Ear Plugs in the Shower

[Street Spirit]

you brain is having an inappropriate reaction in front of normal noises, you have to overcome that.

the very same after you felt from a bicycle, you have to ride it again

yea, tell me about it! I have only taken baths since onset..I realize it's an issue.

 

[Magpie]

My T is really bad in a car. Does'nt matter if the radio is on or the window is down it's always the same. The fact that I'm confined in a box is the reason I imagine. The T bounces off the windows like an echo. My car is also really quiet as far as road noise goes. Not so with the shower and I'm surprised it's estimated/rated at 70db. My mower is rated at 70db and there is absolutely no comparison. I don't wear earplugs anywhere unless it's noisy. Using power tools or using a hammer for example. Using machinery that is rated above 80db's or where it's annoying and I regard it as harmful. A shower has never been distressful even when I was in the worst stages of hyperacusis.

 

[Grace]

I had H for like 30 mins after i got T.. I think thats what it had to be.. All noise was disorted and hurtin my ears like crazy and amplified.. Then my hearing recovered and it went away along with the T i had at that time which was crazy loud but now is barely audible. Told my ent all this and he said to not let normal sounds bother me even if they seem to hurt like the shower to never over protect cause it just feeds the H more and prevents it to get better.. Ears love sound they need sound even if its at a low level.. But protecting in the shower is not neccessary.

 

[Willie]

I wouldn't wear earplugs in the shower, I find the shower to be extremely soothing actually.

 

[Sticks]

I am a new tinnitus sufferer.... as a result of SSHL a few months ago.

For me the shower is the worst....

I go into a shower with mild tinnitus and when I come out its roaring loud.. and lasts for hours. and sometimes the whole day... no idea why..... I suspect the sounds a similar..... I have not tried ear plugs yet but I may...

I think all cases a different so its hard to comment.

 

[Mad maggot]

Strange because sometimes I've noticed running water noises seem to exacerbate the noise in my left ear but the shower doesn't and I've read of others where the shower helps their T quite a lot.

 

[Bertman]

At first I felt the need to use earplugs in the shower but my H seems to be getting a little better and I can handle it without earplugs now. But to be honest, sometimes I still wear them because I find it to be the most relaxing feeling I've had since the onset of T. Something about the sound of the water hitting my head/neck with plugged ears just feels good to me. I suggest that anyone who hasn't tried it does it at least once. Definitely makes me feel better for a few moments.

 

[Gosia]

My T just goes insane after a shower. It's not that I listen to it more - I can tell if it's louder or not and for good 30 mins after it's terrible. I guess all depends if we just wash the body or pour the stream directly on the head and around ears ? Globally, for me shower is a moment of relief too, only when I wash my hair then it's hard to avoid the noise of water being close to ears and it seems quite loud.. I don't think it's the same 70 db when the water flows 50 cm away from the ear and when it's right next to it. Today I felt like twice a drop of water hit my eardrum, is that possible and dangerous ?

 

[glynis]

I wouldn't recommend ear plugs in the shower .
I might need them when Hubby's doing a Pavarotti in the shower....lol
Seriously though only if you have a ear infection or perforated ear drum..lol glynis

 

[DanielMac]

I hate to resurrect an old thread-

In the shower my T is almost gone, the noise of the shower overpowers it and I feel incredibly normal as if I never had T. After a shower though my tinnitus spikes very loud, almost emulating noise closer to what I experienced in the shower.

I've paid attention (not intensely, but enough to notice) that my T seems very normal pre-shower and then post shower it blares like crazy.

Going to try some ear plugs for the shower to see if it helps, curious if anyone who posted here long ago has tried it since 2015.

 

[SugarMagnolia]

My shower developed a high-pitched screech. It's the kind of shower that has one lever instead of hot and cold knobs. It doesn't screech when it's at the hot and cold extremes. Only when it's in the middle at a normal temperature. I would fiddle with it with one hand and plug my bad ear with the other and sometimes get a few seconds of useful time but it literally takes me a hour to take what would normally be a ten minute shower and when I'm done I'm exhausted from the anxiety. My DH tried putting on a different shower head and it didn't screech but it made a loud low-pitched rumbling noise which is constant. He says it's a normal sound but I never heard anything like it before. I don't know whether it's loud enough to do damage, but I really don't want to experiment. It's something I never heard before and it's loud. Any thoughts?

 

[Tinker Bell]

My shower developed a high-pitched screech. It's the kind of shower that has one lever instead of hot and cold knobs. It doesn't screech when it's at the hot and cold extremes. Only when it's in the middle at a normal temperature. I would fiddle with it with one hand and plug my bad ear with the other and sometimes get a few seconds of useful time but it literally takes me a hour to take what would normally be a ten minute shower and when I'm done I'm exhausted from the anxiety. My DH tried putting on a different shower head and it didn't screech but it made a loud low-pitched rumbling noise which is constant. He says it's a normal sound but I never heard anything like it before. I don't know whether it's loud enough to do damage, but I really don't want to experiment. It's something I never heard before and it's loud. Any thoughts?

