Can Driving a Car Worsen Tinnitus/Damage My Ears?

[Thomas Baker]

So I seem to have noticed a "creep in volume" over the last few months, and the one thing I can think of is working as a daily delivery driver. It doesn't "feel" loud, but a decibel meter shows the dBC and dBZ levels average at about 85, sometimes hitting 90, when driving. I tried today with earplugs and earmuffs, and it was quieter, but with the earmuffs on, I really started to notice the lower humming of the engine more (louder than I thought). The dBA shows an average of 70, but that doesn't help.

Firstly, is it possible that having the earmuffs on somehow makes the noise MORE damaging, because it "echos" the vibrations and noise around my ears?

Secondly, suppose the decibel meter is accurate, I've heard lower frequently noises can still cause damage by vibrating the ear and stereocilia - is there any risk of this?

Thirdly, I've seen some say that lower frequency sounds can't be adequately blocked by earplugs/earmuffs. Is this true?

Also, I always assume to use the Z and C weightings on the decibel as it more accurately shows the damage you might be being subjected to, is this right?

The problem is my ears aren't like healthy people, the standards aren't the same for us...

 

[Brian Newman]

I was wondering the same thing. I drive a Dodge Challenger HellCat which is the loudest stock car on the market. I was fine until my ears got worse. The vibration bothers me like crazy and shooting headphones don't help. Check out Mack's Blackout Soft Foam Earplugs on Amazon. For some reason whenever I'm wearing those, it cuts down the loud engine and exhaust vibration a lot.

They have a little hole in the end of them which helps compared to the normal earplugs. I for sure notice a difference. But 85 dB is noisy, even my HellCat is not that loud in the cabin going 60 mph. Unless you are going 90-100 mph, there's no way.

I would say play it safe and wear the Mack's Blackout earplugs and you will be fine.

 

[Pitseleh]

Whenever I drive for more than an hour, my tinnitus spikes and the volume never comes back to its previous level. This happens whether I use earplugs, earmuffs, both or none.

I have no idea why.

Maybe it's the vibrations that do it, yes...

My ears are basically f'kd though, my various tinnitus tones have kept increasing for 2 years, with nothing I can do.

Steady increases, sometimes spikes, but it's getting louder and louder over time.