For What Situations Do You Wear Earplugs? And How Has Your Tinnitus Progressed?

[geg1992]

Interested to see how much people protect their ears and how their T has progressed/regressed over the years.

Personally, the only situations I wear ear plugs are when I go to the football/soccer. I avoid all other loud places really. I went to a restaurant which got loud so put on ear plugs then but apart from that I never really do.

Mine seems to be getting slowly worse, and today is a lot worse, so I'm wondering how other people's experiences have been with regards to protecting their ears, as it could help some newbies who are unsure.

Also, what caused your T?

Thanks!

 

[linearb]

The only thing I do as a matter of course that requires them, is ride a motorcycle.

I wear them at concerts, but I don't go to very many. I carry them with me, and will occasionally use them in bars or restaurants; I try not to do so unless the noise is loud enough to be legitimately worrisome from a damage point of view.

I don't think that my T has changed permanently in 15 years, aside from a single notable worsening after a very loud event for which I did not have protection on. I do also think that taking benzos for a long time may have caused some slight worsening in that timeframe.

 

[s-viv]

Bars and loud restaurants I wear plugs

Football games plugs

Concerts plugs and muffs

Jamming on guitar plugs, muffs, or both depending

Used to wear them at the movies, but I only do that now if the volume is really loud.

 

[Street Spirit]

Bars and loud restaurants I wear plugs

Football games plugs

Concerts plugs and muffs

Jamming on guitar plugs, muffs, or both depending

Used to wear them at the movies, but I only do that now if the volume is really loud.

I would check out @Zimichael thread and movies and revise that decision. Some movies are ear damaging loud.

I wear plugs whenever I go out into busy areas and stores with loud music. I also have pretty terrible hyperacusis which is sometimes accompanied with reactive T. (plus worsening T )

 

[s-viv]

I only go about once a year, but I probably might wear them if I see an action flick. My ears aren't to bad at them.

 

[Gr8fulDude]

I probably got my T from loud concerts and headphones. I am more careful now and get my hearing checked annually. I was told that if you can't hear someone talking next to you, the noise is too loud and it is time for protection. I use Etymotic ER 20 musicians' Hi-Fi earplugs. They cost less than $20.

 

[Rhea]

Wear earplugs every time I leave the house...either half or full plugs depending on the situation...but majority of the time full. I have probably had less noise exposure in the last few years than a meditating Buddha . I have learnt to lip read (having plugs in so much and having to communicate, lip reading skills seem to just come on naturally over time) and I fell like I have protected my ears the best I possibly could. HOWEVER, my t has still gotten worse, not imaginary worse, like measurably worse...this leads me to the conclusion that maybe noise has little to do with worsening (unless it is loud prolonged noise of course, then you can be sure that will do it) I have also developed a degree of H now to and some weird TTS and Eustachian tube issues...it wouldn't surprise me if a lot of it was bought on my overusing the plugs, but I cannot be sure...who the hell knows..after 11 years the whole t thing is no clearer to me than it was on day one lol ...still alive and kicking though

 

[Vincent R]

Wear earplugs every time I leave the house...either half or full plugs depending on the situation...but majority of the time full. I have probably had less noise exposure in the last few years than a meditating Buddha . I have learnt to lip read (having plugs in so much and having to communicate, lip reading skills seem to just come on naturally over time) and I fell like I have protected my ears the best I possibly could. HOWEVER, my t has still gotten worse, not imaginary worse, like measurably worse...this leads me to the conclusion that maybe noise has little to do with worsening (unless it is loud prolonged noise of course, then you can be sure that will do it) I have also developed a degree of H now to and some weird TTS and Eustachian tube issues...it wouldn't surprise me if a lot of it was bought on my overusing the plugs, but I cannot be sure...who the hell knows..after 11 years the whole t thing is no clearer to me than it was on day one lol ...still alive and kicking though

Here is how I look at it: if my T gets worse along with H even if I protect my ears catuiously, then it's NOT because nerve injury so it should be reversible somehow. But if I don't wear hearing protection and my T gets worse because of it, it might be because there are further damage done to the ears, and it won't heal. Ever.

So I stick with overprotection. Guess paranoia comes naturally to me.

 

[NiNyu]

My ears are damaged already so no need for protection anymore. Seriously though, prior to T +H I used to wear earplugs when blow-drying my hair, vacuum cleaning, being on concerts, clubs, theaters etc. That said, overprotection isn't a good thing. It might have even caused my SSHL. And yes, it does get worse in time!

 

[geg1992]

It's a really hard thing to judge. I'm trying to avoid wearing plugs as the mind focuses more on the T then, so in theory takes longer to habituate? Normal every day I never wear plugs and some sounds can block it out. However when at football wearing plugs, all I can hear is the ring which isn't nice, but protection is definitely a must in that situation.

I'm trying to go by the rule of 85db for 8 hours, half the time for every 3 db over and have an iphone app, although I doubt this is very accurate. It must still give a decent insight though.

