Exercise and Tinnitus — Experiences

[Steve]

Hello to all.

We're going to be putting a survey together, working with some researchers, to understand more about exercise and tinnitus.

Can you please share your own experiences with me?

For me personally I've had a good uninterrupted year of the gym, going usually 5 days per week. It's coincided with just not caring about my tinnitus so much, despite it being louder (possibly due to the intensity of the exercise I do). Could be coincidence...

We're interested in:

1. How active you are
2. What sort of exercise you do
3. How loud your tinnitus is
4. How annoying your tinnitus is
5. Experience with exercise and tinnitus - does it go louder / quieter in the sort and long term, is it dependent on the type of exercise you do?
6. Anything else you can tell that could help us understand more about any links

The hypothesis is that exercise regulates cortisol, the stress hormone. Less cortisol equals less tinnitus distress. Do people who have bothersome tinnitus exercise less, feel more stress (increases in cortisol) which makes it harder to cope, thus increasing the stress response?

 

[Joanne Philps]

Since I had T and balance issues October 16, I found it difficult to walk so ended up staying in a lot, consequently I put on over 30 lb, just had enough of all of it and have started cycling only 4 miles a day at present but have found no change in my T, infact I cycle on the promenade where I live and lose myself in the sounds of the sea, my T although loud always spikes every evening, so no for me excercise is a good thing and does not bother the T

 

[glynis]

Hi @Steve,
I don't go the gym no more as it impacts on my health in lots of ways.
Happy if need to know by pm.

However I am a very active person and walk a lot and play Time bomb and basketball and other things like parachute games with school children at dinner time and up hill walking .

How does it effect my ears?
In the yard with over 250 children I don't hear my tinnitus as the yard is so noisy.
My ears don't react to sound or exercise but I think its down to how I got it ( Menieres Disease)
How ever I think being active helps keep me the strong bubbly person I am.

When my lungs are struggling as I'm under the hospital sever asthma unit and need 4 inhalers and tablets and nebulizer just to breath like normal people my mood drops and hate having to rest up as struggle just to get to the toilet and the emotions can spike my tinnitus as I want to be active in my mind but physically impossible.
I have to wait till my lungs settle them I'm up and about and show my lungs who's the boss and ears and Menieres.

I think exercise reduces stress and builds up your happy cells and that's got to be a good thing.
I'm steroid independent and have to have a blue medical card .
I carn't sleep with out medication due to my ears but I know for me it's important to stay active to deal with the down times.

Wow that's me !!!! Never give in and do your best at your own pace to stay active.

 

[Michael Leigh]

Hi @Steve
Quite a few people have told me their tinnitus becomes more intrusive when running on hard ground or on the treadmill. Some of them have had to stop this form of exercise as the tinnitus doesn't reduce to baseline but gradually gets worse. However, not everyone will be affected in this way. I believe this is caused by impact underfoot, that travels up through the body towards the head and auditory system and irritates the cochlea and fluid in the inner ear.

I use a home elliptical machine similar to the types used in a gym and haven't noticed any increase in my tinnitus. This could be due to my feet not making contact with the floor. I use it 3 times a week for 30 minutes. I also walk for 1hr a day which doesn't affect my tinnitus.

The website link below show studies that were carried out detailing that aerobic exercise can make tinnitus worse for some people and even cause the onset.

All the best
Michael
http://www.nytimes.com/1994/04/06/us/inner-ear-may-take-beating-from-high-impact-aerobics.html

 

[Kibakiru]

How active you are
Active to the point that my soul dies a little every minute that I have to sit still.
Highly active during the weekdays, moderately active on weekends.

What sort of exercise you do
Boxing, weight-training, cardio (mostly running), yoga, and walking.

How loud your tinnitus is
If I had to rate it out of 10: 8.5-9/10 at its worst, and 6-7 at its best. I can hear it over everything at its worst and can mask it with white noise at its best.

How annoying your tinnitus is
It doesn't annoy me anymore unless I'm having a bad day, stressed, or tired.

Experience with exercise and tinnitus - does it go louder / quieter in the sort and long term, is it dependent on the type of exercise you do?
My tinnitus gets louder usually after high-intensity workouts that get my heart going wild but It's definitely a lot lower either the rest of the night or the next day. The spike usually lasts for a few minutes to an hour and then calms down but I've sometimes had it last until the next morning and then It'd be pretty quiet all day.

