How Well Do EarPlugs Protect You?

I've been wondering this for a while now. I have tinnitus for about 4 months now and I'm convinced it's gradually fading away (which is wonderful!). I'm not sure if I'm habituating or if I'm one of the lucky ones who's tinnitus completely just dissapears(fingers crossed). I do know I'm not in that bad place of the initial months anymore.

I did give up partying, attending gigs and going to pubs since I got tinnitus (I got it from an acoustic trauma, the festival I attended was extremely loud). But I want to go out again. I'm only 20 years old and I feel as if my studentlife has grown dull because of tinnitus. Though everyone tells me I'll be okay if I wear earplugs (I have custom made earplugss with a 22dB filter). I'm having a hard time believing them because I'm so afraid of making it worse again. I really want to get over this fear of loud places... I want to be able to go out again without having to worry.

Does anyone have experience with this?

 

The low frequency sounds will penetrate the plugs no problem. Where them but also try and stay away from extreme situations like clubs or concerts.

 

Ear plugs work really well you can get the cheap one about anywhere are you can musician earplugs that are almost invisible but they cost a little more then the cheap ones

 

with the musician ear plugs they let sound in unlike the cheap foam ones that block out most sound google them and find the 1 you like they run around 50 to 70 US dollars

 

I have custom made ones. So no one here goes out anymore? I'd just really like to know if it's safe to go to clubs and such wearing earplugs. Will they protect me completely? Or do they just give you a false feeling of safety

 

no its not safe to go to clubs. Why would you do that when you already got injured from loud noise?

 

Because I love going out, all of my friends go out. I'm feeling a bit socially alienated because I can't go to pubs and concerts anymore with my friends. So custom made earplugs aren't completely safe? I do live in a country where we have this law that limits the loudness of clubs to 95dB

 

I still go out to the bars I try and stay away from the really loud music but when I'm out I take a break and go out side take the plugs out and give my ears a break. but the decision is all yoursI would take baby steps go out little at a time and see how you feel

 

You plugs are they filtered so they let sound in and what db level are they I ones I have have filters 25 db and 50 dbs

 

I have custom made with filters of 22dB, so you can get custom made with even higher filters? I might get some of those as well then. Can't be too safe. And even if the music sounds muffled I don't care that much for it. As long as I can be around my friends

 

whats so good about custom made? If the ear plugs arent fitting when you wear them, you dont know how much protection you are getting. You wont be able to hear your friends speak in the club so what fun is it?
You can probably get very high protection ear plugs for industrial use but whats the point going to a club if you cant really hear the music well or anything else?

 

I have read where one person did get worsened T from clubbing with plugs in...also accounts of people being ok after PUBS with plugs.

You are taking a chance. .just keep that in mind. Perhaps meet friends at quieter pubs and wear good earplugs..though it does make for hard conversation.

I am sorry you are only 20. That sucks. Going to clubs is fun and what not..I am 36 and my social life is now non existent because of my ear issues..that includes my family. You don't want worsened T and you really don't want hyperacusis.

Be wise, be careful.

 

We hear two ways- Bone conduction and Air conduction. If the sounds are very low and low they'll go to your inner ear through your skull and the hard area behind the ear (hard, but not bone). Plugs don't stop those sounds. My screaming ears are proof.

 

It's a state of mind I think, before I had ear suction and worsened T from it, I went to concerts and clubs with my foam classic ear plugs and it never irritated my T at all.
I even went too an AC/DC concert about four or five years back and it was loud, admittedly the ear plugs that I used are not made by Classic anymore, which is a pity because they were the best and blocked out tons of noise.

Now I wouldn't go to any concerts or clubs because my T is just too loud and my paranoia is through the roof!

Rich

 

My T remained constant for 10 years while regularly playing loud music thanks to earplugs. Then one day, one loud rehearsal with yellow foam earplugs and my T is significantly louder. It may have something to do with my jaw and/ore teeth, though...

Last Friday I saw J Mascis solo in small club. It's only vocals and acoustic guitar, and I'm wearing earplugs, so how bad could it be? Well, I think my T is still a little bit louder since then...

I'm staying away from all concerts for now. It's horrible, but any increase in T is worse.

 

Wow what do we do become hermits at home, terrible, my t is loud for the last two weeks, but we have to go out sometime, I go to my grandkids ball games and they are loud when they are yelling from everywhere .

 

Exactly Ron. There's a delicate balance we have to maintain in my opinion. For some of us, staying in and avoiding everything is equally detrimental to our lives. I'll avoid stupidly loud situations, but the majority of the time ear plugs work fine for me. I continue living my life, but am a lot more cautious.

No one can give guarantees in life. Stuff happens, and sometimes it's completely unavoidable. However, you could live like a saint and still end up with worse T for other reasons. We have one shot at life, don't let tinnitus take too much from you, or you may find yourself full of regrets when you look back.