Alice Hudson's article for Ehow.com discusses tinnitus, a condition wherein the sufferer hears a continuous ringing, buzzing, or humming sound. According to Hudson, this is mainly caused by activities with prolonged exposure to loud noise, including attending rock concerts, working in construction sites with running machinery, and raising the volume on MP3 players too high. Any of these can lead to cochlear damage, the root cause of tinnitus.
Cochlear damage is the most well-publicized and common cause of tinnitus. The cochlear is the main organ for hearing and is located in the inner ear. Prolonged exposure to loud noises can cause damage to the tiny "hair cells" or microscopic nerve endings of the cochlear that are responsible for picking up sound.
The function of the hair cells can be likened to an electrical wire. Each can only carry a certain amount of signal-turned sound to the brain for interpretation. If the load exceeds capacity, these cells will break apart. The only difference is that unlike real electrical wires, broken hair cells can no longer be restored, which means a person may suffer tinnitus for the rest of his life.
Ear plugs or ear muffs are important to those wishing to prevent the onset of noise related tinnitus. This especially applies to those whose workplaces are the sources of prolonged loud noises, such as machinery noise or loud music. All workplaces are obliged to follow Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations. Ear plugs or ear muffs guidelines should thus be set in place by employers and adhered to, if the future onset of tinnitus or hearing loss is to be prevented.
Many other vocations compel people to wear ear plugs. DJs in bars, for instance, should use customized DJ ear plugs to minimize their level of exposure to loud noise. On the other hand, if a person already suffers tinnitus, he can still wear ear plugs to prevent his condition from worsening.
Wearing good custom ear plugs is considered a vital part of protecting one's hearing, next to proper ear hygiene, regular check-ups with a specialist, and choosing the right ear plug to begin with. Fortunately, many companies like Ear Peace offer solid ear plugs dedicated to protecting your hearing.
(From: Ear Plugs & Tinnitus, Ehow.com)