What Are the Best Discreet Earplugs for Tinnitus Sufferers?

Hi,

Help! Can anyone suggest the best ear plugs to wear that are in-ear for functions where there will be loud music/noise? I need to attend a funeral and there will be a loud choir, music (piano/organ etc.) over speakers as well as many people singing next to me.

Obviously it is not like going to a ‘club’ but nonetheless, the choir and piano/organ are all amplified through a speaker system and I would like to err on the side of caution.

I shop a lot on Amazon.ca (Canada) as I have a Prime Next Day Delivery Membership so please let me know if there is anything on there.

Thanks a lot everyone!

 

There are many earplugs out there and someone will probably recommend something suitable for you. I have replied to your post just to say, no matter what type of earplugs you use even if they are custom made musician type. If external sound is loud enough, it will pass through your head and be transferred to your inner ear and possibly spike your tinnitus. So you are right to be concerned about amplified sound through speakers. Remember also that sound is reflective so will bounce of walls, floor and ceiling.

By all means attend the funeral but be wary of loud sound. My advice is not to put trust in any form of hearing protection because it will not protect you if external sound is too loud.

Best of luck
Michael

 

Ugh. Thanks a lot for the response and information. It is a family member so I need/want to go but yes, I am very nervous about the sound factor. Again, think very large echo prone church with choir, organ over speakers and standing in a large crowd with everyone singing around me. Obviously the majority of the time will be quiet but there are probably going to be at least 4-5 church hymns during the 1 hour service.

Just to note, my Tinnitus was trauma induced after being physically assaulted, so it was caused by either concussion or whiplash. It was not caused by sound but nonetheless, it is just starting to show some small signs of improvement (knock on wood).

 

Thanks for the additional information as I now have a more full rounded picture. If I were you and this is just a suggestion, use "Noise reducing earplugs" and not the type that will shut off all external sound. Noise reducing earplugs will reduce external sound by will not impair sound quality. 25 to 30 decibel reduction should suffice. I have been to a few church funerals over the years and haven't had any problems and my tinnitus is "Noise induced" and quite severe. Neither did I find it necessary to use earplugs although I had them on my person.

Although earplugs can be useful and have their place I haven't used them in years. Hopefully things will go well for you and it's good to hear that your tinnitus is improving. I want to suggest that if you use headphones keep the volume as low as possible. Better still, if you can manage it then don't use them at all.

I wish you well.
Michael

 

If the environment is loud, then you can possibly get a spike.... no matter what is causing the tinnitus. The loud noise or the stress of having ear plugs in(and being concerned if your ears are going to be ok) can possibly cause louder ringing.

 

Thanks for the responses and information! I do not use headphones at all anymore. Sadly, something I had to give up and I use to live with them, for podcasts and music etc.

What do you all think about something like this? It has 4.5/5 rating on amazon.ca and 4/5 rating on amazon.com out of 107 reviews.

Or should I go for a higher dB? Most range around 20db - 30db unless you go to a foam style that blocks almost all sound.

High Fidelity Concert Earplugs,Reusable Musicians Ear Plugs，24dB Advanced Filter Technology Ear Protection for Music Festivals, DJs, Musicians (black)

 

The earplugs in the links that you have provided should be quite suitable. The advice that @fishbone has give you is right and I suggest you follow it. Just remember, earplugs no matter how good they are will not protect your auditory system if sound is too loud.

Michael

 

Thanks for the response!

 

Vibes (that's the name of the brand) were recommended to me by a friend, and I like them a lot. They're extremely unobtrusive and very comfortable. But, they don't reduce sound levels by all that much, and they're easy to lose.

 

Eargasms are a good option as they are clear, and discreet.

Mack's ultra soft is a more protective foam option, and they are a nudge color, rather than the bright colors that many other earplugs are.

 

I'm looking at Westone Tru Customs currently, and was wondering if anyone had any insight?

 

Maybe not an answer to your question but in general earplugs are a bad idea with tinnitus. Earplugs and In-Ear-Headphones are by some even seen as increasing the probability to get tinnitus. Our ear needs stimulation, even more when we have tinnitus.

 

This is not true.

I mean, yes, some of it is true: we definitely do need vibrations to hit the inner ear or it will atrophy. Like any other body part, use it or lose it.

But it is not true that this means one should not use ear plugs. In fact, that's just about the most about ridiculous thing I've ever heard: when you have tinnitus, don't do anything that would block the sound from hitting your ear? What malarkey is this?

Definitely use plugs when noise levels are loud. Vibes are fine. Eargasm is good. I like Ear Peace because of their interchangeable filters. And really there are a million more out there these days, almost all of which will do the trick.

As @Michael Leigh said: don't put tooooo much stock in them: they only block so much sound, so you still can't decide to go land planes with them.

As @gerhei implied: don't *overuse* them when you don't need them.

But definitely use them when sound levels are moderately high.

 

Are we talking about noisy environments or wearing ear plugs in every situation, also in silent environments? I didn't mean to not protect your ears in general but to avoid complete silence. Of course, ears should always be protected from loud noise.