Gym and Spike

So I went to the gym today for the first time in a few years after having my babies and I decided it was time to be more proactive with my health and the gym is one step I can make along with my improved diet... I was there about an hour and did use my DB meter on my phone which measured 69-73 decibels in the gym. It didn't seem overly loud to me so I didn't use ear plugs or headphones for music. It was amazing because I could actually not hear my tinnitus the entire time I was there and I felt like my old self.. but, as soon as I got in the car my tinnitus is so freaking loud... what's up with that? Is it the cardio? The noise?

Feeling a bit discouraged.

Are there some ear muffs I could wear which aren't obviously ear muffs that reduce sound but also play quiet music? Any ideas related to this increase?

 

Hi Natalie.
I am 7 months post partum, doing the same as you - losing the baby weight and getting my diet back under control.
I have noticed that generally the tinnitus doesn't spike after exercise, but I have had occasions where it has.
I doubt it was the noise, maybe the exercise?
Hopefully is settled down soon for you.
Sam.

 

Is tinnitus noise induced for you?? If so then maybe the gym noise by if caused by something else then maybe blood pressure.

Mine is noise induced and often spikes after the gym for a good 45 mins or so then settles down again.

 

That noise level won't damage your ears so don't stress regarding that as the cause. The noise may have causes a nervous reaction though, which is sometimes the case at my gym when the music is loud.

As others have said, I believe its all the oxygen and increased blood flow through the body - this sometimes happens to me but it always settles.

 

They don't know what caused my tinnitus but I do know it was not noise induced. Blaming it on hearing loss, pregnancy induced, hormonal, or from a lesion in my right frontal lobe but no one knows for sure.. mine did calm down after 45 min-1 hour but it was highly annoying during that time!

 

Well I am going to continue going and tough it out and hope it gets better!! Do you wear headphones for music at the gym?

 

Thanks Sam! The noise has settled down quite a bit after showering and relaxing. It was just a strange spike I wasn't expecting! What caused your T?

 

@Natalie Roberts
Glad it's settled... nothing worse!
I honestly don't know why I have tinnitus...
It came on one month after my twins were born. Started as a low hum that went after a week.... then the high pitch hiss started....
I have a notch loss of 30db at 6khz in my right ear and have a slight ring in that ear, but have had that for ages!
The hiss is strange, I have higher frequency loss, so maybe that's it.
Could be hormones / stress, who knows.
My dad and younger sister also have tinnitus so I have a feeling I must have a genetic predisposition to it.
It really sucks.

 

My T can spike after gym, goes away within the hour.
I wear earplugs to the gym, people slam the bells and metal all the time and I really get stressed out of that. Also the gym always play horrible songs so earplugs also blocks it out haha
Just be careful with headphones, I used to listen to them at the gym loudly to hear it over all the noises there and I think it might have contributed to my T onset.

 

It really does suck! My dad and grandmother have it as well. Mine started when I was about 8 months pregnant with my third child, no warning just bam. It's like a hiss or electrical static and I also have hearing loss in the upper frequencies specifically. They're not sure if mine was induced by pregnancy, stress, hormonal, hearing loss or whatever. They've also recently found a lesion in my right frontal lobe which may or may or be contributing to it. It's so frustrating.

 

Agreed. I never use headphones anymore but I would like to listen to music or the tv at the gym at a low volume but I'm not sure if it's best to get ear buds or ear muff types or if I should just forgo it all together.

 

@Samantha R @Natalie Roberts

1. The genetic link, according to the BTA day in Nov, is not a factor, it's just statistically likely given the prevalence of t. However, I think that as my t has a debatable cause and that my brother developed it at a similar time for no apparent reason, there must be a link...maybe not t genes but similar ear anatomy? I'm early 40s, he's late 30s and no hearing kiss for either of us! Also met a father and daughter with t recently.

Also t is common - 1 in 10- but mainly older people make that stat...the young ones tend to be fewer and then it is due to noise damage often. Finally there is a group with a big question mark...which they need to study better to understand the condition as a whole, I believe.

2. Which brings me to next point -my kids school are doing a kiddies disco, given that they are little they can't wear earplugs and personally don't feel comfortable with them going with my t history....over the top?

3. Well done with keeping fit so early on girls...have put on so much weight since t...using food as a crutch, it's nice, it distracts me...it's one of few things I get enjoyment from...but has spot stop, can't fit into anything and it's bringing me down.

 

There are small ear plugs you can use for kids! My kids always think they're neat. And as far as keeping fit, I basically starved myself during my pregnancy because I was so depressed from the T so I lost a lot of weight actually. I'm not 'fit' but not heavy either. I was afraid to eat anything with sugar, chocolate, caffeine or sodium, so I didn't eat a lot. That's not healthy either..

 

When my T was stable I never noticed exercise induced spikes but recently I've definitely noticed a spike for maybe an hour or so after exercise. I wear earplugs to the gym and so can clearly hear about 20 minutes into my routine it suddenly goes up. Was freaking me out a bit but always comes back down again within about 90 minutes or so.

 

I just walked 4 miles on my treadmill. I haven't been using my treadmill for about a year now. Yesterday was the first time I used it (and walked for only 2 miles). My t seems to be spiking today. It is more high pitched. It must be because of the cardio (as my room was relatively quiet)...

 

Changes in blood pressure can cause spikes in tinnitus. This will 100% only be temporary and go back to normal. Don’t let this experience make you avoid exercise because it is very important physically and mentally.

 

Mine spike as well after on the treadmill, but it's much more likely to do with the treadmill noise than cardio since it's just normal pace walking. Doesn't your treadmill make noise?

That's the rational thinking. Even the spiking is mostly temporary, it is depressive and intimidating, and one can't help the irrational thought of it staying permanent.

 

I didn't think it would be loud enough to cause a spike.

 

I highly doubt it makes enough noise to cause a spike. If it would make you feel better, test it with a sound meter.

 

That's probably true for most, but for others like myself, my T reacts to the treadmill humming by trying to be louder and then linger afterwards.

 

I understand, but remember everyone's T is different. What doesn't work for you may work for others. We can't take our personal experience and use them as fact for others. I think it would be in Bill's interest to try exercising again off the treadmill to see if it is the sound or the change in blood pressure. If it is the change in blood pressure from exercise, than he can resume working out on the treadmill. If it is the treadmill, he can find other ways to exercise.

 

I do lots of cardio in the summer. Mountain biking and cycling the streets. For me it makes my t louder but also softer and excersize makes me care less.

 

I get a short spike each time after physical excercise, a bit worse if i have foam ear plugs in, less with musician ear plugs. Normally resolves in a couple hours. Cardio spikes it less, weightlifting in the gym a bit more. Especially with foam earplugs.

 

I had the same issue two weeks ago, I suspect it's the cardio.

 

@Bill Bauer did the spike settle?

 

It did. The more times I use the treadmill, the less pronounced the spikes that follow seem to get.

 

Winter is catching up with me too....