Those of You Who Go to School or Work: Do You Wear Earplugs All Day?
- Thread starter butterfly75
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I work in office but I don't wear earplugs. Only when someone turn on the coffe machine I plug my ears. If my co-workers start to discuss loudly I just ask them to be quieter. They understand 
I'm using earplugs only when someone in office turn on vacuum cleaner and I can't leave.
I've got slight hyperacusis (sounds >70 dB). If music is playing and nobody yell at someone is about 40-50dB.
I'm using earplugs only when someone in office turn on vacuum cleaner and I can't leave.
I've got slight hyperacusis (sounds >70 dB). If music is playing and nobody yell at someone is about 40-50dB.
Hi @butterfly75
I work in a school and wear plugs when it's lunchtime and kids are around. I actugot caught out under a Bell last week and it's really messed my tinnitus and hypercausis.
How do you cope with bells? I'm becoming increasingly anxious
Definitely not all day, and not at work.
Wear ear plugs to vacuum or go outside and do work due to traffic noise, and the jobs such as hammering or lawn mower. Still deciding on when going out for a walk near a busy road; last time I went without for a 10 min walk and was very thankfully ok, but wondering if this was the best idea. The time before I wore them and felt less worried about it.
I really think it depends on the job, and the level of noise.
Also will say that I believe my tinnitus is less than many of yours.
Wear ear plugs to vacuum or go outside and do work due to traffic noise, and the jobs such as hammering or lawn mower. Still deciding on when going out for a walk near a busy road; last time I went without for a 10 min walk and was very thankfully ok, but wondering if this was the best idea. The time before I wore them and felt less worried about it.
I really think it depends on the job, and the level of noise.
Also will say that I believe my tinnitus is less than many of yours.
Alex Matyjasek
Member
Depends on the situation. Normaly I don't wear plugs at work but if there is music for some reason and it's bit too loud then I put them on. I don't normally use them not even when i'm in the centre and haven't had any problems. Will be interesting when going to a night club during the Christmas festivities (and still thinking about it)!
- Feb 17, 2017
- 10,400
- Tinnitus Since
- February, 2017
- Cause of Tinnitus
- Acoustic Trauma
Alex Matyjasek
Member
Got musician ear plugs...? Even outside is a bad idea? The other day I was outside one. Deliberately staid out side just incase, but had to go to the toilet. Went inside for a second and nothing happened (didn't have ear plugs). This shite is a real party spoiler!
FYI- most musican ear plugs provide less protection than the foam ones. In some cases it can be time based, so exposing to noise for 5 mins, while in the bathroom is hardly the same as being their for some hours. Many of those night clubs are quite loud.
- Feb 17, 2017
- 10,400
- Tinnitus Since
- February, 2017
- Cause of Tinnitus
- Acoustic Trauma
Their noise reduction is something like 20 dB. The foam plugs that I found that seemed to provide the most noise reduction, had noise reduction of around 30 dB. Foam plugs (even though they are superior to musician plugs) can provide a false sense of security, see the posts I quoted in the first post on
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/learn-from-others-mistakes.29437/
For many (most?) people nothing happens. For the rest sometimes something happens right away, and sometimes it takes a while before the body gives in and the spike becomes permanent. It is a risk. If you begin hitting a wall with a hammer, most of the time it takes a while before you see the objects on the other side of the wall.
- Oct 14, 2016
- 1,270
- Tinnitus Since
- All my life, but got worse 2016
- Cause of Tinnitus
- Noise induced / Concert
Yep and I work in a library. It gets super noisy at times. We had almost 80 kids the other day during story time. It was so loud i had to escape the desk and head two flights up away from the noise. I wear my ear plugs all day normally.
Alex Matyjasek
Member
How did you manage to figger out the noise reduction on different ear-plugs? I've come across various situations and fortunately nothing happened (ambulances, doors slamming, switching the radio on and it was at full volume etc). Still doesn't mean nothing can happen, but sort of figgered out that my T doesn't spike in louder noises that easily.
Unfortunately you will never know till it's too late.... Or mentioned above going through different situation and come to the conclusion that you're not that fragile. But still it's not a good idea to play with fire (Spanish saying).
