Trillions of cicadas are set to erupt across parts of the US this spring, bringing a deluge of high-pitched buzzing to the Midwest and the Southeast. One group of people that could be unexpectedly impacted by the so-called “cicadapocalypse” will be those with tinnitus, a condition that involves hearing an unwanted ringing, buzzing, or whooshing noise in the ear.
Scientists studying auditory perception have recently said 2024’s cicada invasion may potentially help some people with tinnitus. However, for others with the condition, the storm of buzzing insects might make their symptoms worse.
“In the 2004 and the 2021 cicada emergence in Maryland and the eastern U.S., there were several reports of individuals stating that their tinnitus was masked by the sounds of the cicadas,” Fatima Husain, a professor in the Department of Speech and Hearing Science at the University of Illinois, said in a statement.
“In masking, what happens is that the external sound (the cicadas) is loud enough and of sufficient breadth of frequencies that it reduces all or some part of your tinnitus, such that the tinnitus becomes soft or inaudible. This effect is temporary: once the external sounds go away, the masking itself ends. This is the same idea behind popular sound generators in hearing aids or smartphone apps,” Professor Husain explained.
However, she hastened to add: “The loud sounds of the cicadas may also exacerbate tinnitus. So you need to check how the sounds make you feel.”
The cicadas’ orchestra of sound is driven by the desire to attract mates. Male cicadas produce their distinctive buzzing noise using specialized structures on their thoraxes called tymbals with the aim of wooing females. Females also make sounds, but they use their wings to make a clicking sound.
En-masse, the insects can create a hell of a lot of noise, with nearby swarms reaching up to 90 to 110 decibels – that’s about the same as a loud motorbike or a bulldozer.
Cicadas spend most of their life underground, with groups known as broods only emerging once every 13 or 17 years. This year will be particularly dramatic as two broods of cicadas are about to synchronize their awakening for the first time in 221 years: Brood XIX, which has a 13-year life cycle, and Brood XIII, which has a 17-year life cycle.
The two broods are set to emerge across parts of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Maryland, Wisconsin, and Virginia. The awakening is expected to begin in many states in May, lasting through late June.
“If you need to be outside near where the cicadas are buzzing, and the sounds are really loud, you should consider wearing foam ear plugs or earphones of your choice. If you have hyperacusis or tinnitus, check to see if the sounds actually bother you,” said Husain
“Maybe you find the sounds to be not as bothersome as you imagined or in cases of tinnitus, there might even be masking effects. If however, you find them bothersome, please use hearing protection,” she added.
“The hotter the day, the louder the sounds will be, which is another reason to seek air-conditioned comfort. But rest assured, the sounds will subside in about six weeks.”
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