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Thomas, Today for the first time I decided to use earplugs before I vacuumed my carpet. The kind of plugs that squeeze like a sponge and fit in your ears. Well, while I was sweeping I could hear my T getting louder. I was done in about 15 minutes and when I took them out my T was louder than when I would sweep without them. People say use plugs to help our ears but in my case it reversed. Can you explain why and what I should do to protect my ears and hearing?
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Jodi,
That appears to be indeed rather unusual. Are you sure you did not do anything else apart from the vacuuming that could have driven up your tinnitus?
But as I said already, you should do what you feel is best for you.
Ear plugs are really only a must if one has very high volumes. It is said that a volume level above 85dB can be dangerous for your hearing (see this link).
The noise level of vacuum cleaners can vary quite wildly from model to model (from about 50 dB to 90 dB), but even the loudest ones should not be a risk for your hearing over a few minutes. But they can of course affect the tinnitus.
Thomas
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Thomas, I just went to the ENT clinic in Pittsburgh (very well noted for their doctors). This was my second visit since April. I explained to the Dr. that I was experiencing pain, clogged ears and an increase in my T when exposed to louder environments. He questioned the environments that I was in and I told him that when I attended my kids ballgames that the screams and cheers caused my T to increase. Also when I tried to ride a motorcycle with my husband it also went up (I had a full face helmet on). I also explained that when I tried to use earplugs that it caused my T to increase. So I needed to know how to protect my ears. He said that these environments are normal and that if they wouldn't effect a normal hearing person then it should not effect my hearing. He said that by wearing earplugs I would be containing the T in my head and that my brain only hears the T and not the environment around me. If this is the case then should I ever wear earplugs and if I do what does it mean when my T increases. I have always read that we should protect our ears but this DR. says only if the environment is louder than usual. He does not consider ballgames too loud in order to use plugs. What are your thoughts on this?
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Jodi,
In that case I would consider your reaction as quite 'normal'. Many people have their tinnitus aggravated to some degree in the situations you describe, especially in the early stages of their condition (the first few months or so). This may be either because indeed the noise stimulates the tinnitus, or it is just a psychological effect because you are anxious that the noise will be bad for you and this upsets your nervous system. In either case, I would personally recommend to use ear-plugs here, if only to make you feel less anxious (anxiety can be really bad for your tinnitus).
Obviously, as your doctor said, ear-plugs will seemingly make your tinnitus become even more apparent (simply because the real noises are reduced) but a) you are not permanently wearing them, and b) this could even improve habituation of your ear noises and they may settle down then more easily. At least that was the impression that I had in my own case, so I have usually used ear-plugs whenever I either knew that something would stimulate my tinnitus or I just feared it. As time goes by and the tinnitus becomes less irritable, one can then progressively relax these measures again.
Thomas
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