Anyway thanks for your advice and most probably I will party outside and relatively far away.
Why do you wear ear-plugs in a library?
- Feb 17, 2017
- 10,400
- Tinnitus Since
- February, 2017
- Cause of Tinnitus
- Acoustic Trauma
Most earplugs provide this information on the package. (Look for "NRR" on the package, it stands for "noise reduction rating".) If they don't, it might mean that the reduction is small, compared to that of their competitors.
I try to do what I can to stay away from loud noises. If despite all of my efforts I get exposed (e.g., slamming doors, etc), I tell myself that the spike is likely to be temporary.
Alex Matyjasek
Member
Apocalypse77
Member
- May 9, 2017
- 387
- Tinnitus Since
- 6/8/2016
- Cause of Tinnitus
- Acoustic trauma (go-kart racing)
I go to school. The cafeteria is sometimes loud, but I can cope with it. Classes are not that loud unless we watch videos and I will plug my ears if I think it is necessary. So no I don't use earplugs at school.
Apocalypse77
Member
- May 9, 2017
- 387
- Tinnitus Since
- 6/8/2016
- Cause of Tinnitus
- Acoustic trauma (go-kart racing)
Seriously, my library is quite quiet, and often glad to spend some time there and not worry about damaging my hearing. All day ear plugs there sounds like way overprotection. Would consider some breaks from the plugs to start, and eventually only put them in when the kids are coming for their programs, or it gets loud for some random reason.
I just picked the ones that had a high decible rating.
People have the assumption that Libraries are quiet. They might be where you are but where i work they arent its a huge library with a lot of people and ive had my ears have a spike that hasnt gone down from not wearing them in that library. So know I choose to wear them as a precaution, it doesnt both me honestly. Not to mention there doing high construction across the road so it gets super nosy to the point other colleagues have had to wear them.
If its a branch then yes. I work in a four story library that can get to 60 db depending. My ears hate anything above 50 right now due to noise trauma so i keep them on at the moment to protect them and rest them so they can heal.
I find the bells quite stressful! I was caught out 2 weeks ago by a Bell being tested. I was directly under it and am still recovering from it....
I often do. I frequently work around some laboratory equipment that can be kind of noisy. It's not excessively loud, but loud enough that it adds up during the day. My ear canals get a little sore and inflamed from wearing earplugs too often, but what else can I do?
How ridiculous is it that libraries are 60db? I thought libraries were supposed to be quiet. It seems most places are getting louder (restaurants, stores, etc.), I guess libraries are no exception.
My library is for a small town, and pretty low key so not much sound, let alone noise at all. They also have the children's section upstairs, and I don't go there.
I understand about keeping the ear plugs in, as I wear them outside my own house after too many experiences with jets overhead so low could read the airline logo, helicopters flying, trucks backfiring, constant gardeners with mowers and leaf blowers, and motorcycles going past nearby. I also had fire trucks with sirens in front, and was glad to not be exposed. My personal favorite was the industrial blower on a tractor that came by across the street from the town to blow leaves- and even with my ear plugs had to go inside as the ground was literally shaking.
I really just wish things were quieter, but have accepted the situation of my "fragile ears," and try to take reasonable and sensible precautions, with the hope that things are generally and slowly improving (aside from the setback of tinnitus spikes, most recently when the alarm clock went off from a night table behind my head, and now the clock is forevermore on the floor).
It can be quiet in the middle of the day, but when there are screaming kids around nope and we also right on a main busy highway and then there is also the customer service council as well. When its exam time we get so many teenagers that the noise level just goes up. Which is i guess is good because people are using the library. Plus the info desk is in the middle of the kids section so im constantly dealing with kids screaming through out the day. Much rather just wear the plugs to prevent from getting something going wrong.
The kids section is right next to the info desk where i work, its a nightmare, espcially at storytime when i actually have to leave the desk because its too much. They even want me to run storytime next year but unless they cap the kids it wont happen so i will have to get a certificate from my doctor which shouldnt be an issue. (There story time involves instruments and music its like a mini concert)
Im currently dealing with sirens right now because santa is coming up the street on a fire truck to see the kids so im sitting here with ear plugs in lol.
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