Pre-Existing Hearing Loss/Tinnitus: Are the Ears More Delicate and Susceptible to Further Damage?

I have a 55 dB hearing loss notch at 4000 Hz and a tinnitus tone to match it. I've had it for years, and for the last couple of years, I have been mostly habituated. I recently fell out of habituation because I went to a couple of loud social events. Of course, I wore good-quality earplugs, but the spike has arrived nonetheless.

Normal people can listen at 80 dB for eigh hours before they physically damage their ears. I exposed my ears for a couple of hours around the 80-85 dB mark, but with earplugs rated at 15 dB, so there shouldn't be any actual new hearing loss damage, right? Which would mean the spike is all in my brain.

Could it be that our experiences are unique? Perhaps the 'forest' of our hair cells is different from that of healthy individuals. Our 'forest' may be filled with half-knocked-down trees, easily toppled by even the slightest disturbances. This could mean we're more susceptible to additional hearing loss/damage with much less exposure than a regular person.

I am curious if anyone out there who already has had some hearing loss, has any experiences where a moderately loud noise exposure that wouldn't hurt a normal person actually caused a measurable change in their hearing thresholds. Or if anyone knows if there are any studies on this anywhere.

I'm hopeful that if I can confirm I haven't physically damaged my ears, my brain will stop worrying, and the mental component will subside. Any insights or experiences would be greatly appreciated.

 

You have noise-induced tinnitus, @Rings-a-Bell, so there is no guarantee you or anyone else who has this condition will be safe when exposed to overly loud sounds for long periods of time. It doesn't matter if you wear the best hearing protection in the world. When external sound is loud enough, it will pass through the head and transfer to the inner ear by bone conduction. It can cause the tinnitus to spike, and it might reduce within a short period of time, or it could increase the tinnitus for a longer period, which could ultimately increase it to a new permanent level.

I believe a person with noise-induced tinnitus who stays at a venue for 2 hours and the sound levels are 80-85 dB is putting themselves at risk of making their tinnitus worse, even when wearing earplugs.

When a person develops noise-induced tinnitus, with or without hyperacusis, they need to be careful of being exposed to overly loud sounds, even after they have habituated. The auditory system is more sensitive than before. One can still lead an active life, in most cases doing what they want to do. However, there are some precautions they need to take. I advise you never to listen to audio through any type of headphones, even at low volume, and be careful of attending venues where loud music is played. Never put trust in earplugs, no matter how good they are.

I don't think you have physically damaged your ears. I believe your tinnitus has spiked because of being exposed to overly loud sounds. Hopefully, in time, things will settle down. Please click on the links below and read my threads: Can I Habituate to Variable Tinnitus? I Have Noise-Induced Tinnitus, What Should I Do?

All the best,
Michael

Can I Habituate to Variable Tinnitus? | Tinnitus Talk Support Forum
I Have Noise-Induced Tinnitus — What Should I Do? | Tinnitus Talk Support Forum