LPT: Wear Earplugs everywhere when reasonably possible.

Submitted by Longjumping-Basil-74 t3_110v3mw in LifeProTips

There are earplugs with different frequency-selective filters so you can hear conversation and relevant background sounds, if needed.

I wear them everywhere now, and it’s not just helped to protect my hearing, but also reduced the overall anxiety, fatigue and stress (being in a noisy environment did contribute to it for me), as well as frequency of migraines and ear ringing.

Also things like going to concerts without earplugs, taking a subway, having drinks in loud bars, etc - contributed to noise-induced hearing loss (I can’t hear speech very well in an ambient noise environment, and also people can’t hear me well, because I can’t adjust the pitch of my own voice accordingly);

Wearing earplugs doesn’t really affect how well you can hear important sounds, but it does block the harmful noise, which in my opinion, contributes to the life quality.

Here are examples of how I use it:

  • music concerts, airplane, trains & underground (long commute) sleep if not home, drinks at a bar, partying etc - no-filter earplugs (max protection);

  • work in an open space, walk on a street, commute with a short train/underground ride, dinner at a restaurant - selective filter earplugs (so I can still hear a conversation, announcements etc)

P.S. I found that at parties/drinks I can’t hear people any better with any earplugs or without them at all, so I chose the max hearing protection since I have to lip-read or ask people to yell at my ear anyways; it might be different for others. P.P.S. Noise-cancelling headphones is a great alternative, but I noticed that people aren’t ecstatic if you wear over the ear headphones during social events.

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keepthetips t1_j8b6n4v wrote

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LeaveNoStonedUnturn t1_j8b8kj5 wrote

A long time ago I wore earplugs at a gig, and I have never stopped. Everything just sounded so much better!

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TightSmartyPants t1_j8b96ys wrote

The earplugs I use for comcerts make my voice sound way too loud in my own head when wearing them. How do you cope with that?

4

RealSubstantial48 t1_j8b9dd7 wrote

I've resorted to diagonally cutting Mack's foamies along their length (start just behind hte rounded tip) so the back end acts as a pull tab which prevents them from getting stuck in my ear canals, but they still provide what I think is juuust enough attenuation (brings noise below my pain threshold). This is my introvert's party trick.

What specific earplugs do you use?

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Boredummmage t1_j8b9qnh wrote

Maybe don’t wear them 24x7 but they can be a good thing, yes…

While earplugs are designed to protect the structures in the inner ear, there are some cases where the plugs can contribute to hearing problems. Users should be aware of the potential dangers of wearing earplugs, such as:

Impacted ear wax. The ear structures are protected from dirt, debris, and other damaging substances by a layer of earwax. Normally, this wax drains little by little out of the ears, but prolonged use of earplugs can prevent draining, and even pack the earwax tightly into the ear canal. One of the most common side effects of impacted earwax is tinnitus, or a ringing in the ears. In most cases, this can be corrected by having a hearing care provider remove impacted wax, and cleaning the earplugs and ear canals regularly to prevent the condition from recurring.

Muffled hearing. People should be aware that while wearing ear plugs can be beneficial, they can also place the wearer at risk. If you are in a situation where you need to be alert to sudden noises—such as looking after a child, driving, or in a dangerous environment—you may not be able to hear warning sounds. Always remove your earplugs as soon as the damaging noises have stopped, and make sure that you can still hear emergency devices (such as smoke alarms) when you are wearing earplugs to sleep. Ear infections. Repeated use of the same pair of earplugs can cause bacteria to build up on them, which then grows in the moist environment of your ear. Ear infections can cause pain, redness, loss of hearing, and discharge—and can even cause permanent hearing damage without medical intervention.

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inlinekid t1_j8bazgj wrote

I've used them for sleep for years. Don't think I'd wear them when I'm awake though.

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EarhornJones t1_j8bcoug wrote

I regularly wear a pair of Walker's Silencers.

They're designed to be hearing protection while shooting, but they have selectable filters like "clear voice" which makes voices easier to hear, while dampening other sound, and can be paired to my phone, so that I can listen to music.

That lets me reduce noise in crowds or loud environments, while still hearing people talking to me, and listening to The Allman Brothers. Because they are battery operated, I can't wear them all the time, but whenever I know I'm going to be in a noisy environment, I have them on me.

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ThunderbirdRider t1_j8bd1r6 wrote

This is somewhat common knowledge now but I sure wish someone had told me this when I was a teenager going to concerts and riding motorcycles, 50 years ago. My ears constantly ring now, I don't go to concerts anymore (I saw so many amazing bands through the 70's and 80's, so I don't really feel I'm missing anything), but I do still ride and always wear ear protection when I am out on the bike.

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sceeder t1_j8bdbe6 wrote

I wore earplugs to couples therapy once to illustrate to our therapist how my (now ex-) wife doesn't appreciate my sense of humor.

Neither of them thought it was funny.

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tigermax42 t1_j8bgc9h wrote

AirPods have the rubber seals and are deemed acceptable to wear while talking with people and working. They dampen the noise of a nail gun when I’m working and my tinnitus has gotten much better

Even the rubber seals themselves can help with loud environment and they make them in pink to be undetected

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zorglarf t1_j8bgw6q wrote

that's only a LPT if you're on the spectrum bro

−4

lycheenme t1_j8blqw2 wrote

Replying to tigermax42 (#1,792,880)

seconded, i have some sensory issues with loud noises and am wearing airpods half the time i’m awake. mostly in situations where i can’t completely control the noise level. it really helps when i am around people who aren’t as sensitive as me/don’t know to be.

