Ear Protection Is Useless

Everytime I wear ear protection of any kind the sound just cuts through what I am trying to block. I can feel the sound 'impacting' me the same as if I had nothing on. I just wore earplugs and muffs while operating a scanner that makes lots of beeps and boops. The sound is not even as loud as other noises where I work (at the very least equal to a moderate volume cash register) but the sounds were just annoying and grating and horrid. Certainly less loud than say a vacuum cleaner.

But following, I feel so horrid, perhaps more in the H department than T. Maybe I am not normal? Is this that misophonia thing I have read about? Why do my ears hate the sound of one particular thing but are okay with a different sound at the same volume?

 

Hearing protection used correctly can be beneficial. When it is not used correctly or used to treat a conditions like tinnitus and hyperacusis, it often causes more harm than good. Your tinnitus and hyperacusis needs to be treated properly and this will require being under the care of a Hearing Therapist or Audiologist whose trained in the treatment and management of tinnitus.

I have had tinnitus for many years and once had very severe hyperacusis that has been completely cured for 18 years using the right treatment, whilst under the care of a Hearing Therapist. There are a few members in this forum that share my view, that the overuse of hearing protection or using it inappropriately to treat T&H often makes these conditions worse. Sadly, there are far too members at TT promoting the use of wearing earplugs and earmuffs sometimes used together to treat tinnitus and hyperacusis. They are under the impression suppressing loud sounds or normal sounds in one's environment is going to reduce their symptoms. This unfortunately is not the case long term. The result of wearing earplugs or earmuffs in this way reduces the "loudness threshold" of the auditory system and makes it more sensitive to sound. Not only that, but this practice inevitably causes phonophobia and misophonia. Quite a few people have been sending me PM's with phonophobia symptoms as a result of overusing hearing protection.

Please click on the link below and read my post on the harm, that I believe the overuse of hearing protection can do.
All the best
Michael

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/the-complexities-of-tinnitus-and-hyperacusis.25733/

 

It seems like you have a psychological issue with sound. It’s best to go and seek help in the real world because you can’t go on living like you are. I really feel for anyone who is suffering like this.

 

I agree with the others that this is likely psychological, the beep of a scanner, especially with double protection, isn't loud enough to damage your hearing. Sounds like extreme hyperacusis, you should look into professional help, if you're more of a DIY kinda person or can't afford it at the moment, there's also plenty of resources online.

 

I think I can relate, I "hear" things pretty clear through some hearing-protection as well. Which is normal since it can only take 40 dB off with the heaviest form.
But you've told yourself that you don't want to hear this certain sound anymore, so you are focussing on it, and still hearing it, even boosting your hearing and telling yourself, "damn, I do still hear it".
While you might listen to music and people talking at much higher dB, but because the sound is not considered useless and disturbing you don't mind that much.

Some sounds can trigger this reaction easier as well, I tend to put the volume of my tv down whenever people are screaming, even though the dB might not be too high, it's just my mind that tells me "screaming and sirenes are loud".

 

Ear protection is necessary, but not sufficient. Without it you would be even worse off. But if you wear it, you are not guaranteed to not have a spike.

 

What about reducing the sound with a filter with that work . You are not blocking all the sounds. I driving my work Truck can be at 85 to 95 dB . Will a filter help , have hearing loss want to protect it from getting worse. Thanks

 

You should be fine with -25 dB plugs.

 

According to
https://www.coopersafety.com/earplugs-noise-reduction
25 dB provides (25-7)/2 = 9 dB of protection.

Keep in mind that noises that not loud enough to damage healthy ears, have been known to cause temporary or even permanent T spikes.

 

Some frequencies can be more annoying, especially with H. Is your T at a similar or in the same frequency range as the scanner?

 

That's a calculation in case you don't use plugs as intended, when you have premolds that are a perfect fit, 25 is 25.

 

People here mean well but it is a little annoying to be told it is all in your head. I understand I react this way towards things like the ambient train noises and sirens that are commonplace in metro but even at my most relaxed certain noises give me a lightheaded sensation and give a T and H spike.

If it is all in my head then admit me already. I am sure in that case I must be 'imagining' my chronic pain too.

 

Hi Red,

I think your question exceeds the knowledge of people on TT. I doubt a medical pro would know either. Maybe not even a scientist.

