AdInfinitum
10-29-2008, 05:39 PM
Hi,
I was wondering if my recent experience has some basis in medical fact or if I'm nuts. Is it possible ear plugs reversed deleterious effects on my hearing?
The issue: I felt my hearing was deteriorating a bit over the last 2 months. Not significantly but I was turning up the TV a little louder and I didn't feel I had the edge/clarity I used to.
Because I wasn't getting good sleep (new CPAP machine in the room, noise bothered me) from June to September and was tired all the time I started wearing ear plugs at night. After a month of use I feel my hearing has not only returned to normal but is a little more acute. Sharp noises almost make me wince in pain. Sometimes I bang the computer keyboard a bit hard and I have to back off a bit because the noise keeps hammering my ear drums.
Background: 47 year old caucasian male, my hearing has always been above average in the high range and below average in the low range (per an ENT I saw in my late 20's) so soft voices were a little more difficult to hear but I could tell you when someone turned on a color display cathode ray tube due to the buzzing (no, I didn't come running when someone blew a dog whistle).
For as long as I can remember I hear a constant background noise. It's high pitched and similar to a color TV from the 1970s but pitched higher. I affectionately refer to it as "the sound of God". It's apparent when all is quiet and is drowned out by external noise. If I have trouble sleeping due to worries I tune in to this sound and usually go to sleep very quickly.
When I was in my 20's, young and foolish, I went to dance bars where the music was too loud. Upon leaving my hearing would feel muffled. At home I would draw a bath and lay with my ears under water for 10 minutes and then my hearing would return to normal. I'm wondering if temporary sensory deprivation has a healing effect at least for ears.
The ear plugs are from Hearos and cover up to 32db. They squish into a cylinder and insert into the ear and expand. I don't have any pain when using them. I start using a new pair once per week and keep them in a clean container when not in use.
Thanks for your time.
I was wondering if my recent experience has some basis in medical fact or if I'm nuts. Is it possible ear plugs reversed deleterious effects on my hearing?
The issue: I felt my hearing was deteriorating a bit over the last 2 months. Not significantly but I was turning up the TV a little louder and I didn't feel I had the edge/clarity I used to.
Because I wasn't getting good sleep (new CPAP machine in the room, noise bothered me) from June to September and was tired all the time I started wearing ear plugs at night. After a month of use I feel my hearing has not only returned to normal but is a little more acute. Sharp noises almost make me wince in pain. Sometimes I bang the computer keyboard a bit hard and I have to back off a bit because the noise keeps hammering my ear drums.
Background: 47 year old caucasian male, my hearing has always been above average in the high range and below average in the low range (per an ENT I saw in my late 20's) so soft voices were a little more difficult to hear but I could tell you when someone turned on a color display cathode ray tube due to the buzzing (no, I didn't come running when someone blew a dog whistle).
For as long as I can remember I hear a constant background noise. It's high pitched and similar to a color TV from the 1970s but pitched higher. I affectionately refer to it as "the sound of God". It's apparent when all is quiet and is drowned out by external noise. If I have trouble sleeping due to worries I tune in to this sound and usually go to sleep very quickly.
When I was in my 20's, young and foolish, I went to dance bars where the music was too loud. Upon leaving my hearing would feel muffled. At home I would draw a bath and lay with my ears under water for 10 minutes and then my hearing would return to normal. I'm wondering if temporary sensory deprivation has a healing effect at least for ears.
The ear plugs are from Hearos and cover up to 32db. They squish into a cylinder and insert into the ear and expand. I don't have any pain when using them. I start using a new pair once per week and keep them in a clean container when not in use.
Thanks for your time.