6 Months In and New Spike After Headphone Use

Hi everyone!

I’ve had tinnitus since summer 2017 due to being exposed to loud music. What started as a ringing in my right ear slowly made its way across to my left. Most recently it became a low hiss which I barely noticed and it strangely became comforting... weird I know!

I recently used headphones on a very low level and this has completely sent my tinnitus into overdrive. Intense in both ears, one is ringing very loudly and the other is a constant low pitch. I have to say I’m finding it hard to adapt, this is about 2 weeks in.

The anxiety of this change is ineviatable and I’m trying not to attach negativity to this as I really believe our brains are the most powerful tool in our reaction to tinnitus.

Here to see if anyone has experienced anything similar or has any advice. Only constructive comments please x

 

I advise you to never use headphones again even at low volume. I tell people that have noise induced tinnitus, that to use headphones even at low volume there is a risk that they tinnitus will become worse. This is not always the case but the risk is there. This does not necessarily apply to people whose tinnitus wasn't caused by loud noise exposure, they can often use headphones without any adverse effects but I still advise caution.

Please click on the links below and read my posts.

Hopefully your tinnitus will calm down.
All the best
Michael


https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/new-to-tinnitus-what-to-do.12558/

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/tinnitus-a-personal-view.18668/

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/hyperacusis-as-i-see-it.19174/

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/is-positivity-important.23150/

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/tinnitus-and-the-negative-mindset.23705/

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/acquiring-a-positive-mindset.23969/

 

Thanks Michael. I’m really hoping it will do. I’d read in other forums that use of headphones was ok but I guess this changes from person to person. I have so many friends in the music industry who have tinnitus and still produce music/attend events. I think I’ve been super unlucky here!

Certainly won’t be using headphones again which does make me a little sad!

 

Many people say that a person with "noise induced" tinnitus can use headphones without any problems as long as the volume is kept low. The amount of posts that I've read in forums and spoken to people on the telephone regretting using them, leaves me in no doubt that people with "noise induced" tinnitus are taking a risk using headphones. The thing is; if the tinnitus becomes worse due to headphone use. All the people that were saying it was okay, they are not able to help you when your tinnitus is loud and intrusive. You and you alone are the one in the suffering.

Michael

 

I am an Audiophile and have been since the age of 16, many moons ago. I used to listen to my music through High-End headphones which eventually gave me tinnitus, due to listening at too high a volume that I didn't realize was causing harm. I haven't used headphones in 22 years. I enjoy my music just as before but listen to it through speakers and don't miss headphones in the slightest. They are dangerous devices for people to use that have noise induced tinnitus, as far as I'm concerned.

Michael

 

I’m sorry to hear that headphones gave you tinnitus. May I ask if you still have tinnitus or has it subsided over time? It really shocks me how little is known about tinnitus outside of the community who have to deal with it. Really feel that the risks of noise exposure should be talked about more before it’s too late!

 

My tinnitus reduced to a very low level in 1998 after 2 years of TRT. In 2008 it increased to very severe levels due to 2nd noise exposure. I had TRT again. It helped but not like the first time. My tinnitus had returned with a vengeance. It took 4 years to habituate. My tinnitus now ranges from: Complete silence, mild, moderate and severe. Please click on the link below to read my post: My experience with tinnitus from: 2008 onwards.

All the best
Michael

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/my-experience-with-tinnitus.12076/

 

Thanks very much, I’ll give that a read now! Thank you for your help and advice

 

Hi Hannah,
My Tinnitus is either due to bruxism (grinding of teeth) or listening to headphones too loud. Either way my ears do not like loud noises. Loud noises always cause a spike. What I have noticed is that headphone use, even at the lowest setting, makes it worse. I don’t know how because it’s barely audible but it really has a noticeable effect. It takes a few weeks for that spike to return to normal.

You will get used to the ringing but the first few weeks of having it are scary and panic inducing. Just know that you’ll get used to it and your outlook will improve with time. It may not go away but you don’t need it to. Getting used to it is the whole battle.

Good luck

Damian

 

Ugh, and I just bought a new pair of headphones for work purposes to replace my old broken pair. I do a lot of transcribing in my job, and I also need them for my radio-related work. And not to mention just chilling out with ASMR videos on YouTube.

So no headphones ever again? A lifetime is a long time, you know?

 

As I have said in my post above. If a person's tinnitus was originally caused by "exposure to loud noise" they are taking a risk using any type of headphone even at low volume. The choice is yours. People will tell you there is no harm providing the volume is kept low. Should your tinnitus get worse it is unlikely to return to its previous baseline level. You alone with be suffering and the people that told you headphones cause no harm will not be able to help you.

