Can Bathroom Exhaust Fan Cause Hearing Loss or Make Tinnitus Worse?

Is a bathroom exhaust fan loud enough to cause hearing loss or make tinnitus worse? I had it on for about a half hour this morning. I wasn't in the bathroom but could still hear it since it's pretty loud.

Right now my tinnitus has spiked to a level I have never experienced before.

Could the duration and volume of the fan have caused hearing loss or is this most likely a spike?

I am terrified this is how it will always be now.

Has anyone gotten a spike from a bathroom fan?

My tinnitus has been reacting to everything lately so I'm very worried and upset with myself for having it on so long without protection. I was told to try to get used to everyday sounds.

 

Shouldn't be enough to "damage" your ears but your tinnitus can certainly react to it.

 

No, a normal working bathroom fan doesn't cause hearing damage, @SB93.

Reacting negatively to it, yes, very possible. I know all about that with reactive tinnitus. Permanent spikes? No. Temporary? Yes.

I'm used to it and don't react to it any longer (90% + of the time).

If you, over time, can remove your emotional reaction to it, you/your brain will at one point not pay attention to it. Even with reactive tinnitus/loudness hyperacusis.

 

This is reactive tinnitus, no doubt.

Can you let us know when your spike from the fan reduces?

I hope this hasn't permanently increased your tinnitus.

 

Do you wear earplugs when you run the faucet or when you shower?

 

No, I don't use earplugs in the shower or when I use the faucet. I probably should but I was told to try to get used to "normal" sounds. However, I just took a shower earlier and I'm starting to worry about the shampoo. I didn't really think anything about it since I've used it for quite a long time, but since my tinnitus has been reacting to everything lately I'm concerned about all of the chemicals in it. I can't even tell if the spike from the fan went down because now I'm spiking from the shower and a lot of other things. It hasn't been a good few months for my tinnitus.

Thank you. I can't really tell if my spike from the fan has reduced because I am getting spikes from a lot of different things lately. I took a shower earlier and I am spiking from that. I don't know if it was the water or the shampoo I used but it's pretty severe right now. I'm hoping the chemicals in the shampoo can't cause any kind of hearing loss. I have been using it without an issue for quite some time but since my tinnitus has been spiking from everything lately I'm pretty worried about it.

 

@SB93, to me this seems like loudness hyperacusis and reactive tinnitus. If you are in a hyper-vigilant state, anxiety will manifest more and more, and your brain and nervous system will react more.

I had all the issues you describe myself for a long time. I couldn't get control of it before I managed to break the cycle of anxiety.

 

I find this perspective a bit concerning?

He took a shower, and wasn’t expecting an increase in his tinnitus, yet got it. How is that hypervigilance and anxiety?

It's his reactive tinnitus, the physical reaction of his tinnitus to external sounds.

You sound like an audiologist and someone who has forgotten what it's like to have reactive tinnitus, if you ever had it in the first place?

 

So you've never spiked from the shower before? I don't think it's uncommon for tinnitus to temporarily spike from the shower. Showers usually mask most people's tinnitus, so you end up with that post-masking rebound effect afterwards.

I was going to say that the shower is probably louder than the exhaust fan, so if you normally showered with no issues, you shouldn't worry about the exhaust.

I don't think there is anything to worry about with chemicals in your shampoo, but you could always try using castile soap. I think you can also use apple cider vinegar as shampoo. You'll have to look that one up.

 

Actually, I have spiked from the shower before. This was an unusually loud and long spike. Lately, it seems like I am reacting to a lot of different things - sounds of course, foods, different products, medications, etc. That's why I thought of the shampoo. I've been having a really difficult few months with my tinnitus. It seems to get worse all the time. I'll definitely look up the apple cider vinegar. Thanks for the tips!

 

I have noticed lately I spike slightly from the bathroom faucet. Fun times. Fun times.