Please Help, Does Anyone Know If Singing with Earplugs Can Make Your Tinnitus Worse?

[Mr-T]

I have been a musician playing in bands for around 20 years. Though nowadays I have given up the band work and earn a living as a workshop leader.

I developed tinnitus at the start of February 2016 after a few loud workshops with no ear protection. I visited an ENT and he said that I'm fine to carry on with work as long I protect my ears.

I've had some ACS Pro 17's & Pro 26's made up for workshop use.

Here's the question though that I can't seem to find any answers to. When I'm singing with the ear plugs in, my own voice sounds very loud in my head and seems to create a buzzing in my ears.

I may be imagining it, but the tinnitus seems louder after I have done a singing workshop with ear plugs in. Maybe it's the extra worry, as I'm worrying that I am damaging them further, or could be the added raised tension after a day's work?

Has anyone else experienced this? Also my tinnitus generally seems louder in the afternoon and evening.

I am learning to live with tinnitus but I'm just afraid that the singing with ear plugs in is causing further damage! Would appreciate any knowledge that you all might have.

 

[Aussie Lea]

I may be imagining it

I think it's this Mr-T.

 

[billie48]

I can only say the Melody Gardot, a jazz singer seems to be doing ok singing with ear plugs and with severe T & H. But personal experience may differ. Here is her story:

http://jazztimes.com/articles/24598-melody-gardot-s-melodic-therapy

"A slender blonde with dark, arching eyebrows and a cool, Peggy Lee manner, Gardot must wear dark glasses to compensate for hyper-photosensitivity, earplugs for severe Hyperacusis/Tinnitus"

 

[Mr-T]

Thanks for your replies both

I'll have a read of the article in a moment it sounds very interesting. Part of my concern came because I was reading about bone conductive hearing damage.

Apparently you can only protect your hearing up to around 35 to 40db (hence why they don't make ear plugs with much more than 35 DB protection). If you are exposed at say a concert or football game (measured at around 60 to 120 db) then the rest of the sound reaches your ears via your body, known as bone conductive). . My concern was this - wearing ear plugs fills the ear canal so that there is no cavity for the sound of your own voice to escape, which is why you get the booming effect in your head. I just wondered if this could damage your hearing? I presume that the booming sound of your voice is also bone conductive and can possibly cause damage or worsen tinnitus?

Or maybe I'm reading into it all too much

 

[Telis]

Wearing ear plugs can create something called the occlusion effect. The sound of your voice can normally escape the ear canal but gets trapped and bounces back off of the ear plug and back into the ear. I have really bad H, I have a hard time even speaking with plugs in, I find it very loud.

 

[Robert44]

I sing with the plugs in but I find that I have to sing softly because as you said it makes the plugs buzz. I don't think it's a good idea to sing or speak to loudly with the plugs in.

 

[Mr-T]

Telis I also have H, which like you said is maybe why I find it so loud when singing. I totally understand the oclussion effect, but hadn't thought about that having an affect with ear plugs in, thanks for that.

Robert I totally agree, I find that if I really belt it out then it's unbearably loud. That was my conclusion also, just to have the mic a little louder and sing softer.

I was quite disappointed with ACS when I went to visit them that they had no real advice in this. They make professional ear protection - described as 'for vocalists', yet when I asked them these same questions all they casually replied was 'yeah should be ok'.

I expected a little more professional advice than that. Plus no one seems to have done any research on this subject.

 

[Telis]

I'm sure you know this already but if you can get a deep fitting ear plug the occlusion effect will be reduced. Also, I believe that some of the ear plug manufactures are using ports to combat this issue, maybe you could check that out.

 

[bill 112]

I always found wearing earplugs a hard thing to do,if I was in a not so noisy environment like let's say a family get together where there would be a lot of people talking and laughing it didn't really bother my H,I'd have a headache after maybe but that was it.But if I wore earplugs at such a gathering I couldn't hear what people were saying and the sound of my own voice going through my head was worse than the voices of the people around me.It was the same in everyday life like going shopping or going about town,the sounds of cars and the busy town were annoying but if I wore earplugs the sound of my own voice was more overpowering than the noise around me.Maybe look into a set of musicians earplugs?I think they might be more suited to what you need.

 

[Mr-T]

I do have musicians plugs. The ACS pro 17 (15db) and pro 26 (25db). They are custom moulded to fit my ear canal.

The oclussion is reduced but still very loud, and they do go quite deep into the canal, round the first corner, and end just before the second, if that makes sense?

Im just home from a day of workshops, I think I'm slowly figuring it out. Maybe just a matter of acclimatising myself to it. I'll figure it out somehow. Thanks again for your replies

 

[wewejajawuwu]

In order to minimize the occlusion effect, custom earplugs should extend past the second bend in the ear canal. This reduces the vibration of the bony part of the ear canal, which is the cause of occlusion. See here for a better and more detailed explanation: http://hearinghealthmatters.org/hearthemusic/2012/deep-earmold-impressions/

I have emailed ACS Custom about this and they confirmed it for me. Also, see the third paragraph beneath "How do I find an audiologist?" here: http://acscustom.com/us/index.php/faq

It is important to explain this to the audiologist when getting the moulds done, as many of them are not aware of this and instead think that earplugs should be fit like hearing aids. I'm going to get another pair fitted, as I only learned this information after I had my first pair fitted incorrectly!

 

[bill 112]

I have bought sooooooo many ear plugs at this stage,even had my aunty who works for the health and safety authority here who runs safe pass courses on hearing protection etc to show me how to fit them properly to minimise the occlusion effect(which surprisingly she was aware of)
Nothing ever truly worked for me,although I bought a pair of hunter earplugs recently which seem to be working i.e my voice doesn't deafen me when I shout or talk.

