I'm New to This and I'm Just Scared

[Lazypugfilms]

This only started happening last week and I went to an ent doctor. They said it was brought by sudden hearing loss to my left ear. I love watching movies. It's my favorite thing. Now I'm wondering if I should go to the theater again or what to do to preserve my hearing. I also fly a lot. my dad suffered from this and lost hearing in his left ear. I just want to know how can I not let this bother the things I enjoy while protecting my hearing. What's the best earmuffs or plugs for movies or planes? Or how safe should I be? Should I just avoid movie theaters and etc?

 

[glynis]

A warm welcome to the forum.
Protecting your hearing is important but still be able to have fun and enjoy life.
Noise reduction plugs that are tree like from the chemist help reduce sound and safe on flights too.
Tinnitus comes through lots of reasons and we have no control over some of them unless due to noise exposure from concerts.
Noise reduction plugs are better than the foam plugs you can buy.

Keep posting for support .....lots of love glynis

 

[Lazypugfilms]

Should I be worried about the gym? I just got done working out and I wonder if it is too loud

 

[glynis]

Depending on how loud the music is playing depends on if you need plugs.
Pushing your heart rate up can spike tinnitus exercising but settles when your body cools down and so important to do wind down exercises. ...lots of love glynis

 

[Sebastians]

Get a set of molded earplugs with different filters (10 db, 15 db etc.) so you can still go to the movies, but can protect your ears if things get too loud.
For flying, check out earplanes, plugs that can help your ears withstand the pressure when landing.
If the gym is too loud, wear a pair of headphones (unplugged), so it looks like you are listening to music.
Be safe, be smart!

 

[billie48]

When you T is new and your ears unstable or reactive to sounds, it is best to protect yourself first. Also you don't know if there is hyperacusis lurking behind. So protect but use prudence and only you can tell if the sounds are too loud. Wearing some protection is a must at this initial stage for real loud environments. However over-protection can lead to sound sensitivity. I had severe hyperacusis before and so I tried to wear ear plugs all the time to protect. But my T was too dominant without the outside sounds helping to mask it. So it was tough for me to decide. Forum members advised me not to over protect for normal sounds. So I took off the plugs for sounds my ears could still handle with the H. There are guidelines for different noises and their dB on these sites. Check them out:

http://www.dangerousdecibels.org/education/information-center/decibel-exposure-time-guidelines/

http://www.gcaudio.com/resources/howtos/loudness.html