Terrific Tinnitus Tips a.k.a 3T or TTT

Hey all, I kept coming across people asking various questions regarding exercising, staying in loud environments, going for a movie, etc. and decided to put together everything in one place so that they can just read through the list and get answers from it, instead of creating a separate thread for it. Please note that everything mentioned below are merely an opinion, I'm not stating any facts. Read on:

1) Exercising: Generally, exercising is an excellent way to keep your body healthy. I suggest not to get into extreme sports or heavy weight lifting(speaking from experience here, got my T partially because of the gym). General body stretches, brisk walking, jogging, swimming(with proper ear protection), yoga, etc. As long as it doesn't have a significant change in your tinnitus volume, you are good to go. You will definitely find some changes in your T after exercising, that is normal. If it bothers a lot, too much exercising is not advised. But no matter what, keep your body healthy. You may have got your T from various reasons, but keeping your overall body health proper has its benefits too! I have T due to neck stiffness. T is caused from various reasons, so it helps to stay healthy! Don't ignore exercising regularly.

2) Environment: I've seen many people asking if it's safe to live in the city where sounds are constant from cars, trucks, etc. Well, I think that it's good to stay in the city. As long as it's not too loud, it actually helps living in a place where traffic noise automatically helps you mask your T up to some extent(depending upon your T levels).

3) Movies: Avoid movie theaters as much as you can, especially action/sci-fi type of movies where you're probably gonna be hearing lots n lots of explosions and loud sounds. If you really want to go very badly, have a proper ear protection along with you!

4) Food: This is a very strange topic. There isn't a particular rule for this. It totally varies from person to person. One has to find out on his/her own how different type of foods affect them. Look through the forum to see if there have been any post regarding a particular type of food that has been known to cause fluctuations in the T levels for a significant number of people.

5) Headphones: Only one word; AVOID! I beg everyone to avoid earphones/headphones as much as you can. Use them only if it's really really necessary. This advice is not just for people suffering from tinnitus, but to every human being!

6)Clubs/Parties: Avoid frequent clubbing and attending parties. Clubs generally always have loud music playing. Avoid as much as possible. Occasionally going out with friends is fine, but make sure you wear ear protection thoroughly. For parties, same rules as those intended for clubbing.

7) Stepping Outside the House: This is a general advise, every time you're going out, no matter where, ALWAYS carry your earplugs with you. And wear them. You never know when there's gonna be a random truck next to you honking the horn loudly! Better safe than sorry, so, wear those earplugs when you step out.

8) Air Travel: This is a pesky area. I can't be too sure of this. Different persons have had different experiences with this. You cannot be sure how you're gonna be affected by this. So, I've no specific advise for this(except one; avoid frequent traveling via airway)

9) Musicians: This is another very common question that arises, various musicians often ask if they should stop their musical journey in life. The answer is NO! However, you have to take care of your ears. You may have to change what you play or sing, but you don't have to stop the music you're creating. If you're playing any instrument, make sure the volume is set low, just so you can hear it comfortably and not too loud. If you play any instrument where you can't really set the volume level(like acoustic guitars, violins, saxophone, etc.), play it as soft as you can. And if you're a singer, avoid high notes! Singing high notes frequently can affect your T(two reasons for this; one is obvious, high notes are high. Second, it's a strain on your throat and jaw, that will account for changes in your T too). You don't have to quit singing, just change the way you sing and avoid high notes. Avoid headphone usage here as much as possible. If you HAVE to use it, keep the volume really low. You can avoid using earplugs while you're practicing, because I know that it affects the genuine sound that comes out from the instrument or your voice. If you're performing on stage, wear earplugs.

10) Concerts: Not much to say about this. I'm sure you know what I'm going to say already. The rules laid out for clubbing/partying apply here too.

11) Hot Bath: For many, taking an extended hot water bath decreases their T level for sometime. It probably happens because hot water relaxes all your muscles and that's why your body feels comfortable after a hot water bath. Of course, there are exceptions, not everyone experience the same, but a major portion of people feel better after a hot water shower. If it does help you, take bath twice a day, it will be soothing.

