I almost lost my hearing from the lid on the tank of a toilet
A little PSA: there is some evidence that magnesium can help prevent&#x2F;cure acute noise-induced hearing loss.  Google returns several reputable studies.<p>Also: earplugs, earplugs, earplugs.  I keep foam earplugs on me at all times.  I have some in my fifth pants pocket, I keep some in a pill container on my keyring, some in my backpack, in my car, etc.  I cut them in half; the half size fits easier and takes up less space, and the slightly lower sound attenuation is actually more useful for me in most circumstances.<p>I go through a lot of ear plugs this way, and a few years ago I realized that some of them degrade over time such that they become roughly half as effective.  The closed cell foam seems to wear out somehow.  I started wearing these degraded  plugs more and more often, to the point that I now wear them most of the time.  Always when I&#x27;m out of the house, and most of the time at home as well.  They can be cleaned by soaking in alcohol.  Alcohol works well on ears too, but most people&#x27;s ears need no or very sparse cleaning.<p>I&#x27;ve worn these low-performance earplugs nearly non-stop for years now and my hearing has recovered some of the sensitivity of my youth.  When I started leaving them in all the time I was a bit like an elderly person, asking people to repeat themselves frequently.  This went away as my sensitivity improved, and after maybe six months my plugged hearing was as good as my formerly unplugged hearing.<p>Now I kinda feel naked without them.  If I&#x27;m doing something loud, like working on a table saw, I&#x27;ll put in fresh ear plugs, or wear extra protection like muffs.