How Manufacturing Workers Can Lower Their Risk of Tinnitus

Posted on by Benke Ear Nose & Throat Clinic

The CDC estimates that 11% of manufacturing workers have tinnitus.[1] The symptom manifests as a ringing, buzzing, humming, pulsing or clicking noise in the ear that the patient can’t attribute to an external source.

Tinnitus often stems from hearing damage. Your brain is used to hearing a certain amount of noise, which hearing loss can soften or take away. In response to the lack of noise, the brain’s hearing center can change, firing neurons independently and generating its own noise in the form of tinnitus.[2]

If you work in a noisy manufacturing job, you need to take steps to protect against hearing loss and reduce your risk of the associated tinnitus.

Protecting Against Hearing Loss and Tinnitus at Work

Woman checking the calibration of her machine.

If you work at a manufacturing job in Cleburne, the best way to protect your hearing is to wear ear protection any time you’re exposed to sound over 85 decibels (dB). You can check the sound in your environment using a decibel-measuring app. The NIOSH Sound Level Meter App is a good option for iOS devices. The NIOSH app isn’t available for Android users, but there are plenty of other options on the app store; look for one with good reviews and no monthly fees.

All workplaces are required by OSHA to provide ear protection. If your workplace doesn’t provide ear protection, use a decibel meter app to measure the noise on the floor. Show the measurement to your supervisor or HR representative and request ear protection.

Schedule a Tinnitus Evaluation

Manufacturing employees should have regular hearing and tinnitus evaluations. Regular testing allows us to catch and address small issues before they become big problems.  If you notice a ringing or buzzing in the ears, contact our specialists at Benke Ear Nose & Throat Clinic for a tinnitus evaluation and hearing test.

[1] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2026). Manufacturing. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/noise/surveillance/manufacturing.html

[2] Wang, T. C., Chang, T. Y., Tyler, R., Lin, Y. J., Liang, W. M., Shau, Y. W., Lin, W. Y., Chen, Y. W., Lin, C. D., & Tsai, M. H. (2020). Noise Induced Hearing Loss and Tinnitus-New Research Developments and Remaining Gaps in Disease Assessment, Treatment, and Prevention. Brain sciences, 10(10), 732. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci10100732