ChristianKl comments on Try more things. - Less Wrong

45 Post author: whales 12 January 2014 01:25AM

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Comment author: ChristianKl 12 January 2014 12:02:44PM *  0 points [-]

Earplugs, or a change in style or brand if you already use them

Do you know anything about long term effects of nightly earplug use on your ears?

I heard once one a unreliable source that it might be unhealthy to rely on them for long periods of time. I wouldn't trust the source but hearing it is enough for me to want to know whether someone else looked into the long term issues of using them.

http://www.fitsugar.com/Can-Prolonged-Earplug-Use-Cause-Damage-Ears-8872394 would be a website I found with quick googling that explains some of the concerns.

I do wear Earplugs when I'm at loud Salsa clubs where I expect the soudn would damage my ears if I would expose them to it. I brought expensive ones for 200€ that just downregulated the loudness overall but that keep relative difference the same which means that you can still hear all the details in the music.

Comment author: whales 12 January 2014 07:33:38PM *  2 points [-]

Yeah, when I first looked into this, I found all these popular sites talking about tinnitus and infection, but couldn't track down any sources. Wikipedia just cites those websites. One actually does give a source: Journal of Hearing Sciences, 2006: 9-10. This seems to be made up by its "SEO professional" author. ("Journal of Hearing Science" at least exists, but started in 2011. Bizarre.)

I don't remember finding anything especially scientific and reliable on risks when I first looked into it. The best I could do was Ear Infection and the Use of Hearing Protection (1985), a review of epidemiological studies by a researcher employed by an earplug manufacturer, mostly concerning workplace use.

Anecdotal comments abound, but controlled studies are "conspicuous by their absence." By implication the problem is neither significant nor widespread; otherwise it would have drawn greater attention and research interest.

...

Although hearing protection devices should not be worn in the presence of some preexisting ear canal pathologies, and care must be exercised regarding selection and use under certain environmental conditions, regular wearing of HPDs does not normally increase the likelihood of contracting otitis externa.

I don't know how much you want to rely on that. I just follow the manufacturer's instructions for cleaning and reuse, and plan to stop if I notice irritation.

Comment author: btrettel 12 January 2014 10:11:05PM 0 points [-]

I'd be interested in seeing some reliable evidence about this.

I sleep fairly poorly, and consequently I've used earplugs nearly every night for 5+ years now. I do have bad tinnitus (it is congenital), but it has not become worse from this. I have not had any ear infections in this period. I've had my hearing checked twice over the past 5 years, and it is stable at all frequencies.

It's worth noting that most earplugs will fall out after an hour or so, or at least the ones I've been using will. I buy a ton of cheap foam ones and rotate them periodically.

The only thing that has made my tinnitus worse best I can tell was a bursting rubber tube, which was basically as loud as a shotgun. This added a specific and identifiable frequency to one of my ears, oddly enough, but had no other long-term effect.

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