Best Noise-Cancelling Headphones for Tinnitus Sufferers?

[Alyc3e]

Hi everyone,

I've had bad tinnitus since the end if last year. The only thing I can think of being the cause is that I went in an airplane a couple weeks prior to onset. Since then I've also struggled with bouts of dizziness nausea. I had a hearing test and have slight hearing loss in my right ear, so my doctor diagnosed me with Meniere's disease.

I was recently recommended noise cancelling headphones and borrowed a pair from my brother. They worked amazing and I got relief from the tinnitus for the first time in months! Unfortunately he wants them back so I am looking into buying some for myself. Does anyone have some really good noise cancelling headphones they can recommend? What are you're opinions on Sennheiser, Sony and Bose?

Thanks!

 

[Michael Leigh]

Hi everyone,

I've had bad tinnitus since the end if last year. The only thing I can think of being the cause is that I went in an airplane a couple weeks prior to onset. Since then I've also struggled with bouts of dizziness nausea. I had a hearing test and have slight hearing loss in my right ear, so my doctor diagnosed me with Meniere's disease.

I was recently recommended noise cancelling headphones and borrowed a pair from my brother. They worked amazing and I got relief from the tinnitus for the first time in months! Unfortunately he wants them back so I am looking into buying some for myself. Does anyone have some really good noise cancelling headphones they can recommend? What are you're opinions on Sennheiser, Sony and Bose?

Thanks!

@Alyc3e

If you are going to use the noise cancelling headphones to reduce external noise I suppose that is okay up to a point. If you are going to play audio through them I don't recommend it. On your Avatar it reads cause of tinnitus "unknown" but this is rarely the case as something almost always causes it.

The dizziness and nausea you mention could be an indication that you have Meniere's and therefore, the advice from your doctor is correct and you should seek treatment for this at ENT. However, the most common cause of tinnitus is exposure to loud noise. Since you mentioned going on an airplane prior to experiencing the tinnitus it could be noise induced. If you are a regular use of headphones or use a headset for computer games - listen to loud music or frequent places where it is played loud: concerts and clubs, you might have noise induced tinnitus.

It is for this reason I have recommend that you don't listen to audio through NC headphones or any other type including earbuds even at low volume, as you risk making the tinnitus worse. If you are overly sensitive to sounds and this is a recent occurrence? Then you probably have hyperacusis which often accompanies noise induced tinnitus but not always. If this is the case then it's almost an assurity that you have Noise induced tinnitus and probably not Meniere's.

I think NC headphones to treat tinnitus and the overuse of hearing protection are a bad idea particularly when used long term. It is treatment that is required and one can do a lot with self-help. Failure to do this often exacerbates the problem, as a lowering of the hearing threshold of auditory system results and the ears become more sensitive to sound - this can make the tinnitus worse over time and unfortunately, if one isn't careful other problems can manifest themselves that I wrote about in my post: The complexities of tinnitus and hyperacusis. Please click on the links below and read my articles. Take you time and try not to skim through them.

Perhaps other members can recommend NC headphones but my advice is to use them with caution. It is treatment that you need to address your symptoms and advise you to see ENT and an Audiologist that specialises in tinnitus treatment and management if necessary.

I wish you well
Michael


https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/new-to-tinnitus-what-to-do.12558/
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/hyperacusis-as-i-see-it.19174/
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/tinnitus-a-personal-view.18668/
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/the-habituation-process.20767/
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/acquiring-a-positive-mindset.23969/
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/tinnitus-and-the-negative-mindset.23705/
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/the-complexities-of-tinnitus-and-hyperacusis.25733/

 

[Alyc3e]

@Michael Leigh

Thanks for your reply! I am booked in to see an ENT in the next month so I'm looking forward to that and hearing what they say.

I understand and agree with what you say about NC headphones and their use long term. The only time I am planning on using them is for really bad days when the tinnitus is so bad I can barely get out of bed, or when I have a uni assignment to do and I can't concentrate because of the tinnitus. I'm definitely not going to be using them long term or all the time.

Thanks for all the links to the articles. I found them really interesting informitive and helpful!
Alyce