Can ear plugs cause tinnitus?
This one is an easy simple answer - no, no and thrice no. Ear plugs do not cause tinnitus or make tinnitus worse.
There are a few reasons which play a part in the perception of ear plugs causing tinnitus:
Someone starts wearing ear plugs and then notices tinnitus in their ears, but this is more often than not because they are now blocking out a lot of the external noise which they would otherwise be hearing, even at night, meaning what they are left with is the noise inside their ears. This can mean the first time people notice tinnitus is when they wear ear plugs as up to then it was always being drowned out. The tinnitus is then linked with the ear plugs.
Often, when people start wearing ear plugs it can be the first time they really think about their hearing, and when people do that, quite often they realise there there is actually a gentle hiss there all the time which they hadn’t noticed before. Again, as this has been noticed at the same time the ear plugs started being worn, the tinnitus can then be linked to the plug.
Temporary tinnitus can come and go a lot. If someone has had ear plugs forced on them at work then they may be a little resentful of it, and then when a bout of tinnitus naturally occurs, they link it to the ear plugs.
Tinnitus has many many causes. Lack of sleep, anxiety, depression, stress, caffeine, infections, a cold, a side-effect of a lot of medication, and on and on. One of the very common causes of tinnitus is simply getting older. Generally people look for a specific cause for something and look for an action or product which can be pointed at to say ‘that caused it’. As ear plugs are almost never the most welcome of devices, the finger naturally gets pointed at them, when in reality the fact ear plugs are used is nothing more than coincidence.
Ear plugs go in maybe half way down the ear canal, and are a long way from any of the more sensitive areas of the ear where damage can potentially cause tinnitus.
Conversely ear plugs may prevent some kinds of tinnitus.
Ear plugs can help stop tinnitus getting any worse if it is being caused by repeated exposures to high noise levels, by which I mean noises over 85dB(A), the kind of noise levels where you start to have to raise your voice or shout gently to have a conversation with someone.
If you don't have that kind of regular exposure though then ear plugs will be of no help at all in stopping you getting tinnitus, but won’t cause it either.