12) Medicines: Oooh, very sensitive topic here. Again, it's difficult to perfectly point you in one way. One thing though, avoid meds for small conditions as much as you can. If you have frequent headaches, pain, infections, allergies, etc. you may take the meds. But, if you suddenly get a headache on a random day and you don't usually get headaches much, then try avoiding meds. Go for a walk, relax your mind and try controlling it w/o using tablets. Skip your work for a day if you have to. Don't depend too much on meds for everything. But don't avoid if they're necessary. However, get to know the type of medicine you're about to take. Some drugs, often referred to as 'Ototoxic Drugs' can cause problems related to your ears. More about them here.

13) Other General Stuffs: This is the residual head. I'm just gonna mention all other tiny stuffs here, but which are important!

• Wear your ear plugs wherever necessary. Always have a pair with you at home, in your wallet/purse, in your vehicle, etc. I've seen some people complain that it looks awkward when they wear the earplugs. Well, do NOT care about how it looks. Don't bother if people are gonna make fun of you. Remember, your health is what really matters the most.
  
• If your T is very mild, do not mask it. It's alright. Get used to it. Mask it if it's bothering you too much. Don't get used to masking it all the time.
  
• Avoid completely silent areas. If it's too silent, put on some music or talk with someone if there's a person with you. If you have trouble sleeping, have some masking sounds on. Alternatively, if you live in a place where there are outside noises like cars zooming, people murmering, etc., just open your windows. Keep your fan turned on if it helps. Try various methods, don't just settle for one.
  
• Quit 'seeking' for the sound. Yes, you WILL hear it if you try to listen to it. I'm not advising you to never check it. Of course, we all need to know where we're at with the T. But, avoid checking it frequently. You have got to distract yourself, and that helps you forget about your T(if it's mild).

One general rule for absolutely ANYTHING! Just think from the perspective of the T. Wanna go swimming? Ooh, is it going to affect my T? Well, I better wear some proper ear protection. Metallica's comin to town this weekend, gotta go! Can I? Will it affect my T? It will, if I don't wear those earplugs and stay away from the speakers. Omg, I just forgot to take my earplugs to my friend's birthday party! What am I gonna do now? Is it gonna affect my T? Yes. I need earplugs. So, just remember that you need to take care of your ears, no matter what you do. That way, you won't go wrong.

Well, we come to an end. That's all folks! Thanks for going through this HUGE list, and I really hope it helps you. If there have been any mistakes in my list, please correct them below. Also, you may add more points in this thread, it will definitely help others. I've just listed what I could remember while typing this. Alright, enjoy your day guys, and good luck!

Note: The stuffs that I've mentioned above do not apply to EVERYONE. It's just a general guide. Please do not reply back with a "This is all BS. I've tried going to the theater with my earplugs on and it still increased my T". Experiences vary from person to person and I've just mentioned what is generally good to a major part of the group.

 

Thanks for this post, very helpful... ...Mahalo

 

What's the rule about earphones? Some of us use masking so what's the problem with them?

 

Actually some people think earphones are no-no in general. Sound source too close to ear, no proper pressure equalization or something along those lines, me thinks.

 

Sorry about that, I should've mentioned that part. You can use them for such treatments. Apart from those, I meant to say that earphones and headphones are not good in general for listening to music/audiobooks/etc. Like Markku said, if you wanna use one, it's better to use one which blocks external noise. If it doesn't, you'll be using it on a high volume when you're outside and that does damage your ears.

 

My iPhone:


That’s safe. I use it even lower than that, which means I can’t hear it on the subway, which is 85-90db, with peaks of 95db when the wagon speakers announce the next station. If you have a smartphone, get a decibel meter application, they are more or less reliable.

Swimming doesn’t necessarily needs ear protection. Cinema is f’ing loud during the commercials before the movie. There is a law in the states against that on TV.