Can an External Noise of the Same Pitch as My Tinnitus Make My Tinnitus Worse?

[Drako]

Hey everyone, it's my first post here.

I'm 19 and my tinnitus is from acoustic trauma. I also have hyperacusis. I have had it since I went to a club this summer but it started to get very loud recently.

Every high pitched sounds really annoys me a lot and I feel like my tinnitus reacts to it.

Just bought an Xbox to try to get a bit entertainment when I'm home (considering the fact that right now I don't think it's a good idea for me to listen to much music even at low volume). But while this model is not creating a whole lot of noise like some consoles do (it's the main reason why I bought it), I've noticed a very high pitched sound coming out of it. It's not a loud one but one that's very very annoying and I almost feel like my tinnitus reacts to it a bit. Considering the fact that my tinnitus is very high pitched.

So my question is: should I play my Xbox, enjoy myself and try to ignore that or should I be careful because this little noise could in fact increase my tinnitus?

What do y'all think?

 

[Michael B]

You're not alone. High pitch sounds typically aggravate my tinnitus, particularly if it's a pure tone which I'm guessing is coming from your console. The good thing is that it's usually a temporary setback for me, but if you're using your Xbox on a daily basis, you never know what long term effect it may have. Also, if you're using headphones or earphones, you may be adding to the problem, although some here debate this claim.

 

[Drako]

Hey thanks a lot for your quick answer!
At first my T was barely noticeable so I thought that nothing was wrong and kept using my close headphones. Now I'm 100% sure that the fact that I kept using headphones is the reason why my tinnitus is that loud today.
I feel like the sound of my Xbox causes a temporary spike for me but I'm really scared to one more time exacerbate my tinnitus and that it will increase permanently.