My advice is to never use headphones again if your tinnitus was caused by loud noise.
Michael

 

Look into bone conduction headphones like AfterShokz

 

Bone conduction headphones can also make tinnitus worse as the sound is directly transferred to the inner ear. Not a good idea for people with Noise induced tinnitus.

 

Is there anecdotal evidence or articles stating so? I hope not...

 

Use these headphones and when your tinnitus becomes worse then you'll have all the evidence you need. With respect, do not rely on the advice from Health professionals that have never experienced tinnitus is their life, or from people whose tinnitus wasn't caused by "exposure to loud noise" These people haven't a clue about noise induced tinnitus. Peruse some of the posts in this forum from people that have used headphones including noise reducing headphones, and you will see the distress they are in. Listen to the advice from people who's tinnitus was caused from " loud noise" as these are the people that know the dangers of headphone use. Please click the link below to read about sound being transferred to the inner ear by bone conduction.

Michael

https://www.britannica.com/science/ear/Transmission-of-sound-by-bone-conduction

 

If you listen to the dogma around headphones on this forum you may be end up scared about just looking at them. Not only are those views extreme, they also have no scientific foundation.

Common sense dictates that you should always be careful around sound/noise but even more so when your hearing apparatus is damaged, whether the sound is being generated by headphones, tower speakers 50 feet away, bone conduction devices, a stage with musicians, or a car driving by. Be careful about exposing yourself to loud noises, and get advice from professionals (even though they are often badmouthed in here for their inability to provide a magic pill, and/or for lacking empathy towards sufferers - both of which aren't completely unfounded). I did consult a few and there was a consensus. I still use headphones regularly and - I think - responsibly.

Because each case is different, I suggest you get advice from a few professionals and decide based on that. What is ok for some may not be ok for others, and at the end of the day, you have to decide on the risk/reward proposition. Perhaps you'll be surprised to learn that some in here will disable their airbags for fear that their deployment could worsen their T: that's where they sit on the risk/reward shades of gray.

Good luck.

 

There are a lot of variables I think could be factors in the endless debate of whether or not headphones are safe to use with noise induced T.

What kind of headphones did you use (open, closed, in ear, around ear)? What was the duration of the headphone session that caused the spike? How much do you listen per day/week? What were you listening to (music, talk)? How loud was it?

My T was caused by uninterrupted, 5 hour long, kinda loud music on closed back headphones so I'm avoiding all of that. I am 2 months in and I avoided headphones all together for the first month and a half (mostly because of hyperacusis that has since mostly faded away).

I have been using open earbuds for 2 weeks without issue. I listen less than an hour at a time, no more than 3 hours a day. I listen to podcasts (mostly just human voices). I listen as quietly as possible while still understanding the words.

Using headphones this way seems to be safe for me. I honestly think I'm being more careful than I need to, but I have a zero risk policy when it comes to hearing safety. I believe a blanket no headphones policy is overkill for the majority of us. My T changes from day to day, hour to hour. But I've seen no correlation between my "safe" headphone use and my T levels.

I believe headphone use does cause a perceived spike in T. Putting them on reduces background noise causing T to become apparent, just like walking into a quiet room. Taking them off is basically the same, reducing overall volume from what was being played to the (probably quieter) room.

There is also confirmation bias, and the bias of humans to come up with answers to things we don't understand. There is also the logical fallacy "Post hoc, ergo propter hoc" where we might attribute a random fluctuation in T to headphone use or some food recently eaten. And the tendency for T to get worse if you believe it is getting worse. All these things all lead to an irrational fear of headphones.

Just be careful

 

So no links on the headphones specifically. Thanks.

 

No links. If you decide to use headphones of any type including bone I advise you to be very careful, especially if your tinnitus was caused by "exposure to loud noise".

 

I don't know what caused my tinnitus

 

The most common cause of tinnitus is exposure to loud noise. If you were a frequent user of headphones or went to places where loud music is played on a regular basis, then loud noise is probably the cause of your tinnitus. Many other things can cause this condition too.

Michael

 

I got tinnitus in May. Headphones and music. About twelve hours of moderate to probably too loud music and gaming. Managed to avoid all other injuries for the most part up until 40 years old so it's frustrating to make such a colossal mistake at this stage of life. I'm just hoping it fixes itself over time. I'll not use headphones again.