Living Near a Busy Street with Constant Road Noise — How to Deal with It and Hyperacusis?

[Juan]

Not sure about this. I have like 6-7 brands and models and none of them stick inside the ears. Perhaps you have too much earwax and they stick to the wax.

Most of them do not stick inside the ears. I was referring specifically to a product made by 3M, which is similar to this:

3M Disposable Earplugs, Hearing Protection for Events & Concerts, Mutli-Color, 32 NRR, 4-Pairs

The packaging is different in Spain but those earplugs above, that are thinner at one end, get glued to the ear and pop when removed. I do not have wax. The earplugs get stuck due to the material they are made of.

These are the foam earplugs I use and these do not get glued to the ear:

 

[Taw]

Most of them do not stick inside the ears. I was referring specifically to a product made by 3M, which is similar to this:

3M Disposable Earplugs, Hearing Protection for Events & Concerts, Mutli-Color, 32 NRR, 4-Pairs

The packaging is different in Spain but those earplugs above, that are thinner at one end, get glued to the ear and pop when removed. I do not have wax. The earplugs get stuck due to the material they are made of.

These are the foam earplugs I use and these do not get glued to the ear:

View attachment 48674

I agree, it's a different material, I have some plugs similar to these ones but they are too big for my ears.

EDIT:

I remembered now their name, "Flents Quiet Please" earplugs. Maybe it helps someone.

 

[KristianTsokanov]

Good news! I saw my ENT this week. Hearing is above normal. He said to give it time to heal.

I'm moving to a new home in two weeks with zero road noise!

Still waiting on my Westones, apparently they are running behind a few weeks.

 

[KristianTsokanov]

Update -

It's been about a week since I moved. Peace and quiet!
Anxiety is almost non existent now. I haven't had the need to wear earplugs at all lately. I kind of just forgot about the hyperacusis.

Paper or plastic is still bothersome. Speech from others, no more discomfort unless they are talking super loud. I'm finding myself slowly getting back to normal television volumes. Went from having the volume at about 3, now between 10-15. I still have the remote in my hand just in case for super loud scenes. Definitely feeling better!

 

[nogg]

Great to hear you are getting so much better. I would encourage you to always be careful with noise exposure and use hearing protection in any environments that are questionable. I would suggest treating it like the symptoms have resolved but the injury is still there just waiting to flare up again. So, treat your ears gently going forward.

 

[KristianTsokanov]

Great to hear you are getting so much better. I would encourage you to always be careful with noise exposure and use hearing protection in any environments that are questionable. I would suggest treating it like the symptoms have resolved but the injury is still there just waiting to flare up again. So, treat your ears gently going forward.

I had a minor setback this week. Out of nowhere, my co-worker decided to fire off one of those confetti cannons about 8 feet from my bad ear. Talk about disappointment/freak accident.

Earplugs are always in my pocket just in case. Appreciate the advice!

 

[nogg]

I had a minor setback this week. Out of nowhere, my co-worker decided to fire off one of those confetti cannons about 8 feet from my bad ear. Talk about disappointment/freak accident.

Earplugs are always in my pocket just in case. Appreciate the advice!

Perhaps the earplugs with the replaceable filters could work well in many environments, such as your office. Choose a filter that lets in enough sound to allow you to interact as necessary but helps to block those unexpected noises, especially the explosive or impact noises that can't be predicted but can be very problematic.

When I want to have good ear protection, I use Mack's Ultra Soft earplugs. They are the most comfortable I've tried and when needed I can wear them for many hours without discomfort. I got them from Amazon.

Your hyperacusis might eventually naturally resolve. If you still have issues with it by May, you might consider TRT. I recently read Jastreboff's book "Tinnitus Retraining Therapy". Again, got it on Amazon, the Kindle version. It also covers hyperacusis therapy with a claimed success rate of 95% for that. I've had hyperacusis and tinnitus for decades. I've just started TRT, mostly self-guided. I think it's worth keeping an open mind and giving it a chance, which is what I'm trying to do. Don't just accept your condition and resign yourself to living with it forever. Try to treat it and get it resolved, and then always be careful.