Does Plugging Your Ears Do Anything?

So I got a ride from someone today and he played loud music and completely refused to turn it down.

I was in the backseat so I couldn’t control the volume and he wouldn’t turn it down despite my efforts.

Of course I left my ear plugs in a public bathroom the time I really needed them so I plugged my ears with my thumb over the flap firmly for the entire 90 minute ride.

The decibel app “decibel x” on my phone read a low of 79 decibels and a peak of around 105 decibels with an average of 93 decibels. Lots of bass probably turned up the bass.

How many decibels do you estimate plugging my ears reduced?

If it reduced around 15 decibels at least I’d be very thankful.

I’m going to have to be more careful from now on with who I get in the car with.

 

If I were you, I would have asked him to stop the car and let me out.

 

Blatantly loud people are the scum of the earth.

 

I feel that firmly pressing the tragus (as that's what it is called even though it doesn't have a particularly becoming ring to it...no pun intended) towards the ear opening is more protective than wearing earplugs. This is just my opinion and don't know if there is any evidence or studies to prove it.

I guess I feel this way just because of how it sounds to my ears when I do one versus the other. And maybe because of how it feels, it just has a safe and comforting feeling (to push the tragus in). I may have to experiment though, perhaps you should also do so....not in a dangerous way, but with moderate noise that won't do any damage even with "naked" ears. I mean listen to some music with earplugs compared to pushing on the tragus.

I do think though, that I would choose fat foam earplugs + good protective earmuffs for the most protection, over only pushing the tragus in. Obviously you cannot put earmuffs on if you're plugging your ears with your fingers/hands, otherwise I would go that route para mas proteccion compadre.

 

It appears to me that when I press on the tragus when I wear foam earplugs, I achieve significantly more noise reduction compared to the reduction due to earplugs alone.

 

Yes I notice the same thing...good to point out for situations where you have plugs in but no muffs with you! It must squish all that foam together blocking out more noise, or perhaps just the added effect of pushing the tragus in blocks more sound.

 

This is what I do when I encounter a loud noise. I don't have ear plugs. When something is unexpectedly loud, I press the tragus of my bad ear until the sound passes. It reduces the sound a lot. But I don't think I would want to do that for 90 minutes. I would probably need to be let out of the car.

 

I know you said that he wouldn't turn it down no matter what and I don't really know what your situation was but you can't let people walk over you when you have tinnitus or any chronic condition, really. There's nothing to be ashamed of in saying that you have a health problem and that it should be respected.

If people refuse to listen to you after you state that you have a health problem that is when you no longer associate with that person