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⏱️ Estimated reading time: 12 min
On this page: Overview
Key Takeaways
No. Tinnitus means hearing a sound that has no outside source, such as ringing or buzzing. Misophonia is a strong emotional reaction to particular real sounds, often ones other people make, like chewing or breathing.
Trigger sounds pull towards blocking everything out, but a near-silent ear can make existing ringing easier to notice. Earplugs for misophonia make most sense as a way to turn a room down for a chosen moment, not to switch it off.
No. Hearing protection limits further noise exposure, which protects against new noise-induced damage. It does nothing to tinnitus a person already has: it will not make the ringing quieter and it will not make it go away.
Our Life+ earplugs are passive and rated SNR 24, so a 60 dB conversation lands at roughly 36–40 dB. A voice stays audible because it is loud. The room is still there, just softer.
The NHS advises against wearing earplugs all the time with hyperacusis, and Tinnitus UK says ear protection should not be used for normal day-to-day activities. Add misophonia and the sensible pattern is the same: short, chosen moments, then out.
Yes. A 2022 study at a Royal Surrey NHS tinnitus and hyperacusis clinic found misophonia was reported more often as the impact of tinnitus and hyperacusis increased. A GP can refer to audiology to look at both together.
A fully sealed, very quiet ear can make existing ringing easier to notice, because nothing in the room competes with it. That is why we suggest a moderate SNR 24 earplug rather than a 33 dB one, worn for short moments.
For a chosen moment, such as a meal or a train journey, then take them out. The NHS advises against wearing earplugs all the time with hyperacusis. Stop if your ears hurt or itch.
A GP first, who can refer to NHS audiology or ENT. Tinnitus UK has information on tinnitus, and Oxford Health’s OHSPIC clinic assesses misophonia. See a GP urgently if ringing beats in time with your pulse.
Misophonia and tinnitus are two different things, yet they often turn up in the same person. That leaves people who live with both in an awkward position. Misophonia pulls towards shutting out the sound of someone chewing, while tinnitus is the ringing many people notice most once the room goes quiet.
It is a common worry, usually put something like “the silence makes the ringing louder”. There is something to it, and it changes how earplugs should be used. At Bollsen we make reusable hearing protection, German-tested and independently certified at 24 dB and trusted by 1,000,000+ people, and we would rather be plain about what an earplug can and cannot do.
Choosing a pair in the first place is covered in our guide to earplugs for misophonia, which sets out fit, attenuation and situational use for trigger sounds. The narrower question here is what changes when ringing is part of the picture as well.
What is the difference between misophonia and tinnitus?
Tinnitus is hearing noises that do not come from an outside source, such as ringing, buzzing or humming, while misophonia is an intense emotional reaction to particular real sounds in the room, often made by other people, such as chewing, sniffing or a pen clicking.
The NHS tinnitus page notes that tinnitus is usually not a sign of anything serious and may get better on its own. With misophonia, the sound itself is real and often quiet. What matters is which sound it is, not how loud.
| Misophonia | Tinnitus | |
|---|---|---|
| What is heard | Real trigger sounds, often made by other people (chewing, breathing, typing) | Ringing, buzzing, humming or whooshing with no outside source |
| Where the sound comes from | The room | The hearing system itself |
| What makes it more noticeable | A particular sound or person, whatever the volume | Quiet rooms, stress and loud background noise |
| What earplugs can do | Turn a room down for a chosen moment: quieter, not silent | Protect against further noise exposure only; nothing for existing tinnitus |
| Who to see in the UK | GP, who may refer to audiology or psychology | GP, who may refer to audiology or ENT; Tinnitus UK for information |
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Life+★ 4.7 · 3,700 reviewsLife+★ 4.7 · 3,700 reviewsMusic SoundPRO★ 4.8 · 514 reviewsWatersafe+★ 4.8 · 684 reviewsLife+★ 4.7 · 3,700 reviewsCan you have misophonia and tinnitus at the same time?
Yes. A study of 257 patients at the Royal Surrey NHS tinnitus and hyperacusis clinic found that misophonia was reported more often as the impact of tinnitus and hyperacusis on daily life increased, so the conditions regularly meet in the same audiology clinics.
That clinic study by Aazh and colleagues (Frontiers in Neuroscience, 2022) is one of the clearest pieces of evidence for the overlap. The NHS hyperacusis page lists misophonia as a type of hearing sensitivity and notes that hyperacusis can appear alongside tinnitus. Hyperacusis is a third, separate thing, and the way the three fit together is covered in misophonia vs hyperacusis vs noise sensitivity.
Misophonia on its own is far from rare. A nationally representative UK study found that 18.4% of adults met the threshold for misophonia with a significant burden (Vitoratou et al., PLOS ONE 2023). If ringing or a strong reaction to sounds is regular, getting worse or affecting sleep, concentration or mood, a GP is the right first stop.
Why can silence make ringing more noticeable?
Silence makes ringing more noticeable because there is nothing in the room to compete with tinnitus, so the brain gives it more attention, which is why the NHS suggests avoiding total silence and having soft background sound instead.
