Can In-Ear Headphones Cause Tinnitus from the Air Pressure?

I began hearing a high ringing in my left ear one night while using a new pair of bluetooth earphones, jabra 65t. They are in-ear headphones with passive noise canceling.

I do not listen to music especially loud, and was very scared to find that this ringing did not go away after a minute. I became even more scared after reading information online. This mild ringing went on for about a week until I decided to see an ear doctor. I could only hear the ringing when I focused on it but it still bothered me, and scared me enough to not use earphones and avoid loud noises during that time.

The doctor saw nothing and said my hearing was "better than perfect", and couldn't find a reason for the ringing since my hearing was fine. He didn't seem worried about the earphones. He simply said it might go away over time. So I went back to wearing the earphones assuming they weren't the cause.

I wore them for an extended amount yesterday, and last night experienced the ringing build up in both my ears suddenly, and then stop in my left and continue in my right. The high pitched noise has now been in my right ear since, and it was then that I accepted it must be the earphones causing these odd changes.

My Question is this: Could a tightness in the ears, or some odd pressure from the earphones be causing my tinnitus if it is not some acoustic trauma? Should I return the earphones if so, or make any other changes?

 

There are those who suggest not using earphones or headphones. I'm in agreement because I believe earphones caused my tinnitus. Unlike headphones, earphones have a very limited dynamic range (if you try listening to earphones away from your ears you'll realize how tinny they sound). My hearing is not perfect but it's not bad either. In my case, I believe the limited dynamic range caused damage at 6kHz which coincidentally is the frequency of my tinnitus. I wish there were more studies on earphones and tinnitus. I think there would be a lot to be discovered.

 

My advice to you is not to use earphones, headphones, sleephones, bone conduction headphones or any type of headphones even at low volume as you risk making your tinnitus worse.


Headphones and Tinnitus

The views on whether a person with tinnitus should listen to music through headphones are controversial. Some people show no adverse affects while others do even when the volume level is kept low.

As I have already mentioned we are all different so the only way a one can know is to experiment for themselves if they want to. In my opinion, when the tinnitus was caused by exposure to loud noise/music and it has become intrusive - by this I mean a person having to seek help at ENT, then they shouldn’t listen to music through headphones no matter how low the volume is set.

Most music has syncopation throughout its frequency range, so it’s constantly changing in pitch, rhythm and timbre. The beat of the music and volume can also change while listening. This evokes pleasure and can stir our emotions. This happens whether we listen to music loud or soft, although certain types of music does sound better played at a higher volume than others, and vice versa.

Once the Cochlea in the inner has been affected by noise exposure, it is much more sensitive to sound. This is one of the reasons hyperacusis (sensitivity to sound) is often experienced with noise-induced tinnitus. The wearing of WNGs (white noise generators) as part of TRT treatment can often cure or improve the condition. I will be covering Hyperacusis and Habituation in more detail later on.

The organ of the Corti, which is attached to the cochlea, has approximately 20,000 hair
cells. These hair cells move to the vibration of sound and are just one of the components in the auditory system that enable us to hear. Someone that already has a sensitive auditory system due to noise-induced tinnitus and listens to music through headphones at a low volume, risks irritating the Cochlea further; this can make the tinnitus louder and more intrusive.

In my opinion, it can be misleading when some health professionals tell tinnitus patients, listening to music through headphones is fine as long as long as the volume is kept low. These health professionals mean well and know a lot about the anatomy of the ear and therefore, it is not my intention to try and undermine their abilities or expertise. However, It must be said, that many of them have never experienced intrusive

I have spoken to many people and corresponded with them by email and at Internet forums, complaining their tinnitus has become worse because after listening to music through headphones even though the volume was kept low. My advice to anyone that has tinnitus that was caused by exposure to loud noise is not to listen to music through headphones, as the auditory system is more sensitive. However the choice is entirely up to them.

Michael

 

My T gets temporarily louder if I wear the heavy duty earmuffs like gun protection. Or regular earplugs or putty causes a small T, bcz of the pressure.
I Can wear wear noise cancelling headphones with no problems.

 

source (skip to hidden hearing loss) http://hyperacusisfocus.org/innerear/
You most likely have very mild tinnitus which probably means you have a very mild degree of hearing loss not detected by there audiogram. Research suggest it is impossible to have noise induced tinnitus without hearing loss.

 

This post is confusing to me.

How can WNG's, which are worn like hearing aids, right?, be beneficial when they are the closest of all devices to the structures of the ears?? If the Cochlea is irritated, then any sound should bother it further using your reasoning. How long will this irritation last to these structures? You would think after a certain amount of time, these structures would 'scar' for lack of a better word, and not have any irritation/inflammation at all. Aren't the damaged hair cells fractured in the case of NIHL? How can they stay irritated indefinitely if the structure is completely damaged and not functioning? Again, this is confusing to me.

Tinnitus is a brain disorder at it's heart, no? Yes, caused by a loss of auditory input, but it's not a sound. It's a signal we "hear" as a sound, right?

All the information I have found about using sound therapies like Neuromonics, CR Neuromodulation, Notched White Noise/Music, all say specifically to use their therapies with a high quality set of headphones (maybe not ear buds, but I can't remember). How can that be safe if what you say is true?

You seem to be one of the more frequent posters here, and that is great. It also seems you are a compassionate person who is generous with his time and experience. That being said, I think it can be a bit misleading to speak in such absolutes.