@Rhea, there has been a lot of people say they got H after protecting their ears too much, maybe this is the case? I had H at first from the lack of exposure, then the more I battled through the discomfort and exposed my self to normal sounds, it seems to have gone away and only comes back when I get ill.

Ahh it's horrible having to avoid loud sounds at a young age, but in theory, every day sounds won't make it worse? Not everybody's T gets worse, most habituate. I'm pretty sure I saw a questionnaire in which 65% got worse. Considering that this was done on a forum that's pretty low, as most who have recovered or who have habituated would probably avoid forums from then on. Also to consider is there would be long term sufferers who were not aware of what it was or what makes it worse. If that even makes sense haha?

 

[Danny Boy]

I wouldn't overprotect as I hear that can make it worse, but if you have h, that's totally understandable.

 

[Telis]

My H gets way worse when I don't protect enough. There is no way I caused H by protecting my ears after they became damaged. I have H becasue I damaged my ears.

 

[NiNyu]

@Rhea, there has been a lot of people say they got H after protecting their ears too much, maybe this is the case?

That's very likely the case.

Ahh it's horrible having to avoid loud sounds at a young age, but in theory, every day sounds won't make it worse? Not everybody's T gets worse, most habituate.

It's a nightmare.

Every day normal sounds shouldn't damage your ears further as long as they are under 80db IMO.
Ha-bitch-uate is a joke. That only works if you have mild T w/o H. If you have debilitating reactive killer T + H it is utterly IMPOSSIBLE.

Don't believe me? Go ask the vets.

Oh, here you go,
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/tinnitus-now-in-other-ear.9073/#post-106078
~

I have H becasue I damaged my ears.

I was wondering about that, 'you damaged your ears' how?

 

[I who love music]

I avoid ALL sounds louder than a vacuum cleaner.
I take cotton wherever I go and use it often.
I don't use plugs. The air between the plug and my eardrum bothers my H and sometimes the T too.

 

[jrm]

Hi, do earplugs detract from music much at concerts? Thanks for any help

 

[Stina]

My cause of tinnitus is the incurable condition called stupidity, eg. listening to loud music for years and years with my MP3 although my parents warned me about hearing loss. I haven't had an increase yet but it might come. I wear plugs in all situations that are too loud. I would advise you to simply use common sense: anything that seems to loud probably is. Do not wear plugs when you walk on the street because that might give you hyperacusis and also normally traffic isnt loud enough to cause damage in a short period of time. I do avoid clubs and concerts and shooting and anything of the like.
@jrm we have many stories on this blog about people who go to concerts with plugs. They use different tpes of plugs, some don't have an immidiate increase, others do, some have a cumulative increase that will build up in years. In short, going to a concerts even with plugs or/and earmuffs is a risky business. If you are not bothered by your tinnitus and are willing to risk a loudening then I say go.

 

[Danny Boy]

I'd rather not hear my tinnitus more, so don't use earplugs.

 

[linearb]

I'd rather not hear my tinnitus more, so don't use earplugs.

I'd rather not hear my tinnitus louder, so I definitely wear them during things that are prone to causing hearing damage like vacuuming and motorcycling...

 

[Danny Boy]

I'd rather not hear my tinnitus louder, so I definitely wear them during things that are prone to causing hearing damage like vacuuming and motorcycling...

I can understand that completely. I only wear earplugs in the bath otherwise I'd get an ear infection.

 

[linearb]

Huh, really? I submerge my head underwater all the time... maybe I'm just lucky! The pool at my gym is salt water, maybe that helps....

 

[ruben ruiz]

My condition has gotten worse in a short time. I feel that the meds Im taking, Ototoxic in nature are doing a bad deed. Yet I cant just quite them. A quick question, do your conditions get worse after eating diner?
Mine go through the roof.

 

[jeannie]

I wear my earplugs when doing anything noisy, vacuuming, blow drying hair, ect...ect.... don't want to risk any further damage...I have 2 sets of ear plugs I had made by audiologist, and 2 sets of the headphone type .I always caryy a set of earplugs with me just in case I need them.

 

[Valentina]

I have my earplugs always with me but I rarely use them because I'm ashamed to show them to the others. I know it's stupid but... When I'm home I wear them when I do home cleaning and other noisy activities, such as using electric equipements in the kitchen.

 

[Gosia]

Sometimes I feel like I'm the only one forced to use public transport. Are the buses and tramways too loud ? Metro definitely is and I plug my ears in it. But buses go and stop continuously - so plugging is needed and not needed every minute. I use my fingers, but today I took a bus twice for 50 mins altogether , plugging and when afterwards I was walking in a park suddenly I got a spike that scared the hell out of me and brought me down again while I 've been much better lately. This spike went down a little..but not fully, sth is worse. I had a nap of 2 h - still worse. Now I feel like I can't use public transport anymore which means staying home most of the time , as long as I am where I am for now..I use alpine plugs with filters so that the ears are not exposed to muffled hearing, but only more silent sounds. I thought that was wise.