Louder Tinnitus After Flight, No Improvement Even After a Few Weeks

[Fangen]

Hello guys!

I made a post on this last time I was flying (November 2016), the spike that I got settled down after a week or two.

On April 5th I had to take a flight to London, I had earplugs and NC headphones with me. However, the headphones was acting up a lot and somehow it just stopped working. I got panic and tried to use earplugs as soon as I got to max altitude and take them out before decent. However, that still leaves 45-60 min of only head phones on (which does not protect you) since I didnt want to have the plugs in due to the risk of barotrauma.

I had a few meetings to attend to in London and had to fly back during the evening, at this point I had solved the issue with the headphones and the NC was working as it should. Felt much better when I was able to cancel the noise out.

However, I've had an increase in my T for two weeks now and I have noticed no improvement since I got home. I am worried that the hour or so that I had no protection on the plane would be damaging. I used my app to measure the noise and it was around 80 db during the whole flight. I don't know if this is a really mean spike that just don't want to settle just yet or my ears took a good beating and are not going back to my previous baseline

 

[Flamingo]

80 db during one hour is not damaging. The fact that you brought earplugs + headphones as protection is an indicator of anxiety and stress. On the flight back you felt much better when you were able to cancel out the noise. My guess is that your subconscious is telling you that damage has been done. You've worked yourself up over nothing. Get your stress levels under control.

 

[Sebastians]

I have my doubts on what NC headphones can do to your delicate ears .. somehow i feel they also put a lot of pressure on your eardrums.

 

[Fangen]

I have my doubts on what NC headphones can do to your delicate ears .. somehow i feel they also put a lot of pressure on your eardrums.

I did buy a peltor x4 after this since I realized it was no use to rely on NC if it was not working. A peltor one is bound to work, there is not charging or anything that can go wrong with it. Unless you break it physically.

However, I've read a lot on the NC headphones before putting them on on my last flight, from what I can understand and have read, there is low or no risk for you to damage the hearing. People might feel uncomfortable and feel some kind of pressure but I haven't found that it actually does put pressure on your eardrum.

 

[Emperor-Drax]

From my experience, you're better off not wearing earplugs on board a jet airliner. The reverberation seems to be louder and more penetrating by wearing them than not wearing them.

The only place at an airport where they're a must is if you're in cheapie seats, and they herd you out onto the tarmac to board the plane. Believe me, it's frickin' loud out there.