Can Wearing Earplugs Make the Brain More Aware of Tinnitus and Cause Spikes?

[El BUZZ]

My tinnitus started almost ten years ago due to noise trauma. Just ten minutes of loud live music triggered it, after years of abusing headphones and playing music at maximum volume most of the time.

Since the first day, my tinnitus has been very unstable. I can go months without being bothered by it, even when it spikes. Other times, a milder form of it suddenly makes me feel anxious, depressed, and robbed of my future. There's no clear correlation between its loudness and my psychological response—it's all pretty mixed.

I can hear the hissing everywhere except in the shower. Despite its loudness, I almost always wear earplugs to sleep because I wake up very easily to sounds. Sometimes, I wake up to almost complete silence, then fall back asleep and wake up again to it spiking.

My question is: Can wearing earplugs make my brain more aware of the tinnitus, and could this be the reason for the spikes?

 

[Bill_]

My tinnitus started almost ten years ago due to noise trauma. Just ten minutes of loud live music triggered it, after years of abusing headphones and playing music at maximum volume most of the time.

Since the first day, my tinnitus has been very unstable. I can go months without being bothered by it, even when it spikes. Other times, a milder form of it suddenly makes me feel anxious, depressed, and robbed of my future. There's no clear correlation between its loudness and my psychological response—it's all pretty mixed.

I can hear the hissing everywhere except in the shower. Despite its loudness, I almost always wear earplugs to sleep because I wake up very easily to sounds. Sometimes, I wake up to almost complete silence, then fall back asleep and wake up again to it spiking.

My question is: Can wearing earplugs make my brain more aware of the tinnitus, and could this be the reason for the spikes?

That is definitely possible.

 

[Joeseph Stope]

The tinnitus I have is more of a ringing, and I would say it's on the left side—either in my ear or maybe my brain.

It's constant 24/7 but reactive to loud noise, certain herbs like basil, rosemary, and oregano (due to their salicylates), as well as colds, the flu, or headaches. These all spike my tinnitus, making it noticeably intrusive and irritating.

Many experts say you should get used to everyday loud noise, but if it's dangerously loud, you should avoid it. The problem is that you never know when loud noise will occur.

I use earmuffs—specifically 3M Peltor hearing protectors (3M stands for Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing), like this or
this.

If I'm on the bus and a baby starts crying, it's easy to slip on my hearing protection. They're quite effective at reducing and blocking high-frequency sounds, such as a child screaming or a high-pitched ambulance siren. However, they're not as effective at filtering out lower frequencies, like the rumble of Harley-Davidson motorcycles or fireworks. They also fit nicely on my forearm, making them convenient to carry.

That said, I'm asking myself the same question as you—am I relying on them too much? Am I doing the right thing?

Would I be better off now if I hadn't developed the habit of putting them on every time I hear a loud noise or when I anticipate one? They're less intrusive than earplugs—you just slip them on when needed and then take them off, resting them on your forearm.

Oh, and I got the yellow pair much cheaper than the link suggested—about €18 at a discount supermarket. The black pair I actually found on the side of the road, though they usually go for around €36.

I hope this helps!