With boxing, it really depends. If I get a good few jabs to the face, my tinnitus will spike for a few hours; at most a day.

Running can and most likely will spike my tinnitus so I don't do it often. I prefer to just walk with short bursts of jogging or running instead. I don't get any noticeable spikes from doing that.

My tinnitus is worse when I don't exercise.

 

[Samantha R]

Hi Steve,

No problem, here are my answers -

1. How active you are - I exercise every day, walking the dog + some other form of exercise
2. What sort of exercise you do - walking, running, aerobics, weight training, I have a personal trainer once a week
3. How loud your tinnitus is - it's relatively mild I think - can get loud at night enough for me to hear over the TV
4. How annoying your tinnitus is - it's really annoying, but that's probably more due to my personality than a volume issue.
5. Experience with exercise and tinnitus - does it go louder / quieter in the sort and long term, is it dependent on the type of exercise you do? - fortunately no effect on my tinnitus, I have found it can be quieter after exercise. I do occasionally get a "clicking" noise in my left ear when running, it's very strange.
6. Anything else you can tell that could help us understand more about any links - I'm not aware of any links as such, but I like the positive effect it has on my mood.

If you need anything else, please let me know.

Samantha.

 

[Wojtek Kalka]

1. Hyperactive

2.Nearly every day, extreme sports, wakeboarding, motorcycle, trx, martial arts

3. 5-8/10 hear it over everything atm again used to be 4-6

4. Was 8 when it started... over 20 years to 1, got up to 7 again now at 3-4 after a month, will be 1 soon.

5. No not much difference if you work out hard you will forget you have it, diving changes it.

6. My tinnitus sadly does not get different with food sports, supplements etc whatsoever, atm it's different a lot because it spiked and I take cortisone, which changes the ton from 4-9 randomly..

 

[Casper]

How active you are
I go to the gym three times a week, and walk about two miles per day (commute and relaxation).

What sort of exercise you do
Lifting weights, mostly compound lifts (squat, deadlift, benchpress and overhead press). I would love to get back to running or swimming, but at this point I'm worried it will make it worse.

How loud your tinnitus is
0-1 in the morning, 2-3 in the evening. H is more troublesome.

How annoying your tinnitus is
It only really bothers me when I'm in a quiet room (which I try to avoid) and when I'm trying to sleep. H is much more annoying, and I have to be careful of people dropping heavy weights in the gym.

Experience with exercise and tinnitus - does it go louder / quieter in the sort and long term, is it dependent on the type of exercise you do?
I haven't noticed any effect. Exercise forces me to wake up early (so that I can go to the gym while it's quiet), which means that I'm usually exhausted by the evening and fall asleep more easily.

Anything else you can tell that could help us understand more about any links
Not much else, but I would be interested to learn if it's safe to run/swim for exercise with T/H.

 

[Honey_Bee]

1. How active you are: pretty active, 4-5 days a week
2. What sort of exercise you do: run(street and trail), weights, yoga and T25 when I'm feeling saucy lol
3. How loud your tinnitus is: mild to medium I'd say. Non existent some days and oh hey I'm here!!! Other days lol
4. How annoying your tinnitus is: meh, I'm used to it
5. Experience with exercise and tinnitus - does it go louder / quieter in the sort and long term, is it dependent on the type of exercise you do?: maybe the fact that I'm not focusing on it but unless it's supeyour quiet I don't notice it. And let's be real, when I run I'm mainly focused on not dying lol
6. Anything else you can tell that could help us understand more about any links: endorphins are the best!

 

[TinniTom]

• How active you are

I try to go to the gym 2-3 times a week. I'm working as an IT support which means I sit the whole day in the front of the computer.

• What sort of exercise you do

After 30 minutes on an "elliptical machine" ("cross trainer") I do some weight exercises for the whole body. At the end I do stretching for about 15 minutes.

• How loud your tinnitus is

25-30dB / ~8 kHz (according to a ENT hearing test)
- I can hear it pretty well while watching TV / listening to radio.
- I can also hear it when driving in my car.
- I can not hear it in the shower,.. maybe when I really, really focusing on it, but never tried it.
I would rate my tinnitus 7-8/10. It's really pretty loud and sometimes I'm wondering how I can live with it but it works somehow.

• How annoying your tinnitus is

Depends on how busy I am. If I do nothing or laying on my couch and watching TV its pretty annoying (except I'm watching a really good movie ). It's also very annoying when I'm in a restaurant/bar or on any other noisy place and I have to think about if it is too loud for me or if this will make my T worse. At the moment it's very uncomfortable to use earplugs and I think they will make my T louder because it is caged then. Not sure.