Rather than worry that it will cause damage, check with a dB meter. It's likely not a volume that would cause damage.

 

[fishbone]

The shower is supposed to be such a therapeutic time and environment. Even when I had severe hyperacusis, I never used ear plugs in the shower.

 

[SugarMagnolia]

@Tinker Bell
Yes, I need to buy one. I haven't bought one already because I just stay away from noisy environments. But now my shower is a noisy environment.

 

[SugarMagnolia]

@fishbone
I used to love to take a shower, but this new noise is awful.

 

[Alue]

My shower developed a high-pitched screech. It's the kind of shower that has one lever instead of hot and cold knobs. It doesn't screech when it's at the hot and cold extremes. Only when it's in the middle at a normal temperature. I would fiddle with it with one hand and plug my bad ear with the other and sometimes get a few seconds of useful time but it literally takes me a hour to take what would normally be a ten minute shower and when I'm done I'm exhausted from the anxiety. My DH tried putting on a different shower head and it didn't screech but it made a loud low-pitched rumbling noise which is constant. He says it's a normal sound but I never heard anything like it before. I don't know whether it's loud enough to do damage, but I really don't want to experiment. It's something I never heard before and it's loud. Any thoughts?

Try taking the flow restrictor (aerator) out of the shower head. What's the water pressure like where you live?

 

[SugarMagnolia]

Try taking the flow restrictor (aerator) out of the shower head. What's the water pressure like where you live?

That's exactly what my DH did. Once he removed the flow restrictor, the screeching stopped, but the new low-pitched sound started. DH thought the high-pitched screech was intolerable but he thought the new low-pitched rumbling was normal. It isn't normal to me because I literally never heard a shower sound like that before.

 

[Alue]

That's exactly what my DH did. Once he removed the flow restrictor, the screeching stopped, but the new low-pitched sound started. DH thought the high-pitched screech was intolerable but he thought the new low-pitched rumbling was normal. It isn't normal to me because I literally never heard a shower sound like that before.

Ahh, I figured the restrictor could be causing the high pitched sound. Do you have really high water pressure where you live?

 

[Tinker Bell]

@Tinker Bell
Yes, I need to buy one. I haven't bought one already because I just stay away from noisy environments. But now my shower is a noisy environment.

Do you have an iPhone? Testing has found dB meter apps on iPhones deliver close to the same results as a hand monitor. It would at least give you a good range. For example, if the phone app shows 80dB then it's unlikely it's going to be 100dB on a dedicated meter.

 

[SugarMagnolia]

@Tinker Bell
I have an old flip phone. No apps. I should probably buy a smart phone because my current phone doesn't work very well anymore.

 

[Tinker Bell]

@Tinker Bell
I have an old flip phone. No apps. I should probably buy a smart phone because my current phone doesn't work very well anymore.

My smart phone is a huge help, too. I pair it with a high quality Bluetooth speaker and use it for sound enrichment.

 

[SugarMagnolia]

@Alue
I don't know what the deal is on the water pressure. DH has just been trying the shower head with and without the restrictor. He thinks the restrictor was the cause but the screeching came back even without it so we're back to square one.

 

[SugarMagnolia]

@Tinker Bell
I've been putting it off as long as possible because it means a bigger monthly bill but the fact is my old phone is dying. Better sound quality would make a big difference for me because I only use speaker phone and the speaker phone on my old phone is tinny.

 

[Alue]

Do you have an iPhone? Testing has found dB meter apps on iPhones deliver close to the same results as a hand monitor. It would at least give you a good range. For example, if the phone app shows 80dB then it's unlikely it's going to be 100dB on a dedicated meter.

20db would be 4 times as loud. But I agree. iPhone seems to have a somewhat accurate sound meter. There are too many different android manufacturers to be able to make them accurate. The funny thing is, I have three decibel meters and they all show different readings for different noises. Sometimes the difference is pretty significant.

 

[Ryzen]

I've started plugging my ears with my fingers whenever I wash my hair to avoid getting water in them, which could lead to an infection. Or is that really only an issue with pools or seawater?

 

[Hariz Nonis]

I've started plugging my ears with my fingers whenever I wash my hair to avoid getting water in them, which could lead to an infection.

Just asking, you don't hear anything when you cover your ears?

 

[coffee_girl]

I used to but now I don't. It's pointless in my opinion

 

[Red]

@SugarMagnolia I know you have hyperacusis and imo, a sound meter won't matter. If the sound bothers you, it bothers you. Don't put up with sounds that make you uncomfortable.

Can you hire a plumber?

 

[SugarMagnolia]

@SugarMagnolia I know you have hyperacusis and imo, a sound meter won't matter. If the sound bothers you, it bothers you. Don't put up with sounds that make you uncomfortable.

It does bother me and it makes showers anxiety-inducing whereas they used to be relaxing.

Can you hire a plumber?

I can't because I live in a rental building. The building management would have to decide they want to spend the money on it.

 

[Red]

It does bother me and it makes showers anxiety-inducing whereas they used to be relaxing.



I can't because I live in a rental building. The building management would have to decide they want to spend the money on it.

Give them a call. It's worth opening the dialogue.