Sudden Sensitivity/Shrillness After Wearing Earplugs to a Bar

Okay, so I had my work Christmas meal last night, and it was in a very loud restaurant/bar with loud music playing. It's was around 90db according to my phone.

I wore my solid silicone earplugs, and felt like the noise was not too loud anymore. I felt more relaxed right them in.

Today, my left ear is very sensitive and shrill. Regular sounds (paper rustling, people's voices etc) are hurting me in this ear.

This has never happened before. I have always had a temporary increase in tinnitus after wearing earplugs on a night out, but never hyperacusis like symptoms.

Safe to say I'm worried. Plus it is in the same ear that seems to be continuously getting worse these days from any old loud sound.

Any one have any experience of this??

Can it go down again, or is it a bad sign of things to come?

Your help is much appreciated,
Many thanks,
R

 

Hi Rust,

It is a sign that your ear need a real rest.

It sounds like hyperacusis,and I higly recommend you to avoid any loud venue from now on. It is still "light" and fresh but be careful hyperacusis can be vicious.

I don't want to frighten you just to warn you that your ears are fragile and you have to save your hearing. For the coming days, stay at home or go for walks or have massage. It shall subside but be careful. Avoid any loud sound from now on and and... forever. Use your earplugs to prevent surprise noise. You need to rest your ears. Trust me my friend.

 

Thank you, it certainly is scary. I really hope my ears don't get like his every time I use ear plugs. I don't understand how this could happen whilst k was wearing earplugs. I'll let you know how it goes.
R

Thanks again

 

It will surely subside, don't think about it, try to relax (hyperacusis increases with anxiety), But my last words: be careful and don't expose yourself to loud venues, stay in your tolerance zone (Don't exceed 75 db, otherwise wear earplugs). 80 db is already harmful for the ears. 120 is dangerous even crazy. Take care.

 

Thank you for your assurance and advice
The moon is a nice name by the way, I saw a huge yellow moon rise tonight (in London)

 

Earplugs cannot fully protect your ears due to the bone conduction of sound. It is best to avoid really loud sounds. If you have had this first symptom of hyperacusis, stay in a calm environment for a couple of days. I hope in a few days you feel better.

 

The moon has given you some very good advice Rust and I suggest that you follow it. London, my old hunting ground. Born and bred.
Michael

 

In addition, the human ear is not designed to be plugged. It is meant to let sound *out* as well as in.

With plugs, really loud sound that does make it into the ear through conduction then becomes trapped in the ear like a bullet in a tin can.

In some instances, people with hyperacusis can wear muffs only (such as on a bumpy road) because those at least allow conducted sounds to leave the ear.

 

Yes, I agree, muffs only sometimes are better

 

I think you will be fine if you rest your ears and relax for a while, but it's worth noting that the protection afforded by silicone plugs is an order of magnitude less than what orange foam plugs provide. I use silicone plugs to block noises that I find annoying, and while sleeping because they're more comfortable if you're wearing them 8 hours straight. But, for anything really loud, I use foam plugs.

That said, 90db is not what I'd call "really loud", assuming your measurement was accurate.

 

Are you ok now?

 

Thanks you all for your advice, thought and time. It is appreciated. I have trying not to visit this forum too much, as it has a tendency to sometimes feed into obsession.

Luckily, the shrill hyperacusis-like symptoms subsided.

Though, being the incessant b*%tard that tinnitus is, I have had several bad spikes since writing this back in December.

I have persevered, though I am currently going though a bad one and I'm starting to worry a bit about it. I went to a loud bar for a friends birthday 10 days ago, and both ears are experiencing largely increased tinnitus that has not subsided in 10 days. Usually my spikes are no more than one week if I have been wearing earplugs. Plus, I have been to many louder places before with earplugs that have not affected me like this. I was there no more than two hours, I made sure to not stand next to speakers, plus I regularly went to toilet breaks or stood outside with the smokers – all seemingly to no avail.

It was loud – 95dB average on my iPhone, with 85dB lows and 100db peaks every now and then. There was no real bass, and the speakers were very mid range-y – typical of a loud bar. I wore fully/properly inserted and sealed silicone earplugs the entire time (22NRR minimum). I know I was getting the full NRR stated protection, since I frequently made sure they were tightly sealed.

How on earth is my tinnitus worse in both ears if the maximum sound level (with plugs in) I was exposed to was 78dB, with an average of 73dB? I just do not understand.

To make things worse, I didn't even want to go. But as it was a friends birthday I succumbed, since I always seem to 'let down' friends these days by not going to their events due to my tinnitus. People can take it personally if you frequently cancel on them, but at the end of the day they do not have to live with this, and they are most likely not thinking of me now…

Thanks, as always,
R

 

From the original posting, yes – thank you. Though I am going though another spike right now. This time it is not showing signs of retreating. Thank you for your concern.

 

Rust...it will probably go down again, but please stop going to loud places!


If your friends get insulted ditch em......simple as that, or meet some other time!

Why do you keep playing with fire like this?

Humans lived without loud bars and music for thousands of years, you dont NEED that in your life!

Post back when you feel ok and change your behavior!

 

I think you should use foam plug with 33 db rating at those places. If you can't hear people very well with them properly inserted cut them a bit to reduce protection

 

Thanks, it did improve a bit in the following weeks, though I think it never fully improved. Also it's hard to fully tell, as I have had several spikes since then!

Thank you all the same

 

Thanks, I always find foam plugs never insert properly. Maybe I'll give them another shot...

 

Roll them around your fingers while squeezing them before inserting them.
If they are properly inserted you will normally have a very hard time to hear normal conversation in calm environment

 

I'm a little surprised by you saying that. I can talk to people normally while wearing ear muffs.

 

I could actually hear people talking low wearing both earplugs plus earmuffs. That's what hyperacusis does..

 

Yes with H even plugged in and muffed up everything sounds so loud it's a joke