What Decibel Levels Are Considered Safe?

Pre-tinnitus I never really thought about noise being damaging. But I have never liked noisy environments, hardly ever went to gigs, have never owned a pair of headphones, and am the irritating person that asks people to turn their music down when I can hear the bass thudding through their earpieces on the train. BUT I have just read that noise levels on the London Underground (subway) on some lines regularly reach 118 decibels, as the trains screech along the tracks! And city living is noisy anyway, so many people in not much space. Should I be wearing ear plugs on the way to work for example? And in noisy restaurants? I have no noticeable hearing loss (audiogram), but I know one school of thought for tinnitus is that there is always damage to the inner ear, though it may be hidden, so I want to avoid any further damage if that is the case.

 

"The day will come when man will have to fight noise as inexorably as cholera and the plague."
--Robert Koch, Nobel Prize Winner & Microbiologist

There has never been a downside to wearing earplugs. Except perhaps when using them multiple days in row for many hours at a time (our ears need air to "breathe").

 

Hello LondonGirl, 118 Db is a lot and it is a dangerous level, especially for us with damaged cochlea. But T dont always start in the inner ear. T can come from spinal nerves, teeth nerves, acustic neuroma or chemical inbalance... dont know all causes. But - most of T is noise or drugs induced. One question: Is your T noise or drugs induced?

Anyway, my T is noise induced and I am wearing a cotton in my ears, if I am walking on the streets in the city. Only in safe interiors are my ears cotton free. And of course, i wear pair of earplugs with me - for sure. In subway, I can say definitelly yes for earplugs.

 

"Go placidly amongst the noise and the haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence"
- Desiderata
And this was written in 1927, you / Mr Koch are right, imagine what he would have made of today's noise and haste.
Thx for the advice, I think I will just have earplugs in my bag at all times, so can put them in whenever noise levels are questionable.

Neither as far as I know. Can't recall any 'noise trauma' event and wasn't on any medication, though thanks to T now I rattle with the cocktail of medication I am taking! So I have no idea as to its origin, it just manifested one day and has stayed ever since. As my niece would say 'that's soooo unfair'

 

I think it's safe to say that ear plugs in very loud or noisy environments are a must for people with tinnitus or hyperacusis.

Just do what feels best for you..

 

Maybe some loud concert or pub in the past... T can start months or years after noise exposure. Ears have memory and damage is cumulative. Or stress?
Yes, it is unfair, i agree. :/

 

LondonGirl
My audiologist told me 95 dbs is the danger threshold (so 118 db is not good); however, he said the real danger is in medium levels (50-70 db) for long durations -- the effects of sound are cumulative. Even worse, are earbuds because your ears cannot breath -- they are real 'no-nos'.

Ear plugs are a great idea; however, our ears must have a lot of breathing time too.

Mark

 

Thanks everyone. I will get with the earplugs. Probably need to move out of London to the country! I do spend a lot of time there already. But then those tractors are pretty loud. And people going around shooting things .... and bulls bellowing .... and foxes sounding like someone being murdered ... come to think of it, I guess I rarely had true silence even before tinnitus

 

On the contrary, stay in the city. It's the best distraction.

I had been wearing earplugs on the tube, but have gradually stopped. I find in zone 3/4 where there is further to go the tubes get louder, Central is fine. Also check out if the window is open on the train, as it's a lot louder then.

 

I never go out without ear plugs and i mean never ... i pop them in and out all day long, and if i can't get to them quick enough ie walking around in busy traffic in go my fingers until the offending vehicle has roared on by.