Earplugs are small but essential hearing protection tools. They work by absorbing some of the force of loud sounds, reducing their impact on your hearing system. Because they’re helpful in quieting external noises, some people wonder if they can also help with tinnitus.
While tinnitus is an internal sound, and earplugs can’t stop your brain from generating it, the hearing protection they offer can help ward off tinnitus progression.
How Tinnitus Arises
Hearing loss and tinnitus often co-occur, with approximately 90% of tinnitus cases associated with underlying hearing loss. While the specific causes of tinnitus are often hard to pin down, many researchers believe the issue lies in the lack of external sound you receive with hearing loss.
Normally, when you hear a noise like someone dinging their bike bell during a ride along Horseshoe Trail, the external sound waves go through your ear to your brain. Tinnitus works almost in reverse. When you have hearing loss, your brain isn’t getting those same sound signals, so it fills the gap by generating its own.
While the sound feels like it’s coming from your ears, your brain is the one ringing the bell. The greater your degree of hearing loss, the worse your tinnitus symptoms may be.
How Earplugs Help
Loud noise exposure is one of the most common causes of permanent hearing loss, but it’s also one of the most preventable. Earplugs can safeguard against worsening hearing loss by halting noise-related hearing damage in its tracks.
Anytime you work with heavy machinery, go out to a busy club, attend a concert or do anything else that exposes your ears to sounds over 85 decibels, put your earplugs in. You can measure the volume of your environment using a decibel meter app on your phone.
Managing Tinnitus
If you’re already living with tinnitus, we can help. Our specialists will conduct a hearing test and walk you through a few different symptom management options, including but not limited to sound masking, cognitive behavioral therapy, tinnitus retraining therapy and relaxation techniques.
Call us at Heard It Through The Grapevine Audiology, PC today to schedule your appointment.