Ear Plugs

[mimoore]

Okay so I have ringing in my hear and have had since my surgery,  I am also SSD. I think some days I am going to go crazy it is sooo loud.
Anyway I also think I am super sensitive to noise in my hearing ear. Not so good for a kindergarten teacher. My daughter found ear plugs for musicians and they kind of turn the volume down. Foam ear plugs just muffle sound.
Anyway, I am wearing one in my deaf ear all the time and it is helping a tiny tiny bit - time will tell. I am wearing one in my good ear when it is really noisy and it is helping for sure.
They are really, really good. You can find them on EBay for $15 and they come clear or purple. They twist into your ear.
Let me know if you try them and what you think.
Michelle 

[Boppie]

I had a custom mold made for my hearing ear.  The ear plug I ended up with is extremely helpful; it cost me $75.  If you go for one of these request the closest color to your flesh as you can.  Some companies make only brilliant colored ones that look obvious.

[mimoore]

Boppie do tell all about this. I didn't know you could get custom ones. Who does this an ENT?
I liked these ones because it just kind of turned the volume down in my good ear. Does it muffle sound? I am hoping one day soon I can get the Transear and plug the other ear slightly...does that make any sense? 
Michelle 

[Boppie]

An audiologist can make the molds and order custom ear plugs for you.  My plugs damper down loud sound quite well, and give me relief whenever it need it.  The plug comes in a carry case and has a little bulgy handle to grasp it for insertion.  The piece is medical grade material that can be washed in warm soapy water. Insertion is very quick and easy.  Your initials are printed on the handle. Your ENT should be able to recommend an ENT with ear plug services.

The TransEAr keeps your brain busy enough so you won't notice tinnitus.  I have not found plugging my dead ear helpful with tinnitus at all.  After 3 years of tinnitus I must admit I only noice it when I've been in a very noisy environment for a long time, or whenever I think about the topic of "Do I notice tinnitus?" 

I keep tinnitus out of mind and at my bidding  Some day an intelligent medical scientist will explain this to us.

[lacey7]

Hi Boppie,
I'm Lacey.  If the ear plugs don't help with tinnitis, then do you only use them for loud noises?  I was thinking of getting them, if it helps with tinnitis.
I do admit very LOUD noises bother me alot.  Like my 2 year old granddaughter who screams....not a crying....just comes out of her when you least expect it.
Her family laughs about it............I cringe. 
Do they help with anything else? 
Did I understand that you have transear?  How do you like it?  Am I correct when I think that you have one that goes in each ear?
Can you hear pretty good out of your bad ear with it?
I'm thinking of going with BAHA.
Lacey

[Boppie]

Lacey, Loud noises can make tinnitus worse.  But tinnitus is there to some degree for many of us even in a quiet room at night.  So I wouldn't use an ear plug for tinnitus per se.  Loud sound can be very tiring on the nerves. I use my ear plug in church if the microphones are turned up too high.  I put my ear plug in when there is a lot of traffic and road noise when my husband drives us on trips.  Some restaurants are just too noisey for me, especially at busy times.  So, I can pop my plug in and take a short "rest break" from hearing.

TransEar is for single sided deafness.  There is one unit that goes into the deaf side ear canal.  The attached (behind the ear) receiver sends the sound via vibration through the bone of that ear canal to the good ear side.  The good ear does all of the hearing for both sides.  In this respect the BAHA and TransEar are alike.  With the BAHA the sound vibrations are sent to the hearing ear side via a titanium post that is surgically implanted in to bone behind the ear. 

[Dan]

I work in a factory where it is very loud, and we also have custom fit ear plugs.  It took a while to get used to them but they really work.  I'm not sure exacltly how they work but they filter out all loud hearing damaging noise but you can still hear and understand someone when they talk to you.  They are also washable and I wear them sometimes the full 8 hour shift.  I also have tinnitus but as soon as I am in a room where it is loud I don't notice it anymore, or when I listen to music on my MP3 player.  This is some thing I also do often to help with tinnitus, turn on my MP3 player and listen to music only in my bad ear.  I still have about 50% useable hearing AN side but when I listen to music on that side I don't notice the tinnitus anymore, but can still hear when someone talks to me.  I don't turn the music up loud enough that I can understand all the words but I know what song is playing.

Dan in Germany   

[1cANAdian]

Hi Michelle,

Post-surgery, I was verry sensitive to noise.  I tried a foam plug, but I took it out not long after as the noises in my head became that much louder (heartbeat and creaks and groans, not the voices I normally hear  ).  Curious to know if others experienced the same issues.  As I recover, I sure I be in more situations where noises will be bothersome.  I may give plugs a chance again when I'm feeling closer to my old self.

Cheers!

Ken

[goinbatty]

Ken, I know what you're talking about.  I've heard the same things usually when the AN is irritated from loud noise.  It's more noticeable at night.  I don't normally use earplugs at night but take them when on trips to block out noise in the hotel.  I use dense foam earplugs now but may invest in a custom molded one soon. 
Sandra

[chocolatetruffle]

thanks for this thread!  i did not know ear plugs could be custom made.   the ear plugs i am using is too obvious and not dense enough to filter the noise.  will definitely check this with my ENT doctor.

[lacey7]

thanks, Boppie, for answering all my questions!
Lacey

[Debbi]

Very interesting!  I am still very bothered by loud noises (I'm nearly 8 months post op) and find myself sticking a finger in my good ear more frequently than I would like.  (Which isn't very effectivie, and looks silly on top of it!)  I am hoping to get a transear next year, but wonder if a cusomtized plug would help  in the interim?  I have tried the cheapie plugs at the drugstore, but all they do is muffle things and they don't seem to eliminate the painful noises particularly well.  My mother in law has a Bijon that barks non stop and I literally can't go to their house now because the barking just kills my ear. 

I am one of the fortunate ones who doesn't have any tinnitis at all, so I am counting my blessings that all I need to do is get the volume down in my hearing ear.

Debbi

[calimama]

hey Michelle,

thanks for the tip. I can totally relate on the SSD and tinitus. what a pain. i work in a pretty quiet office, so that helps. i am sure over excited munchins much make your head spin sometimes. someone else on the forum recommended musicians ear plugs. those are pricey though...i assume that you reuse them (not like the little foamy ones they give before MRI).

Trish