounds so loud that they can immediately cause damage, such as explosions, which you should keep away from anyway.

And these sounds can be unexpected, so that there is no way to avoid them.

 

[Marc22]

As Coffeebean wrote, if you are exposed to a sudden sound and can escape fast, as is most probable, you will probably be OK. For example, I am writing from a library and an alarm sometimes goes off because some people think that the back door to the library is OK to leave from. It is not, and if they do, an alarm goes off. Naturally, as soon as I hear it, I take off with my backsack, put on my ear protectors , and run towards an exit. Of course, many people look at me in amazement and perhaps with mistrust wondering what this guy is running from and with those funny ear protectors! But I push through their stares. The staff knows about my ears so they are cool with what I am doing.

I remember once I got hit with an alarm that I was just under, doing some photocopying at another library. Naturally, the only person with h. probably within a square mile of the alarm. In those days I flipped out psychologically, worried about permanent damage, and cursed my bad luck. I phoned a fellow hyperacusis sufferer LONG DISTANCE (who was in Charlottesville, Virginia where all those fucking Nazis gathered a year ago), sobbing, and needing reassurance which she gave, because she had longer experience. I do not think I would panic as much these days, but in my early days I would panic easily, even though my condition was much better 15 years ago. So there it is: the life of a person with hyperacusis!

Marco