Tinnitus UK (formerly the British Tinnitus Association) goes a step further. Its guidance explains that less sound input can make the auditory system more sensitive over time. Shutting everything out is not neutral; the ear adjusts to it.
For people who live with tinnitus alone, our tinnitus pillar on earplugs for tinnitus sets out where hearing protection fits around loud events. The practical side, from fit to attenuation ratings, is in our guide to tinnitus ear plugs, which also covers protection at concerts and with power tools.
Do earplugs do anything for the tinnitus itself?
No. Earplugs do not cause or change tinnitus: hearing protection limits further noise exposure, which protects against new noise-induced damage at a gig or with a drill, but it does nothing to tinnitus someone already has.
So ringing will not get quieter because an earplug is in, and it will still be there when the earplug comes out. Tinnitus UK still recommends protection for genuinely noisy tasks, such as DIY with power tools. The aim there is to avoid adding to the problem, nothing more.
Some people also notice their own breathing, chewing or pulse more with earplugs in. That is the occlusion effect: a sealed canal lifts your own bone-conducted sounds by about 10–20 dB below 500 Hz. A correctly sized seal keeps it smaller, and Life+ with AI ear measurement picks the size from two ear photos.
One pattern is different, though. If ringing or whooshing beats in time with your pulse when your ears are open, the NHS advises seeing a GP urgently.
Why choose SNR 24 rather than the highest rating?
A moderate SNR 24 earplug turns a room down without sealing it into near-silence, and for someone who notices both trigger sounds and tinnitus that matters more than the highest number on the box, because foam earplugs at around 30–35 dB make the ear far quieter.
Our Life+, a passive SNR 24 dB reusable silicone earplug (£29.95) is rated H 24 / M 21 / L 19, and its attenuation rises with frequency. A 60 dB conversation lands at about 36–40 dB. Voices stay audible because they are loud, not because a filter passes them.
Life+ uses a patented conical two-lamella design in hypoallergenic silicone, sits flush in the ear and lasts up to 100 uses. Two packs cost £44.95, which clears the £35 threshold for free UK delivery. The wider question of how much attenuation is enough is covered in how many decibels earplugs for misophonia need.
Why does the take-them-out rule count twice?
The take-them-out rule counts twice because both the NHS and Tinnitus UK warn against everyday ear protection for sound sensitivity, and misophonia guidance favours short, chosen use, so a person with both has two separate reasons to keep earplug time brief.
The NHS hyperacusis guidance is direct: do not wear earplugs or muffs all the time, because this could make you more sensitive to noise. Tinnitus UK says ear protection should not be used for normal day-to-day activities. Short use may still make sense in a very noisy place.
In practice that means picking the moment, putting them in, and taking them out when it ends. A few examples:
- a family meal where one person’s chewing is the trigger
- a 45–90-minute focus block next to a noisy desk
- a crowded train journey
- an hour of DIY with a drill or sander
Our guide on when to wear earplugs and when to take them out walks through that routine in more detail. Stop if your ears hurt or itch. If you find yourself reaching for earplugs all day, that is worth raising with a GP.
Nights are a separate question, covered in earplugs and tinnitus at night and in misophonia and sleep, which looks at a partner’s breathing in the bedroom.
Who should you see in the UK if you notice both?
Start with a GP, who can refer to an NHS audiology tinnitus and hyperacusis service or to ENT, and in some areas to psychology, because one appointment can look at the ringing and the reaction to sounds together rather than separately.
For tinnitus, Tinnitus UK has information pages and a helpline. For misophonia, Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust runs OHSPIC, a specialist clinic that assesses misophonia with validated questionnaires. Routes differ by area, and the full picture is in where to find support for misophonia on the NHS.
What is the honest goal when both are in the picture?
Quieter, not silent. A moderate passive earplug can take the edge off a chewing sound at the table without leaving the ear in the near-silence where ringing gets more attention. It protects against further noise. It does not change tinnitus, and it is not meant to be worn all day.
Keep earplug time short and chosen, and let a GP know if either the ringing or the reaction to sounds is getting harder to live with. If you want to try Life+ for those moments, it comes with our 40-day money-back guarantee.
His connection to hearing protection stems from personal experience with sound sensitivity during live events and work in noisy environments, an issue that made him more aware of the long-term risks of unmanaged noise exposure. Today, as both a communicator and a user of BOLLSEN products, he is passionate about raising awareness around the importance of proactive hearing care.
At BOLLSEN, he develops data-driven marketing campaigns, writes SEO-focused articles, and manages communication channels that connect customers with practical knowledge about hearing protection. His work ensures that BOLLSEN’s message—prioritizing health, performance, and sustainability reaches a global audience in an engaging and trustworthy way.
Passionate about writing since childhood, Timotej combines creativity with a strong analytical approach, continuously testing new ideas in digital marketing, performance advertising, and social media. He believes in learning through innovation and collaboration, balancing leadership with openness to new perspectives.
Beyond his professional role, Timotej is committed to a healthy lifestyle and finds inspiration in fitness, sports, and quality time with friends. His personal passion for well-being aligns with BOLLSEN’s core values, making his work not only a career but also a cause he deeply believes in.