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⏱️ Estimated reading time: 12 min
On this page: Overview
Key Takeaways
Most sit roughly between 40 and 65 dB at 1 metre, at or below the level of normal conversation (about 60 dB). Their volume alone rarely explains why they are hard to sit with.
Our Life+ lowers sound by about 22–23 dB in the low and mid bands where chewing and breathing sit, and by 28–35 dB in the high bands where typing, pen clicks and lip smacking sit.
No. A passive earplug turns every sound down, so a trigger sound ends up quieter, not gone. A voice stays audible because it is loud.
A sealed ear canal raises your own bone-conducted sounds below about 500 Hz by roughly 10–20 dB. This occlusion effect comes down to fit, not to how much the plug attenuates.
For short, chosen moments such as a meal, a study block or a journey, then out again. NHS guidance cautions against wearing earplugs all the time, and a GP is the first stop for support.
Eating sounds (chewing, crunching, slurping), nose and throat sounds (breathing, sniffing, throat clearing) and repetitive sounds such as keyboard tapping, pen clicks and rustling paper. In research, eating sounds come up most consistently.
Chewing sits mostly around 125–500 Hz, with crunchy foods adding sharp transients up to 2–4 kHz. At 1 metre it typically reaches 45–60 dB.
No. Life+ makes the main body of a chewing sound roughly 22 dB quieter and the crunch roughly 28–29 dB quieter, so a 45–60 dB chewing sound lands at about 22–38 dB. Quieter, not gone.
No. Earplugs only lower the level of sound reaching the ear, so visual triggers such as leg jiggling or hair twirling are untouched by any earplug.
With misophonia, the reaction is tied to particular sounds rather than to loudness. Oxford Health’s OHSPIC service describes intense disgust, anger or distress at specific sounds, often made by other people. A GP is the right first stop for support.
Misophonia trigger sounds are mostly ordinary and surprisingly quiet. Chewing, sniffing, throat clearing, keyboard typing and pen clicks typically reach 40–65 dB at 1 metre, no louder than a normal conversation. In a UK-representative study of 772 adults, 18.4 % had misophonia at a level that caused significant burden (Vitoratou et al., PLOS ONE 2023), and most had never heard the word.
At Bollsen, we make reusable hypoallergenic silicone earplugs, German-tested and independently certified at 24 dB, and trusted by 1,000,000+ people. One question reaches us again and again. Can you still hear people talk with earplugs in? You can, and the reason is the same physics that decides what happens to every sound on this page.
Product choice, fit and situational use around everyday sounds sit in our hub on earplugs for misophonia, alongside the buyer guides and UK support routes. Here we stay with the acoustics.
Which everyday sounds are reported most often?
The sounds reported most often fall into three groups, according to the Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust: eating sounds, nose and throat sounds, and repetitive environmental sounds such as keyboard tapping and rustling paper. Its OHSPIC page on misophonia describes the reaction to these sounds as intense disgust, anger or distress.
An analysis of 35 auditory triggers by Vitoratou and colleagues (Audiology Research, 2021) found the same three dimensions. Eating sounds were the most informative of all, the ones that best told people with misophonia apart from the general population.
The 2022 consensus definition (Swedo et al., Frontiers in Neuroscience) widens the list to pen clicking, keyboard typing, finger or foot tapping, footsteps, clock ticking and animal sounds. It also notes that visual triggers exist. Each person’s set is their own, and cutlery scraping a plate is a common entry too.
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Life+★ 4.7 · 3,700 reviewsLife+★ 4.7 · 3,700 reviewsMusic SoundPRO★ 4.8 · 514 reviewsWatersafe+★ 4.8 · 684 reviewsLife+★ 4.7 · 3,700 reviewsWhy are most trigger sounds so quiet?
Most trigger sounds sit roughly between 40 and 65 dB at 1 metre, while normal conversation sits around 60 dB, so loudness is rarely what makes a trigger sound hard to be around. It is the sound, not the volume.
We leave the question of causes to the researchers at King’s College London and Oxford and to NHS clinicians, and stick to what can be measured: frequency and level. That line between a sound’s character and its loudness is also what separates the conditions people often mix up, set out in misophonia vs hyperacusis vs noise sensitivity.