 

[Mr-T]

In order to minimize the occlusion effect, custom earplugs should extend past the second bend in the ear canal. This reduces the vibration of the bony part of the ear canal, which is the cause of occlusion. See here for a better and more detailed explanation: http://hearinghealthmatters.org/hearthemusic/2012/deep-earmold-impressions/

I have emailed ACS Custom about this and they confirmed it for me. Also, see the third paragraph beneath "How do I find an audiologist?" here: http://acscustom.com/us/index.php/faq

It is important to explain this to the audiologist when getting the moulds done, as many of them are not aware of this and instead think that earplugs should be fit like hearing aids. I'm going to get another pair fitted, as I only learned this information after I had my first pair fitted incorrectly!

Just read the article, thanks for posting that - very interesting.

I'm based in the UK and went to ACS's main office in Oxford to have my moulds done. They used the 3d scanning device to take moulds.

Looking at my plugs, I presume that they just reach the 2nd corner but don't go around it. I'm quite disappointed with ACS as I didn't receive any kind of specialist advice when buying them, I even explained exactly what I needed them for. I'm going to get on the phone to them today.

Here's a picture of my plugs, do they go around the second corner ?

 

[I who love music]

I have been a musician playing in bands for around 20 years. Though nowadays I have given up the band work and earn a living as a workshop leader.

I developed tinnitus at the start of February 2016 after a few loud workshops with no ear protection. I visited an ENT and he said that I'm fine to carry on with work as long I protect my ears.

I've had some ACS Pro 17's & Pro 26's made up for workshop use.

Here's the question though that I can't seem to find any answers to. When I'm singing with the ear plugs in, my own voice sounds very loud in my head and seems to create a buzzing in my ears.

I may be imagining it, but the tinnitus seems louder after I have done a singing workshop with ear plugs in. Maybe it's the extra worry, as I'm worrying that I am damaging them further, or could be the added raised tension after a day's work?

Has anyone else experienced this? Also my tinnitus generally seems louder in the afternoon and evening.

I am learning to live with tinnitus but I'm just afraid that the singing with ear plugs in is causing further damage! Would appreciate any knowledge that you all might have.

Singing bothers me for sure, as well as playing a harmonica. My own snoring too.

 

[rpf]

Just read the article, thanks for posting that - very interesting.

I'm based in the UK and went to ACS's main office in Oxford to have my moulds done. They used the 3d scanning device to take moulds.

Looking at my plugs, I presume that they just reach the 2nd corner but don't go around it. I'm quite disappointed with ACS as I didn't receive any kind of specialist advice when buying them, I even explained exactly what I needed them for. I'm going to get on the phone to them today.

Here's a picture of my plugs, do they go around the second corner ?

Dear Mr T, I know this is an old thread but if you are still there... did you come to any conclusion on this question? I ask because I'm having similar problems and can't see any easy solution here. I play the trombone in a big band, getting ringing ears after rehearsals / gigs but after trying earplugs for 2 months I feel the problem is getting WORSE not better, with tinnitus now really noticeable compared to a few months ago. I'm starting to suspect that the booming from occlusion effect is actually doing more damage than the noise from the rest of the band. I've tried both in-ear and ear-muffs. Got some ACS PRO 17s on order just to see, but I'm guessing if I get problems with ear-muffs then they're unlikely to be much better.

I'm even considering giving up, which would be a massive shame but I value my ears above the band... Did you find a solution to your problem in the end?

Thanks for any advice

 

[BrianC]

rpf, it's important to take time off to let it settle. Then come back slowly after feeling confident about ear plugs

 

[Bill Bauer]

after trying earplugs for 2 months I feel the problem is getting WORSE not better

Read about the occlusion effect - the sound is bouncing off of the tip of the earplug and back into the ear.

You might consider quitting the band.

 

[HeavyMantra]

Pretty sure I got tinnitus from singing with in ear headphones.

 

[HeavyMantra]

By the way, if anyone has any ideas about how to protect the ears a little bit when singing without using earplugs or having occlusion problems, I would love to hear them. Sometimes I need to sing very loud

 

[JohnAdams]

I have been a musician playing in bands for around 20 years. Though nowadays I have given up the band work and earn a living as a workshop leader.

I developed tinnitus at the start of February 2016 after a few loud workshops with no ear protection. I visited an ENT and he said that I'm fine to carry on with work as long I protect my ears.

I've had some ACS Pro 17's & Pro 26's made up for workshop use.

Here's the question though that I can't seem to find any answers to. When I'm singing with the ear plugs in, my own voice sounds very loud in my head and seems to create a buzzing in my ears.

I may be imagining it, but the tinnitus seems louder after I have done a singing workshop with ear plugs in. Maybe it's the extra worry, as I'm worrying that I am damaging them further, or could be the added raised tension after a day's work?

Has anyone else experienced this? Also my tinnitus generally seems louder in the afternoon and evening.

I am learning to live with tinnitus but I'm just afraid that the singing with ear plugs in is causing further damage! Would appreciate any knowledge that you all might have.

I too have noticed spikes after singing.

 

[HanaK]

I too have noticed spikes after singing.

Same here. Just recently I sang and talked to myself in the shower. Now I have a new whooshing tone, a spike, and reduced hearing. It wasn't even that long of a shower. Not doing that again lol.

 

[GregCA]

By the way, if anyone has any ideas about how to protect the ears a little bit when singing without using earplugs or having occlusion problems, I would love to hear them. Sometimes I need to sing very loud

Ear muffs or headphones (larger volume on the outside of the ear canal vs IEMs).

Still, there is a natural bone conduction that will happen given the place where your vocal cords vibrate, and that's not something you can dampen on its way to your cochlea.