Can Some Tinnitus Sounds Be Blocked Out By Covering Your Ears?

[Jesse Pinkman]

Can some tinnitus sounds be blocked out by covering your ears? In other words, if you suspect that a sound youre hearing is a T sound and it disapears when you cover your ears, can you then rule out the posibility that it is a tinnitus sound?

 

[Lisa Robinson]

Yeah I've always wondered this. When I put my fingers in my ears I don't really hear the tinnitus but soon as they are out I hear it. I defiantly know its in my ears but then again maybe my head?

 

[mick1987]

The obvious answer would be yes, but I get a fluctuating humming noise at nightime that sounds like a lightsaber, I know for sure this in my T but when I block my ears it disappears! Maybe its because when I block my ears the humming noise is masked by the blood flow in the head idk?

My regular T is magnified greatly when I plug my ears, that's why I can't tolerate earplugs for extended periods without sufficient background noise.

 

[Dr. Nagler]

Can some tinnitus sounds be blocked out by covering your ears? In other words, if you suspect that a sound youre hearing is a T sound and it disapears when you cover your ears, can you then rule out the posibility that it is a tinnitus sound?

Tinnitus cannot be blocked by covering one's ears. In some cases, however, tinnitus can be altered or even temporarily ablated by putting pressure on the ears, around the ears, or within the ear canals.

Dr. Stephen Nagler

 

[Marcini]

If you cover your ears with your hands you're probably distracted by the noise of your hands. They're actually quite noisy. Not sure if it is the noise of blood but something forms a distraction. Plug with earplugs and you focus on the T which then appears to increase.

 

[valeri]

Even on my worst "drone" days I could never hear it when I block my ears with my fingers, it just mixes with the head noise you get anyway.
Two new noises, ringing and hiss I can clearly hear blocked or not!

 

[Marcini]

Agreed; it's the high frequency hiss that is impossible to hide from. The lower frequencies are comparatively easy to deal with or disguise.

 

[Karen]

I agree, Marcini. Mine is a high-level hissing sound, and it's impossible to totally cover up or disguise. I have high-range hearing loss in my tinnitus ear, too, which doesn't help!