Do Noise-Cancelling Headphones Help?

[rod77]

I'm new to tinnitus; its just whammied me hard in the last month or so and I'm really struggling.

I wake up in the middle of the night now and the ringing is so loud I cant get back to sleep. Often this has happened to me in the past, and I get up and read for awhile. However, that was before, when I could experience silence, and now I cannot.

I was wondering if getting some noise cancelling headphones to play low volume soothing sounds or light classical music would help mask the noise while I'm reading.

Could this help or would it make things worse? I'm a musician and I'm worried that I'll never be ever to use headphones again...

any help would be appreciated. I have my first audiologist appt in a couple of weeks.

 

[Aussie Lea]

I was wondering if getting some noise cancelling headphones to play low volume soothing sounds or light classical music would help mask the noise while I'm reading.

A better solution would be to buy open-back headphones for reading. Why do you want noise-cancelling?

 

[rod77]

I dont know, I'm so new to this I just guessed they would be good. Why do you suggest open-backed phones? Are they better for masking tinnitus? I'm not arguing at all, I'm trying to figure out what my options are. Do you have any suggestions for particular models of open-backed phones?

 

[seal]

Noise cancelling headphones don't soften the noises you are experiencing with your tinnitus if that's what you mean. They only work for external steady noises like aircraft noise during a flight. Some people say that noise canceling headphones make their T worse. But I haven't experienced that. If you only want to play music at night pillow speakers would probably be more comfortable

 

[rod77]

I cant read in bed because the light will wake my wife up. So I go into the living room where I have a nice chair, a good lamp, and a stack of books. Hence the need for the headphones. I dont want to wake anybody else up.

 

[annabel16]

The noise cancelling headphones are great for mowing the lawn or otherwise very noisy conditions, but not necessary for reading in the house. My guess is the reason someone might think they make things worse is because if you baby your ears too much it might intensify symptoms of hyperacusis. Normal headphones played low for short periods of time should be fine inside.

I like to read in bed on my ipad, that way I don't have to worry about the light. Docs would say you're doing the better thing, though, that it's better sleep hygiene to get out of bed when you're tossing and turning.

I'm sorry for what you're going through, I know how bewildering and unbelievable those first few months are. Best to you.

 

[squeek]

Yes, they can make you more comfortable in a noisy environment. And yes, they can also aggravate tinnitus if you wear them without any music playing in a quiet environment.

If you are trying to figure whether or not to buy them then yes, you should buy a pair. They should be a part of your toolkit to tackle tinnitus. And don't be cheap. Buy the best you can afford.

 

[zombiechick]

I had an audiologist tell me that noise canceling devices are going to kill people's hearing and cause a spike (see what I did there) in tinnitus and hearing loss.

 

[daniel1111]

The problem with them is that they make you more comfortable in loud environments and less aware of the noise levels around you. You can be in a dangerously loud situation, while also adding music on top of that, which is what can cause hearing loss and tinnitus.

The best headphones to protect your ears are noise barrier instead of noise cancelling.

 

[Song interpreter]

To distract me from the ringing at night, I play a podcast, just loud enough that I can understand the words. I play it under my pillow. My husband doesn't seem to mind and I can drift off to sleep before the program is over. You could do the same with music. Set up a limited number of songs. For me, I'm usually asleep before 15 minutes. Before, it might be an hour. The music doesn't need to be loud. As I focus outside myself to understand the words, it distracts me from the ringing.

 

[NimQ]

I had an audiologist tell me that noise canceling devices are going to kill people's hearing and cause a spike (see what I did there) in tinnitus and hearing loss.

Did the audiologist tell you why this would be the case? I can't see any harm coming from using noise-cancelling headphones with no sound on, to get quieter ride in the bus or so.

 

[Michael Leigh]

@rod77

I was wondering if getting some noise cancelling headphones to play low volume soothing sounds or light classical music would help mask the noise while I'm reading.

I advise you not to listen to any type of audio through any kind of headphones even at low volume, and this includes noise cancelling headphones. Many people in this forum have habituated to their tinnitus and returned to listening to music through headphones at low volume. Most of them have regretted doing this as their tinnitus has become louder and remained permanent.

The most common cause of tinnitus is exposure to loud noise/music. If you haven't been seen at ENT yet then I advise you to do so. You might find the post below helpful and also my article at the bottom of the page: Tinnitus, A Personal Veiw. Please click on the link

All the best
Michael

Headphones and Tinnitus

The views on whether a person with tinnitus should listen to music through headphones are controversial. Some people show no adverse affects while others do even when the volume level is kept low.

As I have already mentioned we are all different so the only way a one can know is to experiment for themselves if they want to. In my opinion, when the tinnitus was caused by exposure to loud noise/music and it has become intrusive - by this I mean a person having to seek help at ENT, then they shouldn't listen to music through headphones no matter how low the volume is set.

Most music has syncopation throughout its frequency range, so it's constantly changing in pitch, rhythm and timbre. The beat of the music and volume can also change while listening. This evokes pleasure and can stir our emotions. This happens whether we listen to music loud or soft, although certain types of music does sound better played at a higher volume than others, and vice versa.

