Under or Overprotecting? Should I Be Wearing Hearing Protection in Packed Restaurants?

Hi everyone,

I've been trying to go on with my life despite the loud neighbor in my head. Recently I've been asking myself if in certain situations I am over protecting, while in others I under protect. My tinnitus has been bothering me a lot lately.

When I am outside I generally wear Alpine Sleep Plugs that have a SNR of 25 dB (NRR of about 23 dB). The are a re-usable rubber plug. Recently I went to a dinner at a packed restaurant with an average sound level (measured using the NIOSH app) of 78 dB with Max Levels of 87 dB. I kept my Alpine plugs on and didn't switch to foam plugs in order to still be able to have a conversation well. Was this a mistake? I calculate that with a NRR of 23 -7/2 I should still have gotten 8dB of protection at the least.

Was this enough? Should I be wearing foam plugs in such environments? Should I not be wearing earplugs when I am out in normal environments?

 

HI @missingsilence

I am sorry to know that you are having such a difficult time with the tinnitus. After reading your post I get the impression that you are monitoring sound levels regularly and using a dedicated sound level meter or a "sound app" on your phone? If this is the case I don't think you are helping yourself and probably making your situation worse psychologically, because it has a direct impact on your mental and emotional wellbeing.

As you are wearing earplugs a lot I suspect that your auditory system as become more sensitive due to a lowering of the Loudness threshold to sound. I have mentioned this in my post: Hyperacusis, As I see it. I believe you are "over protecting your ears" and advise you to try and stop this practice. Regularly using a sound app to monitor sound levels and over using hearing protection reinforces negative thinking which over time causes more harm than good mentally and emotionally.

If you are not careful you may reach a stage where you will need to seek professional help, with a Hearing Therapist or Audiologist that is trained in the treatment of tinnitus and hyperacusis management.

Try and reduce using earplugs and stop using sound apps to monitor sound levels. Read my posts: Hyperacusis, As I see it, and The complexities of Tinnitus and Hyperacusis, in the links below.

I wish you well.

Michael

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

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

 

Thanks Michael. I started seeing a professional for my T related anxiety. I will discuss this more at length with them. I feel like I may have some degree of hyperacusis, but its the T that really gets me down. Even 2.5 years later, I haven't really habituated. I'm really hoping for some positive change.

 

What kind of specialist? I remember we got this at around the same time. Like you I haven't exactly habituated.

 

Yes, if you feel like you maybe should wear hearing protection in restaurants then better safe than sorry.

 

HI @missingsilence

Seeing a professional in tinnitus and hyperacusis treatment and management is the thing to do. I hope you are able to persist with it. Please keep in mind this may take some time so be patient.

All the best
Michael

 

Hey Vermillion,

I remember After two years of trying to fight it (specialists, supplements, treatments, etc) I decided to see a psychiatrist as it was continuing to pull me down deeper. I was offered CBT and hearing aids/maskers at an audiologists, but I decided not to go with that.

 

I am asking you because I am thinking of doing the same. I have reached to a low point that I haven't ever experienced in my life. I need help. It is the forum's testimonies that kept me away from psychiatric help all this time, but I don't know what to do anymore. I'm exhausted and depressed. Let me know how it went with you. I'll try to find a doctor as well. CBT did nothing for me btw.

 

It helped my general mood a bit, as I have started taking medication. But the underlying issue (tinnitus) still bothers me to a great extent. I would definitely recommend giving it a try though. I'm hoping Lenire helps us (I'm watching the two threads very closely). Sadly, this condition has been the biggest change in my life I have experienced and I've had quite a few changes.

Overall, I'd say I'm more functional than I was two years ago, but honestly still not where I need to be.

 

Do you think the levels I’ve been exposed to were safe with the plugs I wore? Or should I be putting in foam plugs?

 

If you are that worried, start using foam plugs. What's done is done. I doubt you sustained any permanent damage.

 

Hi everyone,

Yesterday I was out at a restaurant for 30 minutes, my Apple Watch says the average sound level was between 73-76 dBA with a maximum of 82 dBA. I wore Alpine Party Plugs (NRR 19 dB). After 30 minutes I felt nervous so I left. Do you think that was a safe exposure or should I avoid such levels?

What do you consider safe and when do you leave or put plugs in?

 

Yes, that is in general a safe exposure.

But that doesn't mean that some people wouldn't react to it, all dependent upon severity and also in the mental state you are in... only you would have the answer to this.

But the sound level in itself is safe.

 

Thank you @MindOverMatter. It's been worrying me as I read anything over 70 dB over a long period of time can be risky. And the earplugs should provide me with (19-7/2= 6 dBA) of protection. I'm still trying to figure out what feels right and safe.

 

Go with your feelings.

 

I hate the whole de-rating thing. I mean, if the earplugs fit and are inserted properly, shouldn't you be getting somewhere near the NRR?

 

I agree but the NRR is monitored by the EPA. We know what the EPA said about how safe the air quality was at Ground Zero 9/11/2001.

 

I don't really understand this de-rating. One thing's clear; low frequency sound penetrate material much better than high frequency sound. My 3M 1100's are rated 26 dB at 63 Hz, and 40 dB at 8 kHz. I guess, if they're properly (deeply) inserted, I assume you'd have roughly 26 dB protection against low frequency sound? If not; I don't understand the purpose of the ratings...