It matters for earplugs too. Making a quiet sound quieter is not the same as making it disappear.
How loud and how high is each common trigger sound?
Common trigger sounds span the whole hearing range: chewing and breathing sit low, around 125–500 Hz, while keyboard typing, pen clicks and lip smacking sit high, around 2–8 kHz, and most arrive at 40–65 dB at 1 metre.
The table sets each sound against the mean attenuation of our Life+ earplug in the same band, then subtracts to give an approximate landing level at the ear. Every band and level is a typical, approximate figure for a sound about 1 metre away. Real sounds vary with who makes them and how far away they are.
| Trigger sound | Typical band | Typical level at 1 m | Life+ mean attenuation in that band | Approx. landing level | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chewing / crunching | 125–500 Hz, crunch up to 2–4 kHz | 45–60 dB | 21.8–23.1 dB (crunch 28.4–29.3 dB) | ~22–38 dB | The crunch drops more than the body of the sound; see earplugs for chewing sounds at a shared table. Quieter, not gone. |
| Breathing / sniffing | ~125–250 Hz | 40–50 dB | 21.8–23.1 dB | ~17–28 dB | Low and often close, a regular part of studying with misophonia. For breathing and snoring in bed, see what nighttime sounds are hardest. Quieter, not gone. |
| Throat clearing | ~250–500 Hz | 50–65 dB | 21.8–22.1 dB | ~28–43 dB | Starts loud and sits low, so it lands highest of the list. Quieter, not gone. |
| Keyboard typing | ~2–4 kHz | 50–60 dB | 28.4–29.3 dB | ~21–32 dB | High band, attenuated more; common in studying with misophonia and misophonia at work. Quieter, not gone. |
| Pen click | ~4 kHz | 45–55 dB | 29.3 dB | ~16–26 dB | Short and sharp, a desk staple in misophonia at work. Quieter, not gone. |
| Whispering / lip smacking | ~2–8 kHz | 30–45 dB | 28.4–35.3 dB | ~0–17 dB | Can fall close to the edge of hearing in a silent room. Quieter, not gone. |
| Conversation (reference) | mostly 250 Hz–1 kHz | ~60 dB | 21.8–23.2 dB | ~36–40 dB | A voice stays audible because it is loud. Quieter, not gone. |
Attenuation figures are lab means under an ideal fit, so the reduction in everyday wear is usually lower and the arithmetic is approximate. A landing level in the 20s is softer than a whisper. The question of how many decibels earplugs for misophonia need has its own answer, and more is not automatically better.
What does a passive earplug do at each frequency?
A passive earplug lowers every sound that reaches the ear, and our Life+ lowers high frequencies more than low ones: about 22–23 dB from 63 Hz to 1 kHz, then 28.4, 29.3 and 35.3 dB at 2, 4 and 8 kHz.
| Octave band | Life+ mean attenuation | Trigger sounds with energy in this band |
|---|---|---|
| 63 Hz | 21.9 dB | Low rumble, footsteps |
| 125 Hz | 23.1 dB | Chewing body, breathing, sniffing |
| 250 Hz | 21.8 dB | Chewing body, breathing, throat clearing, voices |
| 500 Hz | 22.1 dB | Chewing body, throat clearing, voices |
| 1 kHz | 23.2 dB | Voices, slurping |
| 2 kHz | 28.4 dB | Crunching, keyboard typing, lip smacking |
| 4 kHz | 29.3 dB | Crunching, keyboard typing, pen clicks |
| 8 kHz | 35.3 dB | Whispering, lip smacking, rustling paper |
Mean attenuation of Life+ (passive, SNR 24 dB, H 24 / M 21 / L 19), tested to EN 352-2 by an independent German laboratory. Values are lab means under an ideal fit.
SNR 24 is a single-number summary of that curve. H, M and L give the figure for high-, mid- and low-frequency noise: 24, 21 and 19 dB. No band is left untouched and none is singled out; every band is turned down, the high ones most.
Why do high sounds drop more than low ones?