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cathabit t1_j8bmphm wrote

I wear them when I go to shows or the club, I forgot them the last drag show I went to, man did I notice a huge difference. I did not miss the post show ringing and discomfort, I now carry a set on me at all times so I don't forget them.

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Betortitas89 t1_j8bp3or wrote

Does OP or somebody else have any recommendations for affordable filtered earplugs. I tend to struggle focusing on conversations when too much noise around and sometimes fail to hear properly. Hearing tests say I'm fine and should have no issues but I still struggle sometimes

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Most-Buddy-4175 t1_j8bs50o wrote

The Real LPT is in the comments: if you find sound exhausting, you may have any of a variety of issues ranging from ASD to ADHD. Consider if you seem more bothered than most and see if you might have some other symptoms you’ve been trying to cope with.

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Shotokan07 t1_j8bssbk wrote

I wear sunglasses everywhere so the light doesn't burn my retina. 🫣

Sorry OP... don't know where you live but being from NYC... I cannot relate nor sympathize.

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Geologistguy678 t1_j8btw4b wrote

concerts, planes, and other very loud settings i would highly recommend earplugs, but if you get anxiety and stress from the noise of a commute, i’d bring that up to a medical professional.

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Choofthur t1_j8bvf1a wrote

I've always worn them for playing music, going to concerts, riding motorcycles etc. No noticeable hearing loss at 39. In the following paragraph I am NOT suggesting NOT protecting your hearing, you absolutely need to take care of your ears! I am suggesting that it IS possible to overdo hearing protection in some circumstances.

I developed tinnitus last year - and with that came a sensitivity to specific noises, keys landing on the kitchen counter, loud 'sharp' noises etc. After discussing with the audiologist, we determined that a likely cause of this was not the tinnitus itself, but instead the fact that I wear noise cancelling headphones 40-50 hours per week (I run a commercial cleaning business), and the house I live in has double glazed windows and is as silent as a tomb inside. The Audiologist explained to me that I had trained my ears to get used to no background noise, so much so that my ears were straining to hear/tune out that noise, so the sensitivity was an involuntary muscle spasm because my ears were quite simply not used to processing sound in that way anymore. From that appointment onwards, I started sleeping with ocean/rain sounds playing, and only use the noise cancelling function on my headphones when required. After a couple of months, the sensitivity stopped completely and although I still have mild tinnitus, my hearing is fine.

I have commented here because based on my experience, it IS possible to overdo it. If you spend 24/7 in a controlled cone of silence, your ears may begin to adapt to that. Some people may never have an issue, but it is worth considering. I literally was in a cone of silence 24/7 - if I was out of the house I had the NC earbuds in and if I was home it was silent.

Source - my own 6 months of ENT specialist, GP & Audiologist appointments & tests.

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nerdsonarope t1_j8bvivn wrote

Replying to Geologistguy678 (#1,793,596)

If op has a solution that works for them, then it works. Obviously, many people don't have the same sensitivity to sound, but more people have it than you might think. Selective filter earplugs are very useful for those that get distracted or bothered by some frequencies (eg to filter out high pitched noises like silverware clanging on plates, while still being able to hear conversation perfectly well). I get that you're trying to suggest op has some hypersensitivity, and you're right, but it's honestly a good lpt for others who have the same sensitivities and may not realize that selective filter ear plugs even exist.

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kraioloa t1_j8bynv3 wrote

I wear Loops all the time. I started because COVID gave me intense hyperacusis and I couldn’t deal with the pain. Now, I don’t go anywhere without them.

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marybeemarybee t1_j8bzakk wrote

I wear 22db earplugs in coffee shops. They cut out the background noise, and I can still hear who I’m talking to just fine 😀

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andrefishmusic t1_j8c2y8f wrote

Great advice. As a musician, I got some custom plugs done for about $200 and I've worn them pretty much everywhere for the last 12 years and they still work well. It was a great investment.

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rotyag t1_j8c8a4s wrote

Construction career. Between loud music and intermittent noise with the job, I've just started noticing full time tinnitus. Sounds like after a concert, all of the time. I don't know that I have any loss. I turn down the tv in the house when I take over from others. But that ringing... try to avoid that if you can.

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huggarn t1_j8ddrwi wrote

Replying to Boredummmage (#1,792,531)

so you're saying that there are earplugs in existence that would mute alarm sounds? extremely high pitched noises? best I've ever achieved even with noise cancelling in-ear was muffling outside world A BIT, never ever it stopped ALL noise from coming. How would that be even possible?

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Betortitas89 t1_j8dfcgh wrote

Replying to Qsand0 (#1,796,440)

So far I have had 2 doctors perform the same procedure on me. That leads me to believe it's safe. You feel similar as going to the deep end of a pool and the ear gets full of water. It is uncomfortable but so far no damage.

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northeastlife7 t1_j8dqmho wrote

i wear apple air pods pro with the noise cancelation thing, can i keep these in?

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jordimercadering t1_j8f3y1s wrote

Replying to huggarn (#1,796,538)

You are assuming everyone has the same level of hearing. There is people with hearing loss around you without you even noticing. For those people an alarm might be just "right", not too loud.

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Zombie-dodo t1_j8f6lyr wrote

Your ear canals are disigned to be open. If you keep them constantly obstructed, you will develop an ear infection.

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huggarn t1_j8hq8mg wrote

Replying to jordimercadering (#1,800,608)

I have about 40% of my sound capacity taken up by tinnitus, constant "beeeeeeeeep" sound , since I was born, thus I'm still wondering.

Most of the time I have hard time understanding what people around me say, using normal voice. I get lots of feedback that I'm "yelling". But every single loud thing , is clear to me.

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