Blair, your T like many here is reactive. Mine will sometimes get lower with masking and other times get louder. It depends in its fluctuating volume.I notice any physical activity as simple as a short walk, exposure to children joking, going into a silent room (contrast), masking increase the perception of it being louder?? Ideas?? It will not cause damage, but causes spikes and it will obviously spike for other unknown reasons.
I don't think mowing the grass with ear muffs is starving your auditory system. I'm sure you still get a solid 60-70db even with the muffs on.@Leah I could not protect my ears from normal everday sounds, if I use earmuffs to mow my grass my T gets worse, as I understand because I am starving my auditory system of sound, which it naturally seeks and the contrast cranks up the T. People say they go to concerts etc with earplugs, I guess I could, but I expect I would pay after, so do you avoid and have a better T day or go and pay later? Perhaps in time?