I think it might be time.
I always hated wearing the neon orange pharmacy ear plugs, which meant I never wore them in my youth. Fast forward to parenthood with screaming children in my ear, I hear random tones and static in my head all night long the moment life is quiet.
I can't have my tinnitus get worse, and I really need to be vigilant with ear protection!
For those of you that use custom earplugs, are they a better experience than the ones at the pharmacy? Do you feel like you can 'hear everything' at a show? Do you have good habits like...using them while waiting for the subway?
Any opinions on the subject are very welcome, including tips and recommendations on how to approach the whole thing.
Top comments (5)
I have permanent tinnitus, quiet enough so that it doesn't really bother me unless it's total silence. It's mostly from not wearing earplugs when I should have when I was younger when playing shows as a guitar player in a loud rock band. Lesson learned! I did have custom ones, moulded to my ears, which I used for a long time until I lost them. Now I have ones called Earrasers (clever) that are pretty decent and affordable, but the frequency balance could be better.
Pharmacy ones are terrible. They will protect your ears but everything sounds muffled and awful, especially music. Musician ones are designed to lower the decibels while keeping the frequency range intact. I highly recommend investing in a pair and not making the same mistake I did!
I invested in some custom earplugs a few years back and it's been completely worth it. The orange earplugs are great for cutting volume across all frequencies, but if you're a musician or just appreciate good sound the custom plugs really preserve the quality.
Haven't used them myself, but I've heard good things about Crystal Guardian. They're a small business and very affordable compared to many other options!
Nope, standard
Tinnitus is the worst. As someone who carries orange ear plugs at all times, I kind of love them. I find them best for blocking loud noises you don't want to hear at all (eg screaming kids). Most people don't realize the key is to squish them for almost a full minute before you put them in your ears. As far as "over the counter" options, I haven't found anything that blocks a higher decibel level than these (~30 db).
I've always read custom earplugs are the way to go, but have never actually tried them and don't know anyone who uses them. Between their price and my fear I would lose them, I never went too far down this road. Curious if anyone has experience with them
I've tried a bunch of the "boutique" options - Loop, Eargasm, Vibes and they only block ~20 dbs. I could still have conversations while wearing them which makes me think they wouldn't be great for loud shows/concerts but could work for more day to day stuff
I'm constantly being targeted by Loop! I asked a friend recently about customs ones and he recommended sensaphonics.com/. The whole having to track down an audiologist to get impressions is a real commitment (but obviously, very necessary if looking for something custom).
Some comments may only be visible to logged-in visitors. Sign in to view all comments.