If a Healthy Person Wore Earplugs 24/7, Would They Get Tinnitus Because of Lack of Auditory Input?

[Mattv]

Assuming tinnitus (at least in many cases) is the brain trying to replace frequencies your ears can no longer send signals of to your brain - what if a healthy person without tinnitus wore earplugs constantly, would they also get tinnitus because their brain would no longer be receiving auditory input?

 

[Matchbox]

Depends for how long you would wear the earplugs.

I experienced severe conductive hearing loss a few times in my childhood as well as blew out my eardrum.

Shit sounds literally like someone turned the volume waaaay down on life, for at least a week or two at a time.

However. No tinnitus.

So my guess is no, but, if any tinnitus occurs, it is immediately recoverable within a day.

 

[Tweedleman]

Assuming tinnitus (at least in many cases) is the brain trying to replace frequencies your ears can no longer send signals of to your brain - what if a healthy person without tinnitus wore earplugs constantly, would they also get tinnitus because their brain would no longer be receiving auditory input?

I have often wondered this, too! Would be nice to get an answer.

 

[Óscar PP]

I doubt it. Even with earplugs on you still receive input from the sound coming out of your own body.

Maybe if you put someone in a soundproof room for a long period of time they would develop some sort of tinnitus, but it would be just temporary.

 

[kingsfan]

Didn't they already do this? Put people in a sound proof room and they actually heard ringing? Then were back to normal as soon as they left? Or is this a different phenomenon?

 

[Mattv]

I'm just a little bit skeptical about this explanation for tinnitus. I'm going to lock my teenager away in a sensory deprivation tank and see what happens...

 

[GBB]

Google exists.

Reversible Induction of Phantom Auditory Sensations through Simulated Unilateral Hearing Loss

 

[Óscar PP]

I'm going to lock my teenager away in a sensory deprivation tank and see what happens...

Make sure they have Prednisone at hand just in case.

 

[kingsfan]

Google exists.

Reversible Induction of Phantom Auditory Sensations through Simulated Unilateral Hearing Loss

I'm anti-google. I prefer to get all of my facts and information from Facebook posts.

 

[Juan]

"If a Healthy Person Wore Earplugs 24/7, Would They Get Tinnitus Because of Lack of Auditory Input?"

No, I don't think so.

 

[Mattv]

Google exists.

Reversible Induction of Phantom Auditory Sensations through Simulated Unilateral Hearing Loss

But then I wouldn't give others the joy of being condescending to me...

 

[GBB]

But then I wouldn't give others the joy of being condescending to me...

Sorry man, just nightmare levels of tinnitus today - didn't mean to come off like that (though I acknowledge that's exactly how I came off).

 

[kingsfan]

We're all friends here through a common interest, right? Though I wish we didn't have this certain thing in common, no offense.

 

[GBB]

We're all friends here through a common interest, right? Though I wish we didn't have this certain thing in common, no offense.

I would say inmates, but agree with the sentiment.

 

[Digital Doc]

Yes, I remember a study some years back that showed that healthy folks did get tinnitus that reversed when the earplugs were removed.