Ear plugs?

[tbishop11]

I'm just getting over a pretty bad deal with my right ear, long story short I got a wicked bad ear infection and after going to the E.R because I thought there was something seriously wrong, they told me I had a headache and sent me on my way, (Military Docs). That night the pressure in my ear built up until my ear drum exploded. Fun times, blood and puss came out my ear blah blah boring stuff right? So I went to the ear doctor and I made the mistake of after riding there first off, and second taking my helmet in to the appointment. The Doc asked me if I wore ear plugs when I ride, and I told her no which resulted in me getting my chops busted for it? I honestly had never heard that you should wear ear plugs while riding, and I've been riding since 97. It just doesn't seem safe, am I crazy or is the Doc?

[tarzan]

It is very important.Yes not only will it protect your hearing,it actually filters out a lot of noise so you can hear horns, sirens, screeching tires, and the things you really need to hear.
I would not have believed it ,but I was told I should try plugs and I really like
them now.
Apparently just wind noise can cause serious hearing loss, which was one of the most annoying things for me to listen to.

[Crazcnuk]

Bullpucky. Unless your ride a mufflerless wonder, like the hardleys.

Did you ask the doctor where his HASMAT suit was? I mean, how can he be safe near sick people otherwise?

I could never figure out why you need to hear, so badly, on a motorcycle, but in a car, or why harley riders don't need to hear.

It's only important to hear sirens if you don't check before crossing intersections, or you never check your rear view mirrors.

[DJinNH]

Hearing loss can definitely occur if you wear those half helmets or no helmet at all. I wonder how bad it is with a full helmet....can't imagine it's all that bad.

Just running outboard boats for about 20 yrs in FL has caused me problems. It's the wind, not any loud engines that caused problems. Now the inboard/outboard boat, that noise was definitely a problem.

I usually wear ear plugs but have been dragging my feet in getting some new ones. I ride with a half helmet lately and as I type this my left ear is somewhat muffled in the hearing because of it....not the noise, the wind.

Heck, I remember my ears ringing the same after seeing the Dolphins beat the Bears in '85 down at the Orange Bowl. Clogged ears for about two days after being at that wild game.

Don

[oseaghdha]

Try this

If you don't think you need them, and you still have reasonably good hearing, just put in one and go for a half hour ride at speed.

When you get home take it out and see how your ears work. HINT: It's a bit like getting up at night and turning a light on with one eye closed, then turning it off again. Your opened eye don't work so good in the dark, eh?

I will wear plugs if I am on an extended ride.

The other day, I was testing some in-the-ear headphones, and one fell out inside my helmet (full face).

After only about 10 minutes to home at 40-50mph, the difference between my right and left was very apparent. Even though I had the tunes on, my unplugged ear felt more abused than the plugged ear.

I could hear traffic and the bike fine when they were both in BTW.

JPIO
YMMV

[randy]

I never wore them till a couple of years ago. At XSEast MArtyA gave me a pair, the bulk disposables. I couldn't believe the difference. Besides the health benefit, the most noticeable difference was the reduction in what I call 'noise pollution'. With all the sensory input we are bombarded with on a bike, wind, noise, all four limbs workin, eyeballs flickin, head turnin, chassis bouncin, the quiet frees up some processing power and helps me focus. I come off the bike even more relaxed than before.

[tarzan]

BTW-I just saw an article about the most effective ear plugs.It turns out it isnt the expensive non-disposable type that filter out more noise,it is disposable ones that tend to be more protective.
The point of the story was find a style that works for you and is comfortable.
I know for me there are only a couple different types I can wear for any length of time. Because some types hurt my ears.

[The Lorax]

I never gave that any real consideration, I have two helmets, both cover my ears completely, but I believe there may be something to the whole ear plug thing. a couple years back, I had an issue with my right ear popping constantly over the course of a day, it was coincidentally just a little while after the riding season had ended, maybe mid November, the next morning, I was totally deaf in my right ear, couldn't hear anything. my brain adapted rather quickly to only having auditory input from the one side and I was still able to locate things by sound. the weird thing is, after a few days, a week at the most, my hearing returned on the right side, although somewhat diminished, I could hear out of my right ear again. It has never come back completely, background noise is a nightmare trying to hear over, and to beat it all, after two or three years, my brain has still not gone back to dealing with sound in stereo, I can't locate anything by sound since my right ear started working again, makes it hell trying to find the cordless phone or the cell when it rings, oh well, I didn't need to talk to them anyway. have a nice day and ride safe

[bikerphil]

I always use earplugs (disposable foam type) when riding. Cutting down the wind and engine noise makes riding more pleasant. I can still hear other cars, sirens, etc. The rare times that I wear a full face helmet with a shield, I don't wear any earplugs.

[tbishop11]

So it looks like the doc might be right and that makes me crazy, but people have been telling me that I'm crazy for years!

[fredintoon]

I'm just getting over a pretty bad deal with my right ear, - - - The Doc asked me if I wore ear plugs when I ride, and I told her no which resulted in me getting my chops busted for it? I honestly had never heard that you should wear ear plugs while riding, and I've been riding since 97. It just doesn't seem safe, am I crazy or is the Doc?

Hi Shop,
earplugs cut down on wind noise and wind noise will damage your hearing.
And yes, with the earplugs in you can hear hazard sounds, tiresqueal, police sirens, etc. more clearly.
But no effin' way can earplugs stop you getting an ear infection.
So honours are even between you and the ear-doctor.

[BlackD1114]

I happen to be half deaf in both ears and I have hearing aids. I asked my audiologist if I should wear my hearing aids when wearing my helmet(full face) and I was told not to have them in while riding due to the fact taht they could get dirty or damaged while having them in. So I guess that I lucked out and I have built in ear plugs in my head

[fredintoon]

I happen to be half deaf in both ears and I have hearing aids. I asked my audiologist if I should wear my hearing aids when wearing my helmet(full face) and I was told not to have them in while riding due to the fact taht they could get dirty or damaged while having them in. So I guess that I lucked out and I have built in ear plugs in my head

Hi Black,
without earplugs the wind noise will degrading what's left of your hearing. Seems to me that with half your hearing gone you should be hyper-protective with what remains.
So let "hearing aids out and earplugs in" be part of your preparing to ride checklist.

[psycoreefer]

I'll jump in and go with all the folks who like ear plugs. I've ridden snowmobiles and quads all my life and just started with bikes a year or two ago. I read on another forum about all the guys who liked ear plugs but thought my full face helmet was probably doing a good job of blocking sound. Then last year I went for a long ride and got some in the ear headphones so I'd have tunes and I really liked it, even with the music off. After that I went and got a few of those cheap disposable foam ones and I have to say I really miss them when I go for a ride and forget to put them in. Everything everyone has said is true, I feel more relaxed and focused when riding with the plugs.

[tbishop11]

Hi Shop,
earplugs cut down on wind noise and wind noise will damage your hearing.
And yes, with the earplugs in you can hear hazard sounds, tiresqueal, police sirens, etc. more clearly.
But no effin' way can earplugs stop you getting an ear infection.
So honours are even between you and the ear-doctor.

Fred,

I totally agree! I never said I got the ear infection from riding, or riding without ear plugs, that's about as far out of context as you can go. I'm crazy, but not that crazy? The ear infection is what got me the trip to talk to the Doc though. Obviously if I had thought I got the infection from riding, or could, why would I have rode to the appointment? Maybe the ear plugs could prevent the swine flu? ha-ha Just kidding or could it? Assuming is bad but assuming about assuming is worse.