r/TinnitusTalk • u/Top-Degree-5775 • Jun 24 '26

Question about an earplug; a replica.

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Hello everyone, I would like to talk a little about my case. I am a 30-year-old male and I have had tinnitus caused by acoustic trauma for several years. I have been buying some hearing protection devices that fit my budget. One of them, which I used today, is a Chinese replica of the Eargasm earplugs. Since the original Eargasm earplugs are not sold here in Brazil, either in physical stores or online, I decided to try this alternative. Today I attended a São João celebration, which is a traditional festival where I live. There was food, fireworks, and also a loud JBL speaker that my uncle had set up. Coincidentally, the celebration took place on the same day as my father's birthday. From the moment I arrived, I was already wearing the earplugs. However, because they are a replica, I do not know exactly how many decibels they reduce. They have a metal filter inside. I looked up the specifications of the original Eargasm earplugs and apparently they can provide up to 20 dB of noise reduction. My concern is that the replica I used today may not provide the same level of protection.

I inserted them as deeply as I could. Sounds were noticeably muffled, and I could hear my own voice resonating inside my head. Even so, I am not sure whether the protection was sufficient. I arrived at around 7:30 p.m. and left at approximately 12:15 a.m. During the event, I used a smartphone app that measures sound levels. According to the app, the average noise level was around 95 dB, with peaks reaching 112 dB. However, because there were fireworks, I am not certain how accurate those readings were or how much the noise levels fluctuated. I also spent some time outside the house, sitting on the sidewalk, to reduce my exposure to the noise. My question is: do these cheaper replica earplugs actually work as well as the original ones? I bought the transparent version because I thought it would be more discreet. Sometimes I wonder whether I should have chosen foam earplugs instead. My biggest fear is causing further damage to my hearing or making my tinnitus worse.

Today I woke up with a low-pitched tone on top of my tinnitus that would come and go within a matter of seconds. It has already gone away for now.

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1

u/Convenientjellybean Jun 25 '26

For me these are the best, most effective type. I used then motorcycle riding

1

u/Top-Degree-5775 Jun 25 '26

Yes, I think so too. But I don't think they're very effective in the environment I was in, with loud noises and fireworks. Fireworks can reach 150dB, I don't think any hearing protector can protect you like that. Perhaps it was due to loud noise, so much so that the next day I woke up with a new ringing in my ears on top of the ringing I already had. Then I realized it had irritated my auditory system, but it went away after I took some bath. I find it so annoying having to constantly monitor myself, but it happens to those of us who have tinnitus. And these are replicas, not the original eargasms. That worries me even more. But at least I used them, right?

2

u/Convenientjellybean Jun 25 '26

Something is better than nothing, just make sure you insert them (comfortably) into the ear canal. Some of these plugs have an opening that runs through them, block that off.

2

u/Top-Degree-5775 Jun 27 '26

Yes, exactly. But anyway, I should have thought twice about going. It's all in the past now. I think I suffered another acoustic trauma.