Low or High Frequency Loud and Spikes

Hello everyone. I was wondering, if your tinnitus settles down (after the intervention of whatever deity you believe in), and now it is time to worry about loud noises that could set it off. Do either low or high frequency sounds pose a greater threat in setting off your tinnitus?

I have purchased ear plugs that are moulded to my ear and are designed to cut out 25 dB of sound (they are designed for music teachers actually), and I was thinking about purchasing 3M Peltor ear muffs as people on this site seem to value them.

Any thoughts re. ear protection (esp. say when driving where I find low frequency noise)?

As an add on to my above question, what is the difference between the Peltor 4 and 5 ear muffs?

Thanks

 

I went on several road trips (driving for 6-10 hours per day, for many days) recently. I tried to not have any protection for a couple of hours on some of the days, and I ended up with weird (albeit relatively minor) spikes (that I didn't get when I protected my ears all of the time). My sample size is too small to know for sure whether or not it was a good idea to protect my ears. I decided to not take any chances.

In any case, I settled on sometimes wearing earplugs and sometimes wearing Peltor muffs (this way I wouldn't have to wear earplugs for too many hours at a time). I ended up being ok afterwards.

I hope that in a couple of years I will be able to drive without any protection on.

Try to have protection on when a passenger closes the door, as the person might slam the door, and it feels bad.

 

Peltor 5 provide more protection. The downside is that they look ridiculous (too wide, and can't be confused with headphones).
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/what-is-considered-as-harmful-noise.28545/page-2#post-330549

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/thread...x4a-muffs-chartreuse-color.28294/#post-326595

X4A are narrower, could be confused with headphones, but they provide less protection.

I own both. I was surprised to discover that X5A are more comfortable than X4A. This means that it is easier to spend several hours wearing X5A compared to wearing X4A.

 

I wore X5A at a grocery store on Halloween, and I swear there was a small kid there who ignored all of the people wearing scary costumes and kept starring at me instead.

Having said this, surprisingly, most people don't seem to care.

 

HI @John CC

You are new to tinnitus and hyperacusis, so I suggest you read my post below and also click on the links provided for more information. Ear protection whether it be noise reducing earplugs, foam or moulded types used correctly can be very useful in protecting the auditory system. However, when they are overused which I suspect is the route you might take if you are not careful, they will do more harm than good, as they will lower the loudness threshold of your auditory system and make it more sensitive to sound. Therefore, I advise you to pay particular attention to my post below in the link: Hyperacusis, As I see it.

All the best
Michael


New to tinnitus what to do?

The onset of tinnitus can be difficult for a lot of people to cope with. It comes in many forms and intensities and no two people experience it the same. When it is mild, moderate or occasionally heard in quiet surroundings it is usually not too bothersome and a person can go about their daily affairs quite happily and unperturbed by this anomaly. This type of tinnitus usually comes on gradually and in some cases it’s associated with hearing loss, as we get older and the usual treatment is the wearing of hearing aid/s.

Tinnitus can be also be caused by an underlying medical problem, build up of ear wax (cerumen). Jaw problems. Some medications and even irregular blood flow through the body causing Pulsatile tinnitus. One of the most common causes is exposure to loud noise or music that has been played at high levels that can affect the cochlea in the ear. This type of tinnitus can be loud, intrusive and very debilitating. Often leaving a person at a loss and not knowing which way to turn to escape the noise. I fully understand how difficult it can be for someone new to this condition to take this in and believe it to be factual.

If you are having difficulty sleeping you might have been advised to try a nighttime sedation or an ant-depressant to help cope with the stress and anxiety that often accompanies tinnitus. These medications can be helpful especially in the early stages and they don’t have to be taken long term, so it’s something to consider. They can act as a safety net so you don’t become too down.

A referral to ENT will usually be recommended. In the mean time try to keep occupied with something you like doing, as it helps to distract the brain from focusing on the tinnitus. Avoiding quiet rooms during the day by playing low-level non-intrusive music such as classical in the background can be helpful.

At night a sound machine placed by the bedside playing nature sounds or listening to favourite mp3 tracks or Cds are good. Keeping the volume just below the tinnitus is ideal and set to play throughout the night until morning. It takes time to get used to sound therapy so please stay with it. Whilst in a deep sleep it supplies the brain and auditory system with sound enrichment. Over time the tinnitus is pushed further into the background helping to make its perception less noticeable during waking hours.

In the early stages of tinnitus, if one chooses not to use sound enrichment sleeping can sometimes be difficult and there is also the chance of the tinnitus becoming more intrusive as sleeping in a quiet room can allow the brain to increase it’s own background activity. In doing so it will also increase the tinnitus making it more intrusive during waking hours.

There is a tendency for newbies to try and cure their tinnitus which is quite understandable. There are many remedies, treatments and concoctions out there. Some affordable others quite expensive. I am not averse to trying to help myself but want to say, there are charlatans and con artists eager to relieve someone in distress of their money so please be careful. Even tried and tested treatments I wouldn’t recommend a person try until they have been seen at ENT. Often a person after been seen at ENT is advised to wait a while.

Many people habituate to tinnitus within six months sometimes a little longer and it has been known to go away. The ear is a very delicate organ and many Doctors prefer to wait before investigating further and then suggesting a treatment. If other problems are experienced such as: pain in the ears, deafness, dizziness or balance problems this is of more concern and a person will usually been seen quicker.

It is best to have a word with your GP if you’re feeling stressed or depressed in any way, as previously mentioned there are treatments available. Leaving things alone until your ENT advises you of the next step is the best thing to do in my opinion. Don’t try to fix anything or throw large sums of money at treatments that you have no way of knowing whether you’ll get any relief.

I advise not to listen to audio through headphones even at low volume especially if the tinnitus was "noise induced" and keep away from loud sounds. By all means go out but anywhere that plays loud music then wearing noise-reducing earplugs, the type that has attenuation filters would be a good idea. 18 to 30 decibels reduction should suffice. While reducing external sound they will not impair sound quality.

Michael

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/tinnitus-a-personal-view.18668/

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/hyperacusis-as-i-see-it.19174/

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/is-positivity-important.23150/

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/tinnitus-and-the-negative-mindset.23705/

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/can-tinnitus-counselling-help.22366/

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/the-habituation-process.20767/

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/acquiring-a-positive-mindset.23969/