Going to Bars?

Had tinnitus that started in February that was brought on by ETD.

I've learned a valuable lesson in silence and value it as much as possible.

I'm graduating college soon and some friends want to go to bars before we all go our separate ways. I've largely avoided them, or any place loud because any spike in my T has resulted in a mental breakdown.

What earplugs would you all recommend that are stealth in appearance?

I suppose it's worth mentioning that ever since I had the issues with ETD and the ringing that alcohol seems to impact my ears sensitivity. People talking too loud almost "hurts" when I drink.

So would it even be worth it to go to the bars?

 

Hey I am going to hurt myself going to bars should I do it? ... if it is worth to you do it .. if not don't

 

You can always find a quiet bar/pub....

 

None. Maybe alpine party plug, but they offer fairly low protection, good only for loudish environment IMHO, I wouldn't risk them for anything even slightly louder.


For anything louder, at least (Alpine MusicSafe Pro) 18dB filter or even foam plugs. Or maybe custom molds you don't want discretion, you want protection.

 

First off: if you feel like you need "stealth earplugs", don't go.
It's silly, there is NOTHING to be ashamed of to wear earplugs, never.

And it's a good icebreaker .

The only earplugs you need are the ones you feel comfortable with, but only with the sound reduction, not the looks.
Invest in the best money can buy, your ears are worth more than a couple of hunderd bucks premolds cost for instance.

If you've got over that fact, go, first stay a little while, if anything feels too loud get out. The summer is handy since you can stay outside.
Just don't push it, but don't lock yourself in either. Give your ears rest, and use earplugs whenever you feel like it.

 

Custom fit musicians plugs are real good. They're clear silicone so unless someone is looking directly into your ear, they probably won't notice. They attenuate the sound levels well without making everything sound horrible and avoid the occlusion effect. I'm currently using the ACS custom earplugs, my favourite pair so far. They provide roughly 26db of attenuation which is suitable for most bars in my case.

If you're experiencing ear sensitivity though, it might be worth just to wait it out a bit. You might be experiencing a form of hyperacusis, and because you've only gotten your tinnitus back in Feburary, your ears might still be in a bit of a sensitive state. It's up to you to decide, just be smart about it and if you don't feel comfortable then give it a miss - you're young as hell and your party days are far from over. If you decide to go, get some proper ear plugs and take the right precautionary steps to ensure you protect your hearing the best way you can.

 

Thanks for the advice everyone. Right now I've got a cheap Walgreens pack of HEAROS 33 dB. If anyone can recommend good ear plugs, please drop them below.

Are these the ones you were talking about?
http://www.acscustom.com/us/index.php/hearing-protection/acs-pro-26

 

I posted this in another thread:

I looked pretty hard but use these for my ear protection. All of them are almost invisible, but have used these in a variety of environments including bars. Most bars I've been too sit around 85DB as the max, and I try to avoid places louder than that.

- Earasers Musician Earplugs
Very discrete and good for a medium volume location such as a noisy restaurant. These offer the best experience if you want protection but also want to hear your date/partner well. Keep in mind they are the most expensive, and the rubber they are made of seems to deteriorate.

- 3M E.A.R Clear Earplugs
Seem to offer more volume reduction than the Earasers, especially in the low end so better if you're at a bar that plays music with more Bass.

- Killnoise Clear Earplugs
Very similar to the 3M plugs, but slightly less discrete. Their longer nose allows you to move in/out of the ear to create more/less filtering if required. I don't think these provide as good seal as he 3M plugs as they sometimes slip slightly out of your wear if you swallow hard or open your jaw up. But these provide the highest level of blocking of all the plugs I use.

- Eardial (From Kickstarter)
Somewhere between the Earasers and 3M plugs - about 20DB. Very discrete and include an app to help you measure the volume around you. I wear these and the Earasers the most as allows for pretty good hearing of the people around you but block out a good amount of volume.

I keep the 4 sets in a small little pouch on my keys that the Killnoise plugs came in.

If you want some custom plugs, I'm told the ACS Pro range is about the most invisible. I'm looking at getting a set of the ACS Pro 27 eventually but they are super $$$! I would recommend getting custom plugs if you regularly want to hit up the hardcore dance clubs (not bars) which sit at over 100DB, but personally I try to stay away from those types of places since getting Tinnitus

 

I have found HEAROS Xtreme Protection (https://www.amazon.com/Hearos-Plugs-Xtreme-Protection-pairs/dp/B001EPQ86A?th=1) to be fantastic.

I also own custom musician's plugs which are fine with reasonable noise levels when I need to hear people talking. But if I need more serious protection, I use the HEAROS.

 

Those are the ones, they are great!

I have the ACS Pro-26's, the attenuation is great across the frequency spectrum. I was about to get the Pro-27's, but I remember the attenuation was much more uneven across the frequency spectrum, they had better protection at a specific frequency band but sacrificed protection across other bands. Plus you can't change the filters with the 27's, whereas with the 26's you can switch filters depending on where you might be going.

I much prefer using plugs with filters than solid silicon or foam insert.

 

I went to the bar tonight, it was very quiet. It had maybe 10 total people talking and I could hear my friend quite well from across the bar. I had my dB meter on my phone out and I know that isn't the most reliable thing but the sound was comparable to my car radio on a lower volume. The music wasn't loud at all. Of course, my anxiety has taken over and I'm freaking out and plugging my ears every minute to see if it got louder. I think I need to hold of on loud places, headphones or not, for awhile until my anxiety subsides.

Thank you so much for the suggestions though. I will take them into consideration.

 

I use these: https://www.amazon.com/Eargasm-1-High-Fidelity-Earplugs/dp/B019M576XW

They work pretty well. I can still understand what people are saying. Also, I keep them on my keychain so I don't have to remember to bring them with me, very convenient. There are several out there like this, I just happen to have used these for the past year.