Sleeping with Earplugs and Background Noise

[linearb]

@linearb thank you. I don't know if you have any experience with ear plugs but do you think it's possible/likely that my increase in t was caused by myself pulling the ear plug out too quickly? Thanks again for your thoughts

I can't really speculate, since I'm not you and I'm also not a doctor. I'd sort of imagine that any suction sufficient to do serious, permanent damage, would have involved a pretty dramatic sensation and probably a bunch of serious pain -- but I'm speculating.

I have many times had the experience of yanking a plug out too fast -- especially after motorcycle rides, where the plugs are deeply inserted and then have swollen with sweat (sometimes I have pretty dramatic stabbing pain from plug discomfort by the time I get the helmet off, and I have to be very careful how I take the plug out or it hurts a lot). I do not believe that I've ever really injured myself in the process, but I'm not you and my ear canals aren't shaped exactly like yours.

Whatever the case is, I wouldn't spend much energy thinking about it because it actually doesn't matter. That is, it seems likely that even if you knew the exact cause of the increase, it wouldn't have any impact on how you should proceed: the basic dogma of avoiding loud noises, sleeping and eating well, and practicing stress management techniques to help your body heal as best as it can is likely to be the best course of action regardless of the chain of events that led you here.

 

[ryan1234]

@linearb thank you for the positivity. All I can do is relax, and hope that my t goes back to the way it had been previously where it was hardly noticeable in day to day life

 

[Michael Leigh]

@ryan1234 I agree with linarb sorry I'm unable to help.
Best of luck
Michael

 

[Roberth]

"Additionally, the EPA has published material indicating that they believe the safe upward limits for 8 and 24 hour exposures are 71.4db and 66.4db respectively (link to document)."

Thanks for that information. Now I should be able to turn up the volume to 60 db (without earplugs) without being worried for my hearing. I sleep with a ear plug only in my non-tinnitus ear nowadays.

 

[Roberth]

What I was wondering was actually if sleeping with earplugs can make tinnitus worse during the day, not if the tinnitus can be heard better so to speak while they are used. Can tinnitus be developed in a ear without hearing loss for an example from sleeping with earplugs? I don't know if I got an answer to that question.

...and now we are still talking about sleeping with earplugs but with white back ground noise so that the brain has no reason to feel deprived of sounds.

 

[Bill Bauer]

sleeping with earplugs can make tinnitus worse during the day

The only way this might happen is if inserting the earplugs somehow results in an ear infection. Otherwise, earplugs protect your ears, makinng T less likely...

 

[Roberth]

Thanks Bill Bauer. That's what I also consider most likely since the brain shouldn't be able to "figure out" if one is sleeping with or without earplugs as long as the decibel level that is reaching the eardrums is similar in strength and composition as well maybe...? But still very well below harmful levels (as it is in a rather silent bedroom).

I still don't feel pleased with info I have got so far in this thread. If anyone really know the answer in here, please tell me. For an example: I'd like to have my belief contradicted with facts, if any such facts exist. I'm I right or wrong that earplugs shouldn't be able to make tinnitus worse under those circumstances I have explained?

 

[Bill Bauer]

I slept with earplugs in both my healthy ear and my T ear on a number of occasions. It didn't seem to have a negative impact on my T.