Ear Protection

I have had tinnitus for over 20 years. It started as a high-pitched ringing that was only audible at night when my world was very quiet. I also would experience it after a long car ride, or during times of high stress. That's when I had my first audiology test, but the results at that time showed no real hearing issues. 

I started to notice that, after listening to content through headphones, the tinnitus would grow worse and stay at that level permanently. This led me to eventually discontinue the use of headphones altogether. Today I find my ears to be very sensitive to some sounds (the clink of a glass can set off a loud ringing sound in my ears) and other broad-frequency sounds (like the neighbor's gas-powered lawn mower) aren't tolerable. I understand that some tinnitus sufferers also have hyperacusis (sensitivity to sounds) - the two conditions seem related in my case.

During the 2020 Covid pandemic I noticed a worsening of my tinnitus, and an increased sensitivity to noise such as riding in a car at highway speeds. A one half-hour car ride could cause a significant tinnitus spike. Eventually I began using foam earplugs like these 32 db NNR plugs when riding in a car. One day I measured the sound levels inside a passenger cabin with an uncalibrated app on my phone and found the level ranged from 70-85 db (85 db noise exposure can result in hearing loss after 8 hours exposure). No wonder I used to get tinnitus when riding for long periods in a car!

This situation created a lot of anxiety because it seemed like it would limit my ability to travel as long as I had the tinnitus condition. More than once I experienced a spike in my perceived tinnitus loudness immediately following car travel with my ears unprotected. 

However, using earplugs when traveling in a car was a two-edged sword... while it would reduce the road noise inside the car, it also made my tinnitus sound louder (anyone who has tinnitus and has worn ear protection will understand this phenomenon).

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