Can Overprotection Have Caused My Musical Tinnitus?

Hi,

I recently decided it would be a good idea to wear hearing protection (Peltor X5, which is quite strong) 24/7 because my regular tinnitus had become milder, but my daily fluctuating reactive sounds and sound distortions were still quite disturbing. After about 3-4 months of using the protection, I developed a new tone. It resembles a trumpet being played in an orchestra. Unlike regular tinnitus, this sound has a melody with short pauses, no more than a second long. The sound doesn’t seem to come from my ears but rather from my head. It also reacts to external noises, and when I hear those, it feels as if the trumpet sound is coming from the source of those external sounds.

Could this be caused by overprotection? Since developing tinnitus, I’ve isolated myself from the outside world, and recently, I’ve been wearing hearing protection 24/7, even inside my house. I did take short breaks to let fresh air into my ears, but I don’t understand how isolating myself from external sounds could make things worse. There’s no sound to damage any organ.

The likely cause of my tinnitus was using an antidepressant for five days and then stopping it about 1.5 years ago. My tinnitus started the night I stopped taking the pills. For the past year, I’ve been taking 3.75 mg of Mirtazapine.

 

Yes, I have musical tinnitus, but it is not due to social isolation or hearing loss. It has been proven that musical tinnitus can be caused by living alone, as your ears receive no stimulation. So, if you have been wearing earplugs indoors and living in complete silence, then yes, there is a high possibility it has been caused by that.

My advice would be to stop wearing them at home. If you must wear something, make sure they are filtered earplugs, and try to spend time around nature for sound enrichment.

 

I really don't believe in this "overprotection causing tinnitus" thing at all. I believe it was either the Mirtazapine (it has happened to others) or just completely random.

 

I created an account just to reply to this post because your experience sounds so similar to mine.

About seven months ago, a loud garbage truck outside my window startled me badly and caused a spike in my tinnitus. I became increasingly anxious about both my tinnitus and hyperacusis, so I started wearing hearing protection for nearly 20 hours a day. After about three weeks, I experienced musical tinnitus for the first time. Then, about two months later, I began experiencing TTTS (Tonic Tensor Tympani Syndrome) symptoms, with non-stop clicking in my ear.

Two months after that, I realized this approach wasn't working, so I gradually reduced my use of earplugs and started incorporating light, daily music into my routine. The TTTS symptoms eventually stopped, but the musical tinnitus has persisted. It's now been about five months since the onset.

I don't think this is due to any physical damage; I believe it's a neurological response to sensory deprivation. I have no idea if it will improve. Fortunately, it doesn't bother me much, and I've noticed that I can somewhat influence what it "plays." I also don’t notice it when I’m not wearing earplugs. I'm still working on managing my hyperacusis, so maybe the musical tinnitus will improve as that does. I still wear earplugs while sleeping, though I'm gradually trying to reduce that as well, but I'm not quite there yet.

 

Thanks for helping this person.

Do you have musical tinnitus on top of your regular tinnitus? Would you say that your tinnitus has improved over time?

 

Yes, but it's hard to tell where the tinnitus ends and the music begins. It's as if the sounds of tinnitus blend with the instruments in the music. I'm not sure if my tinnitus has improved, but I believe I've become quite accustomed to it. It doesn't bother me much anymore. It took about a year to adjust after it progressed from mild to moderate in 2020.