Going on a Long Car Trip — Will Earmuffs + Earplugs Provide Enough Protection?

[MikeO123]

In a couple months I'm going on a long car trip.

It's a 5 1/2 hour drive, my longest drive after getting tinnitus. I want to make sure my tinnitus doesn't spike from the drive.

I was planning on wearing musician earplugs with earmuffs on top of them during the drive. Do you think this will prevent a spike?

I'm looking forward to the trip but I'm worried about the driving aspect.

Thanks for your help.

 

[JohnAdams]

Earplugs yes.

Do you think this will prevent a spike?

No telling what your specific state is. Good luck.

 

[Digital Doc]

Lot of variables here, including how easily you spike, how loud your car is, and how loud the trip will be. In most cases, you may need some protection on this type of trip, but earplugs are a good option, or maybe noise cancelling headphones.

Plugs and muffs, unless you spike extremely easily would be overprotection in my mind.

 

[MikeO123]

Lot of variables here, including how easily you spike, how loud your car is, and how loud the trip will be. In most cases, you may need some protection on this type of trip, but earplugs are a good option, or maybe noise cancelling headphones.

Plugs and muffs, unless you spike extremely easily would be overprotection in my mind.

I don't spike easily from what I've noticed so far. Things that I was sure would give me spikes ended up not. The car is pretty quiet, I would say average volume for a car but I haven't measured the decibels though. Most of the trip will be on a highway so it would be a pretty smooth ride.

 

[Digital Doc]

I don't spike easily from what I've noticed so far. Things that I was sure would give me spikes ended up not. The car is pretty quiet, I would say average volume for a car but I haven't measured the decibels though. Most of the trip will be on a highway so it would be a pretty smooth ride.

Then musician plugs are an option, or noise cancelling headphones. Maybe nothing is ok.

In the same car, do you have problems on a shorter trip?

 

[Fifth Business]

the probable overwhelming majority of the millions of people with chronic tinnitus are fine being in a regular car and i suspect you will be too! (I don't think you should wear earmuffs while driving. Maybe musician's plugs if you feel discomfort.)

 

[MattS]

Hi @MikeO123

My experience with cars is that it's the vibrations, rather than the decibels, that are most likely to trigger tinnitus symptoms. I think this explains why people who wear protection can experience symptoms from cars at all (since most car interiors are only 75-85 dB, and with protection you're easily in a safe zone the entire trip).

That isn't meant to scare you; rather, it just provides a bit of a different way of thinking about the trip, and how to protect.

For instance: While musician plugs and muffs will probably be overkill for the sound, they'll actually both do very little to help with any effect of vibration. In contrast, just a pair of old-fashioned foamies will help with both by absorbing the vibrations in a way the synthetic materials can't do.

I always lean towards the foamies whenever vibrations are in play.

Hope that helps,
Matt