Tinnitus Caused by Wind and Engine Noise from Ill-Fitting Motorcycle Helmet

Hi. I developed tinnitus 25 years ago. I was 43 years old when I started motorcycling for the first time to help my then daily commute in rush hour. I bought an open face helmet which didn't fit very well at the front sides and I also rode an old second hand, noisy BMW police bike.

After a few months I realised I'd developed tinnitus and it's never gone away. I quickly changed the helmet for a snugly fitting full face one and also wore foam ear plugs and got a quieter bike.

I haven't used a motorcycle for about ten years but the tinnitus has never diminished or gone away. As you all know, tinnitus levels are very difficult to calibrate but I'm sure it's louder now than it was when it started.

Recently I have started treatment for myeloma (a type of blood cancer) which involves chemotherapy medication. The treatment is going very well - except as a side effect my tinnitus has got louder. The key medications are Velcade (Bortezomib), Thalidomide and Dexamethasone. My medical team say they are pretty sure the tinnitus increase caused by the drugs will go away once I've completed the course, but they are unable to say so with absolute certainty, which is worrying as the noise is much more intrusive than the level I was experiencing prior to the treatment.

 

Welcome to the forum. If the ringing bothers you, you may consider masking it. There are many free apps for tinnitus masking. Try avoid using headphones. A Bluetooth speaker will work well. Good luck. God bless.