It appears that in your experience, you have anecdotally come to the conclusion that many people report their tinnitus is worse after using headphones/ear buds. However, I don't think you can make a clinical connection to the structures of the ears based on these anecdotal experience, no?

Please correct me if I am missing something. Maybe you have access to data and studies that I don't. I'd very much like to learn more.

Thanks!

 

White noise generators.
Some may question the use white noise generators and in-ear types that emit white noise directly into the ear. White noise generators don’t usually irritate the auditory system due to the volume being kept low and its frequency range remains constant, so there is no syncopation within it unlike music.

I believe someone that has noise induced tinnitus and uses earbuds to listen to music, is putting themselves at even greater risk of making the tinnitus worse. Earbuds are inserted into the ear canal which is around 1 inch in length, therefore they are very close to the eardrum.


Behind the ear (BTE) white noise generators, have a "thin tube" that wraps around the ear and is inserted in the ear canal. At the end of this tube there is an opening - a very "small" hole which the white noise emits and is sent towards the eardrum and inner ear. Similarly, in-ear white noise generators also have a small opening which the white noise is emitted. Headphones and earbuds are different. They use a large speaker or diaphragm in comparison to deliver sound. Playing white noise through them cannot easily be fine tuned as the WNG and can cause irritation to the ear and auditory system. Therefore, it' possible to make the tinnitus worse.

The above therapies you mention that use headphones and music maybe perfectly fine for people that do not have "noise induced tinnitus". My advice is for people that have tinnitus which was caused by "exposure to loud noise" not to use any type of headphones as there is a risk of the tinnitus being made worse. Some people with noise induced tinnitus, use headphones and they are ok but many people are not. Just peruse some of the many posts in this forum from people that habituated to their tinnitus and returned to using headphones at low volume, and soon discover their tinnitus becomes worse and will not return to its previous manageable level.

My advice is specifically meant for people with noise induced tinnitus and the playing of music through headphones even at low volume and in some cases speech audio too. I say speech audio because a lot of people that work in call centres have contacted me over the years, who have developed tinnitus caused by wearing headsets for long durations. Other types of audio used with the therapies that you mention I do not know about.

Recently, a member of this forum contacted me. Her tinnitus was originally caused by exposure to loud noise - headphones use. She had habituated for 6 years and her tinnitus was relatively low. She decided to return to using headphones keeping the volume low. Within 1 week her tinnitus increased and now she cannot return to work because of the distress she is in.

Any advice that I give in this forum is for guidance only, it is up to the individual whether they choose to follow it or not. You have just acquired tinnitus so I understand you may find this all overwhelming. Please be assured I know what I'm talking about having had "noise induced tinnitus" for 22 years and corresponded and counselled people with it. Tinnitus is ruthless and very unforgiving. People that have developed tinnitus due to loud noise need to be careful of using headphones and being exposed to further loud noise even after they habituate. This does not mean to overuse hearing protection and walk around with sound apps on their mobile phone, or to become paranoid at the sound of a police or ambulance siren. Please read my post: Hyperacusis, As I see it:
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/hyperacusis-as-i-see-it.19174/

Please do not put too much faith in medical professionals and information on websites that say: using headphones at low volume is perfectly alright for people with tinnitus - it is not particularly for people with "Noise induced tinnitus". The majority of medical professionals that work in ENT know about the anatomy of the ear but most of them have never experienced tinnitus. Those that have will probably have it very mild and nothing like some of the people in this forum that have it loud and intrusive.

I can speak in such absolutes for the same reason others do in this forum that have experience with "noise induced" tinnitus. As I said my advice is for guidance it is up to the individual whether they choose to follow it or not. Be warned, many people that have NIT and return to using headphones end up regretting it.

It is true that all my posts and articles are drawn on my years of experience with "noise induced" tinnitus. Please note that I always mention noise induced tinnitus because that is what I am familiar with. Other types of tinnitus that wasn't caused by "loud noise" I don't know about. In addition to this I have also gained a lot of information from corresponding with people with noise induced tinnitus in : forums, by email and on the telephone. People have called me from different parts of the world so my knowledge of NIT tinnitus and hyperacusis is not just from personal experience. This has enabled me to write many posts and articles which you will find on my "started threads" should you care to take a look.

All the best
Michael

 

@Michael Leigh

Thanks for the follow up information.

So then, how are people who have NIT/NIHL supposed to get therapies like Notched Therapy, CR Neuromodulation, and Neuromonics? Listen through speakers in their house I suppose?

I'll have to contact Desyncra and Neuromonics directly and ask them. They all recommend using headphones to apply their sound therapies, but I don't see where they clarify as to a subset of the patient population (NIHL vs not) for using headphones or other means.

 

As I have explained to you @MichaelF6161 I am not familiar with the therapies that you mention that use headphones to administer treatment. In the case of treating people whose tinnitus was not caused by "exposure to loud noise" will probably be ok. Audio Notched Therapy is a DiY (do-it-yourself) therapy I believe where music is played into the ear with certain frequencies stripped out. This might be ok for people to use that have noise induced tinnitus but I still advise caution.

My advice is for guidance only and leave it to the individual to decide whatever they wish to do.

I have corresponded with many people that have noise induced tinnitus and have returned to using headphones even at low volume, and regretted it as their tinnitus has become permanently worse. Other people with noise induced tinnitus have no problems using headphones. I believe the risk isn't worth it and there are many people that agree with this. Again, the choice is up to the individual.

Michael