Headset (Noise Canceling and Not) and Ear Plugs

Hello everyone,

I'm 43 (almost) and had tinnitus for 3-4 years now.
I feel that it has gotten slightly worse lately, but I cannot be sure that it is just me focusing on it a bit more.
I was reading about using noise-canceling headphones and I was very surprised by reading that they may actually be making the T worse.
Here's my problem: I travel quite a bit by plane, so I thought that sing noise-canceling headsets would help (so that I am not "surrounded" by noise for several hours; it also helps keeping the volume low when listening to in flight entertainment.
But it seems I might have been achieving the opposite, in fact ...

Also, I consider myself a fairly active person, and I do jog quite a bit. I use in-hear headsets to listen to music while I jog. I make an effort in keeping the volume low, but still, it seems that this too is not a very good idea.

So I am thinking instead of using just ear plugs to keep the noise out during the flight, and .. well, avoid gym noise during the workout.
Any thought? Does anyone have similar "needs"? Arguably, I don't "have" to listen to music while I workout, nor watch movies during flights.

Thanks in advance.
Walter

 

I wouldn't worry about it... For whatever reason it doesn't occur to some people that their tinnitus was, in all likelihood, caused by blasting their ears with loud music, rather than the noise cancelation.

 

I've had tinnitus since mid-Jan of this year and Bose NC headphones since Christmas. It's quite possible they contributed to my condition or maybe it was just coincidence. I'm at the point where I can't even listen to low volume white noise through them without causing a spike in my tinnitus though. Ear burns and aches for days after. Every person's situation is unique though. Listen to what your body and ear are telling you is my advice.

I bought Peltor X4A muffs for traveling and they work quite well.

 

I haven't seen any scientific study that shows that headphones (noise cancelling or not) make your T worse, and I've perused T studies quite extensively.

You'll read all kinds of things on internet forums: keep in mind that most people aren't real doctors, they just play one on the internet (they can be quite self confident, but be careful to not mistake that - and "seniority" for expertise).

If you want to get a professional opinion, then go to a professional in your area (audiologists, neurotologists, etc) and you'll likely be surprised by their answer. I did (I saw about a dozen of them), and I still use headphones (NC and regular) regularly (but I am very disciplined about keeping the volume at reasonable levels).

It does make sense however that a certain amount of people are bothered by sound and react negatively to it, but I'm unsure that the means of sound delivery has anything to do with it.

Good luck!

 

I travel a lot for work also. I just put in foam earplugs and put noise isolating headphones over the plugs for flights. I've tried (borrowed) noise cancelling headphones for flights and they are comparable to my big X5A earmuffs. I'm thinking about getting a pair for myself.

As far as noise cancelling headphones making your tinnitus worse, I highly doubt it. It just generates a destructive wave that cancels out incoming sound, but if you are worried about it you could put earplugs in underneath the noise cancelling headphones.

I used to wonder about earplugs getting in the way of your ears equalizing on the plane, but this is not an issue at all.

 

My tinnitus at least seems worse since I started using my wireless NC headphones on a regular basis. I've also been using earplugs more and currently work in a office with a rumbling ventilation system (this will change soon). Before I had the wireless headphones I had a pair of corded NC headphones, but I did not use them much. I'm trying to figure out if: (1) the headphones are making my tinnitus worse; (2) the headphones (plus increased earplug use) is making me think my tinnitus is worse because there is less external masking of the tinnitus; (3) the office rumbling - which is a bit annoying but not very loud (about the equivalent of an apartment air conditioner) - is the cause or a contributing cause; (4) all of the above; or (5) none of the above. When I use the NC headphones, I listen to music, but the volume is very low. I'm using the headphones and earplugs more because I live in a apartment and, because neighbor noises bug me (mentally and not physically) more these days, I'm trying to prevent hearing any intrusive sounds (minor as though they might be) from the get-go.