The Ear Defenders

I struggle with sensory overload, with sudden loud noises. I always have. Perhaps it comes from being a quiet person. Perhaps it comes from anxiety. Perhaps its inherited. My mum has a similar issue, over balloons, Christmas crackers and fireworks.

Fireworks is one of the top things on the list, that cause sensory overload, slightly behind fire alarms and decorators. There are other sounds I struggle with, like sirens, peoples loud heeled shoes on wooden floor, the noises the lift makes, the telephone if its too close, slamming doors, extra loud radio (my dads favourite noise), shouting, yelling, and sometimes even the beep the self service machines make.

I have noise cancelling headphones, earphones, and Calmer earbuds, which all reduce noise. But even then, louder noises can still be heard. The earbuds only muffle the noise by one or two volumes.

A colleague at work suggested I could try some ear defenders, for fire alarms in the office. I wasn’t sure. So I did some research, online. I found a pair on Amazon to try, which someone said were good for fireworks.

And they were wonderful. They were a bit heavy, and clunky, but came in a fun colour, bright yellow. They blocked out most of the fireworks. They made the sounds barely audible. I could only hear the louder ones, but when I hear those I know its almost over. It meant I was a lot calmer, and could carry on with my evenings without worrying. I even made it safely to wind band, without panicking, and was a lot calmer walking out and about while the fireworks were happening. And it made the experience so much easier, reducing stress and anxiety, not a panic attack in sight.

I’ve used them a lot, and they really help. I’ve used them for sirens, alarms at train stations, and most recently with the emergency alert that was tested and made a loud burst of sound. I’ve also used them when I’ve been out and about, to busy spaces in London. I always carry them with me, and they help to muffle the sound, and make life easier. I still struggle over sudden loud noises, but its not so bad when I have the ear defenders. My next test is to try them with the fire alarm at work, and see if that makes the alarm a bit better.

They weren’t very expensive and made life a lot better. They don’t remove the sounds entirely, just turn them down, which really helps. I’m really glad I gave them a try.