Personally, I would not push my body more than necesserily if it says no, but at the same time take comfort in knowing that a sound at that volume can't cause any harm. Our organisms tend to adjust over time unless we put too much strain on ourselves. But that's an advise based on mere intuition, of course.

 

only way i have beaten hyperacusis is by exposing myself...there were days where i definitely felt some pain but in the long run i am so much better now....i would say to myself how am i supposed to get better and here i am now doing much better....the sound of someone swinging open a brown paper bag used to hurt like hell. It doesnt anymore!!! i am not saying dont wear ear protection or protect your ears in definite loud areas of 85 - 100dbs but otherwise you should be out and about. Noises will happen but in most cases (especially if you are at home) there shouldnt be much....Also make sure you listen to pink or white noise when you sleep and play that around you as often as possible. It definitely takes time and that was about an entire year for me but I didnt hide my ears from a scanner or printer machine making beeps.

 

When I put on my ear muffs it feels like the noise has been drained from the world. Speech is very hard to make out depending on background noise. Yet I can still hear some loud noises (not all) as if I were wearing nothing.

Can ear muffs reduce everything by an equal number or do certain frequencies or db levels pass by more easily after a certain number?

This is not brought on by one example but by multiple attempts to use ear protection.

 

There are a lot of different earmuffs and even how to wear those , hair length the sides etc.. can influence air gaps and effectiveness

the best would be a pair of Peltor x5a worn over very short hair on the side and the head band pressed tight on top

The worst would be one of those low profile muffs worn over hair - Maybe 15db of reduction that's far less than a foam plug And again how you insert plugs will be critical as well so it's all relative

And even in the best scenario you get NRR 35 Db which will allow you to hear pretty much everything but at reduced levels

 

I have read on TT that earmuffs are better at blocking high frequency noises. I think I recall even seeing a chart once depicting this. I just tried searching for it without luck.

Earmuffs annoy me because I feel like my brain tries to compensate for my (further) reduceded hearing by increasing my auditory gain, which only makes my tinnitus louder.

 

It's not "all in your head" it's hyperacusis... You've avoided noise to the extent that you've decreased your sensitivity threshold to the point where you perceive certain sounds as being damaging even if they're not actually detrimental to your hearing. Pink noise and exposure therapy can help you... I'm working on that right now myself, it's slow going but it's going. I used to have to wear protection just to use my bathroom sink, I no longer need to do that, overprotection really is the enemy for H, it just makes it worse and worse.

 

This is correct.
https://solutions.3m.com/3MContentR...assetId=1361805461417&blobAttribute=ImageFile

The strange this is, there have been times while wearing earmuffs in noisy areas where I would notice high frequency sounds that I didn't notice before putting the earmuffs on. It's like the earmuffs drowned out all the mid range noise that covered up the high frequency noise but the high frequencies were still loud and clear with the earmuffs on.

 

Thank you for posting this! It’s exactly what I was thinking of.

 

@Red, how are you feeling today. Did your T subside?

 

I have a number of different brands, styles, and types of ear muffs. I can't stand to wear any of them any longer than brief exposure to noise. They all just trap the T making it worse. I like the noise cancelling type best. They amplify conversation, but not enough to elevate my H. But good ones still block loud noise.

 

The spike that I mentioned on this thread subsided quickly, my most recent one is still going after a week. Slight improvement today, though.

 

I am still battling mine..

 

Oh I am as well. A very slight improvement doesn't mean I am out of the water yet. If I feel more improvement tomorrow I will feel much more optimistic.

 

i could hardly sleep last night.

 

I have gotten very little sleep last week. Last night I feel like I actually got into deep sleep.
If my lack of getting sleep has hindered my recovery time I would not be surprised. Sleep's important but I am an insomniac.

 

me too

 

Hearing protection will reduce absolute volume of things, but it can't fully block out the frequencies of things. If you have derangement in areas of frequency perception then you will still hear most of it regardless, even with plugs in because that is how the machinery now works. There may be some temporary comfort in reducing the volumes but in the end most of us have to reckon with the change in our sound perception, and the losses in our lives that come with that.

 

It is my understanding that even though plugs are the norm for some work and recreation, there is some sound transmission through the plugs themselves. It is much like how sound is transferred through water as a medium. Muffs on the other hand prevent or reduce this.