Once the Cochlea in the inner ear is affected by noise exposure, it is much more sensitive to sound. This is one of the reasons hyperacusis (sensitivity to sound) is often experienced with noise-induced tinnitus. The wearing of WNGs (white noise generators) as part of TRT treatment can often cure the condition. I will be covering Hyperacusis and Habituation in more detail later on.

The organ of the Corti, which is attached to the Cochlear, has approximately 20,000 hair
cells. These hair cells move to the vibration of sound and are just one of the components in the auditory system that enable us to hear. Someone that already has a sensitive auditory system due to noise-induced tinnitus and listens to music through headphones at a low volume, risks irritating the Cochlear further; this can make the tinnitus louder and more intrusive.

In my opinion, it can be misleading when some health professionals tell tinnitus patients, listening to music through headphones is fine as long as long as the volume is kept low. These health professionals mean well and know a lot about the anatomy of the ear and therefore, it is not my intention to try and undermine their abilities or expertise. However, It must be said, that many of them have never experienced intrusive tinnitus. This leads me to say, one of my ENT consultant's who is an Audiovestubular consultant, and someone that I have a lot of respect for, once told me that I know more about tinnitus than she/he. This person explained, for the simple reason they had never experienced it.

I have spoken to many people and corresponded with them by email and at Internet forums, complaining their tinnitus has become worse because after listening to music through headphones even though the volume was kept low.

My advice to anyone that has tinnitus that was caused by exposure to loud noise is not to listen to music through headphones, as the auditory system is more sensitive. However the choice is entirely up to them.

Michael
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/tinnitus-a-personal-view.18668/

 

[Yu.3]

My tinnitus has become louder after use headphones at loud volume (for an error)..3 seconds of loud music.
I hope that i have ONLY irritate the Cochlear hair cells..and i hope with time i could be better..probably now my Cochlea is much more sensitive.
I have active noise cancelling headphones (bose quietcomfort,the best).
I'm not sure that noise cancelling headphones are worse than normal headphones..because with my Bose i can set the volume very low and listen..
With normal headphones if i set volume low,the esternal ambient sounds bother me and cover what i'm listening (music or a movie).
I think that noise cancelling headphones are useful for reduce external sounds not for reduce tinnitus because tinnitus is an internal sound..
Reducing external sounds is possible to set headphones volume very very low and i think that this aspect could be useful.

 

[autobot]

@Michael Leigh, I wonder what should I do in the following situation, and you seem to know a great deal about that:

I suffer from tinnitus.

I work at a small factory, sometimes there's a lot of noise. Sometimes it's quiet.

I sometimes listen to podcasts/music, via earphones.

Given that non-ideal environment, I'm thinking on how to optimize my audio environment.

One thought: Using noise-cancelling earphones but with white-noise always on, at a volume slightly below my tinnitus - so never to be in full silence, but never to be in a lot of noise from the factory. And if I'd like I could in addition play some podcasts/music, of course at a low volume, lower than what I use today.

This seems like making some improvement from my current situation.

What do you think?

And does it seem safe to test, measure and continue upon the results? Or should I fear some permanent worsening of my tinnitus?

 

[Michael Leigh]

I work at a small factory, sometimes there's a lot of noise. Sometimes it's quiet.

You have had tinnitus for quite a while @autobot. Even though it reads on your profile cause of tinnitus unknown, I will assume you have noise induced tinnitus since this is the most common. If you use hearing protection whilst at work, this may not aggravate your tinnitus but only you will know for sure.

I am more concerned about you listening podcasts and music through earphones which is something I do not recommend, as you risk making your tinnitus worse and believe you are playing with fire. Sorry to sound so sobering but tinnitus, especially when it's noise induced is not something to take lightly because it can change fast without any warning.

Using noise-cancelling earphones but with white-noise always on, at a volume slightly below my tinnitus - so never to be in full silence, but never to be in a lot of noise from the factory. And if I'd like i could in addition play some podcasts/music, of course at a low volume, lower than what i use today.

Listening to any type of audio through headphones, earbuds, headsets, bone conduction or noise-cancelling headphones, risks making your tinnitus worse and therefore, I don't recommend you using them. I don't advise you to listen to white noise through noise-cancelling headphones even at low volume. The proper devices to use and the care of an audiologist, is white noise generators which are specifically made for treating tinnitus and hyperacusis.

And does it seem safe to test, measure and continue upon the results? Or should I fear some permanent worsening of my tinnitus?

Nothing is assured with tinnitus especially when it's noise induced. A person can be using headphones at low volume for quite some time and they are not adversely affected, then suddenly the tinnitus can change and erupt into a loud cacophony of noise that is totally ruthless and unforgiving.

Again, I am sorry to sound so sobering but I have lost count of the amount of people that have contacted me, who successfully habituated to noise induced tinnitus, returned to using headphones or subjected their ears to loud sounds even when wearing earplugs, thinking they were safe only to find their tinnitus has spiked. If a person is fortunate the tinnitus will reduce to baseline level after a period of time. If they are not, they could find the tinnitus increases and changes to variable tinnitus something they hadn't previously experienced. Please click on the link below and read my post.

Please be careful.

All the best,
Michael

Can I Habituate to Variable Tinnitus? | Tinnitus Talk Support Forum