Tinnitus Much Louder with Earplugs — Is That Normal?

My tinnitus is a high-frequency hissing in the left ear (like old television), - and can be influenced by movement of muscles or pressure to the head. It gets very loud, when putting ear plugs (foam) in, and becomes "normal" again putting them out., maybe a little bit masked by the normal noise of the surrounding.

Is that a normal tinnitus?

 

It is normal to be able to hear T better when you have earplugs in, and the background noise doesn't mask T as well.

 

Same thing happens to me. I can't stand wearing them for very long. It is because you block outside sounds and can only hear the internal tinnitus noise.

 

Totally normal

 

Yes it is. Earplugs make my tinnitus scream. Interestingly, earmuffs that block out about the same amount of noise don't seem to make my tinnitus as bad as earplugs do.

 

Muffs work better than plugs for me, plugs seem to spike my T. But if I plug/muff my ears completely, my tinnitus goes higher ten fold. That's usually do to hearing loss.

 

Yes. Totally normal. Many people hear something when they plug their ears completely too.

 

How to use noiser or masker if tinnitus gets very loud with plugs in the ear?

 

@Tinniger

If you put in ear plugs, of course your tinnitus is going to seem louder, your blocking out a lot of the background sounds that naturally mask your tinnitus. But it's not going to do any damage to your hearing. It will go back down when you take out the plugs. Not worth worrying about.


Take care

Louie
Quietatnight