Some lawn mower sounds cause intense discomfort!

I totally understand that, so do leaf blowers, and grinders

Thanks, Rick, but how are we going to program it out if it’s still uncomfortable to me with my aids completely muted?

Thanks for your reply.

@SpudGunner said:

but how are we going to program it out if it’s still uncomfortable to me with my aids completely muted?

I am assuming you use open type domes on your aids.
Is that correct?

Not 100% sure but I think he uses actual ear moulds.

I am not sure but wanted to ask.
For him to mute the aids and still have pain from the loud mower. You see where this is going.

@SpudGunner said:

I find the sound of it physically uncomfortable if I’m outside and wearing both a fully-muted set of HAs with acrylic moulds underneath my old gunner’s ear muffs … Painful is too strong a word. Physically uncomfortable is as close as I can get.

Even when I’m indoors and my HAs are muted, the sound makes me want to scream. I don’t know if it’s the frequency, or what …

@Raudrive said:

I am not sure but wanted to ask.
For him to mute the aids and still have pain from the loud mower. You see where this is going.

I don’t have pain. I find the sound uncomfortable as when a pressure gradient is not equalized after flying or diving.

I wear acrylic moulds, and the sound penetrates them even if the HAs are muted.

My neighbour’s mower is so loud that the sound level is uncomfortable even if I’m wearing military grade artilleryman’s hearing protection over top of the muted HAs. (Granted, the muffs are designed to attenuate instantaneous concussions, not continuous sounds.)

Of course I always wear hearing protection when mowing.

I’m thinking that perhaps that my tympanic membranes are vibrating sympathetically with the lawn mowers with sufficient amplitude to evacuate some of the air in my middle ear, creating a partial vacuum (similar to when leaving a pressurized cockpit).

Since I am currently suffering from my seasonal allergies, my Eustachian tubes may be inflamed enough to prevent the ingress of air back to the inner ear to equalize the pressure.

What do you think, @Neville, @Um_bongo?

@SpudGunner said:

Since I am currently suffering from my seasonal allergies, my Eustachian tubes may be inflamed enough to prevent the ingress of air back to the inner ear to equalize the pressure.

Inflammation and drainage can sure plug things up.
It’s something I deal with regularly.

@SpudGunner said:

the lawn mowers with sufficient amplitude to evacuate some of the air in my middle ear, creating a partial vacuum

Diaphragm pump. I can picture this. With drainage and swelling…hmmmmm.

@SpudGunner my apologies, this is a world wide forum, different countries different words mean different things. So please be patient with people.

@Deaf_piper I’m very patient, however your initial post did not address the facts I originally posted. Nothing to do with different countries, I don’t think.

Besides, I think the problem is actually a mechanical one having to do with my middle ear and which @Raudrive (Rick) calls a “diaphragm pump”.

I intend to take an antihistamine the next time I see my neighbour getting ready to mow. I don’t believe my issue has anything to do with my HAs.

I’m allergic to silicone. As I’ve mentioned, the problem is not with the HAs. The discomfort occurs even with my aids in and earmuffs worn over top of them.

I know what’s going on, and it’s nothing to do with the aids.

1. My gunner’s muffs are designed to occlude instantaneous, loud sounds. They’re probably not the right type for the continuous operation of machinery.

2. My neighbour’s machine is so loud that it penetrates the ear muffs and the acrylic moulds and causes my eardrums to vibrate at a low frequency.

3. This low frequency, high amplitude vibration forces air out of the middle ear, via the eustachian tubes, creating a pressure differential on either side of the eardrum.

4. I have allergies, so I’m stuffed up, and my Eustachian tubes are swollen so that air cannot get back into the middle ear to equalize the pressure differential, which causes the same discomfort as after a plane trip or scuba diving.

So, this explanation is the simplest one that fully corresponds with my discomfort. It’s not at all due to the performance of my hearing aids.

This article suggests that I’m probably not wearing the right kind of ear muff. I need something for continuous, low frequency, high dB noise, not intermittent loud noises like gunshots.

This supports my hypothesis that enough sound energy is getting through to evacuate the air from my middle ear (diaphragm pump, per @Raudrive, is a good description). The ear will not equalize due to allergic stuffiness.

Guide to Selecting the Right Ear Muff -- Occupational Health & Safety1

When combining hearing protection with safety glasses, face masks, etc., ensure performance is not adversely affected.