High-frequency sound has short wavelengths that a sealed silicone plug stops efficiently, while low-frequency sound carries more easily through the plug material and the surrounding tissue and bone, so a passive earplug attenuates highs more than lows.
For trigger sounds, the crisp, high parts shrink most. The crunch of a crisp or the click of a pen loses more than the dull thud of chewing or a low sniff, which is why chewing with earplugs in tends to sound softer and duller rather than simply smaller.
Our Life+ uses a patented conical two-lamella shape in hypoallergenic silicone that sits flush in the ear. A good seal is what makes the lab numbers reachable. A loose one lets sound leak round the edge and cuts the real-world figure.
Why can your own chewing sound louder with earplugs in?
Sealing the ear canal raises your own bone-conducted sounds below about 500 Hz by roughly 10–20 dB, an effect called occlusion, so your own chewing, swallowing and voice can seem louder with earplugs in even while other people’s sounds get quieter.
The full explanation of why you hear your own chewing with earplugs in sits in its own guide. A deeper, correctly sized seal tends to lessen the effect, which makes ear canal size the practical lever.
Our Life+ with AR KI TECH is the same earplug with the size picked by AI ear measurement from two photos, so the size that arrives matches your ear canals, with a return rate of around 3 %. Many people simply take earplugs out to eat and put them back in once the meal is over.
What can an earplug not change?
An earplug changes only the level of sound reaching the ear. It does not change a person’s reaction to a sound, and it does nothing at all for visual triggers (sometimes called misokinesia) such as leg jiggling, hair twirling or watching someone chew.
If seeing a movement is part of what makes a moment hard, no earplug will touch that part. Where you sit and what is in your line of sight are the only physical factors there.
That is why we describe Life+ as a tool for making specific sounds quieter for a while, and nothing more. It is hearing protection, not a medical device.
Where can you find support in the UK?
In the UK, the first stop is a GP, who can refer on to audiology, ENT or psychology services where appropriate. The NHS page on noise sensitivity (hyperacusis) lists misophonia as one type of hearing sensitivity.
Misophonia has no stand-alone diagnostic code in DSM-5 or ICD-11. UK researchers measure it with validated questionnaires such as the S-Five, the scale behind the 2023 prevalence figure. For NHS routes, school and work, see our guide: is misophonia recognised in the UK?
When does it make sense to wear earplugs around trigger sounds?
Earplugs make most sense for short, chosen moments, such as a shared meal, a 45–90-minute study block or a train journey, taken out again afterwards. NHS guidance advises against wearing earplugs or ear defenders all the time, as that could make you more sensitive to noise; short-term use in very noisy places may help.
For those moments, our Life+ earplugs (passive, SNR 24 dB, £29.95) are made from hypoallergenic silicone (BPA-, PVC- and latex-free) and last up to 100 uses, about 30p per use. Two packs cost £44.95, UK delivery is free over £35, and every order has a 40-day money-back guarantee.
Stop wearing them if they cause pain or itching, and see a GP if particular sounds are affecting daily life. A simple in-and-out routine is set out in when to wear earplugs and when to take them out.
His connection to hearing protection stems from personal experience with sound sensitivity during live events and work in noisy environments, an issue that made him more aware of the long-term risks of unmanaged noise exposure. Today, as both a communicator and a user of BOLLSEN products, he is passionate about raising awareness around the importance of proactive hearing care.
At BOLLSEN, he develops data-driven marketing campaigns, writes SEO-focused articles, and manages communication channels that connect customers with practical knowledge about hearing protection. His work ensures that BOLLSEN’s message—prioritizing health, performance, and sustainability reaches a global audience in an engaging and trustworthy way.
Passionate about writing since childhood, Timotej combines creativity with a strong analytical approach, continuously testing new ideas in digital marketing, performance advertising, and social media. He believes in learning through innovation and collaboration, balancing leadership with openness to new perspectives.
Beyond his professional role, Timotej is committed to a healthy lifestyle and finds inspiration in fitness, sports, and quality time with friends. His personal passion for well-being aligns with BOLLSEN’s core values, making his work not only a career but also a cause he deeply believes in.