Potential Tinnitus Hazards at My University

So, I've been giving it some thought and it's been a few days since the post in which I introduced myself; I've also read several threads with recommendations including some of Michael Leigh's articles. As of today, I've identified several noises on campus that I've become fearful of, including one of my classes. I also think I'm taking too many precautions since I'm wearing earplugs on campus. Sometimes for up to 12 hours and also on the bus, since the engine noise leaks into the cabin. Said noise averages between 70 and 80 dB every trip.

Maintenance employees are using lawnmowers, leaf blows, and some sort of sawing/drilling equipment every hour or two because they're renovating some buildings. Also, the acoustics in the classrooms are terrible, which makes voices sound louder than they actually are, and boy. The local people are loud, so I've also been a bit of a loner recently. Regarding the class, it's mandatory so I'm pretty much expected to pass it this semester. The downside: it's an audio theory and editing class. And yes, you guessed it. It demands using headphones heavily because of the audio interfaces we need to operate Pro Tools (haven't touched it since my incident though, which has kinda dented my performance in that class).

So now I'm wondering. With my next audiometry taking place next week to measure my progress, should I stop wearing earplugs constantly when I'm on campus? How would you deal with this if you were me? I should also add that my T ear is somewhat oversensitive to what is still within its audible ranges.

Sorry if I'm just kinda rambling but I'm aware of the risks now after subjecting my ears to so much abuse but I'd still like to hear what you guys think about this.


Thank you!

 

My uni is going under a lot of construction, I carry my ear protection with me in this baggy it came with (small enough to put on my keys). I sometimes am able to wear it while passing but the sounds happen so quickly, I just end up covering my ears. It definitely helps when my teacher is playing a video too loudly for me. Godsend.

If the headphones cover your ears instead of earbuds, you should be fine. Keep the volume low, if you can't adjust it for an reason, ear protection with the filters are helpful so you can still hear but the sound gets filtered to a safe level.