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