• Experience with exercise and tinnitus - does it go louder / quieter in the sort and long term, is it dependent on the type of exercise you do?

Hard to say. I'm not sure. I can hear it very well also during the exercises. I think its louder when I'm very exhausted but it goes back to base level later. But I think it goes louder when my neck, shoulders and back are tensed which is sometimes the case because of the weight exercises. That's why I go to my osteopath every two months. Maybe I should quit the weight exercise but I really like it and gives me normal living feeling and I don't want my T control my life. I quit running because it spikes with every step like /\/\/\/\/\/\ if you know what I mean (hard to describe in English - sorry). It also spikes when I turn my head to end of one side.

• Anything else you can tell that could help us understand more about any links

Unfortunately I can not provide any links but I think exercises are very helpful to manage this beast.

 

[JimChicago]

@Steve - Thanks for posting this hypothesis on exercises reduction of cortisol which temporarily reduces T -- I've had a similar hypothesis on exercise or fasting's effect on reducing insulin which temporarily reduces T.

I do notice that when working outside all day in the backyard (i.e., medium-hard labor), my T softens for 1/2-full day -- just like if I fast a full day.

I've theorized that it's because all the excess sugar/insulin is used up and my body starts converting fat to blood sugar (which doesn't require the production of insulin to feed cells).

 

[BuzzyBee]

How active you are?
Moderately so. I try not to sit still too much and take several walks per day.

What sort of exercise you do ?
Brisk walks about 3 to 5 miles – sometimes longer every day.

How loud your tinnitus is
Very loud hissing with on and off tones. Today it's a 9 out of 10.

How annoying your tinnitus is
Extremely annoying most of the time with dips and spikes that correlate with hormonal fluctuations. It's most definitely quieter mid-luteal phase when progesterone is higher. Volume changes and I'm always happy and grateful when it's soft, but most days it's like a running faucet.

Experience with exercise and tinnitus - does it go louder / quieter in the sort and long term, is it dependent on the type of exercise you do?
It gets louder during and right after, but once I settle down it usually softens to a point that's lower than it was before I started.

Anything else you can tell that could help us understand more about any links
Tinnitus is loud around 3:00 in the morning then softens around 5:00 or 6:00 AM then seems a little louder yet still soft in the morning doing regular activities. As the day goes by it is always progressively worse until evening. It's always higher right after lunch, then it goes down a bit and then goes way up before dinner. Also, there is no one certain food that makes it worse. All food and the process of digestion seems to make it worse temporarily.

 

[billie48]

How active you are
I make sure to do at least 30 minutes of exercise/activity per day.

What sort of exercise you do
Brisk walking, hiking, fishing with a lot of walking, gardening with lot of lifting and bending.

How loud your tinnitus is
very loud and high pitch during spiky times

How annoying your tinnitus is
Used to turn me into a mess but no longer. It doesn't bother me nor I fear it anymore. The body is hardened to even the ultra high pitch scream.

Experience with exercise and tinnitus - does it go louder / quieter in the sort and long term, is it dependent on the type of exercise you do?
I didn't notice any difference in loudness but because of distraction during exercise, my brain is able to ignore T and not conscious of it most of the time.

Anything else you can tell that could help us understand more about any links
Unless proven to be harmful to your type of tinnitus which is highly unlikely, exercise all you want as it is a healthy way of living and it is better to do fun things than sitting around worrying about T.

 

[Steve]

Thanks for the responses so far. I should have mentioned there are a couple of studies but it isn't an area that's particularly been explored. There may be some data in national health studies that I don't know of, all depends whether they asked a tinnitus question. See:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25906172

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02701367.2013.784840

@JimChicago There is also another potential element. Exercise uses up excess glutamate, the neurotransmitter, it is redirected to fuel the body. Not sure if there is a potential link there but it could be useful for some people.

Tinnitus is a funny thing so even if exercise helps it will only give a significant benefit to tinnitus for a portion of people. It is of course always going to be useful in general, especially with helping to regulate stress levels and mood - as long as it isn't overdone.

 

[Billthegardener]

I am very active in the gym. I noticed others mention running was bothersome. I used to run alot, even did Chicago Marathon. T for almost a year and a half. Have hearing aids to help mask it. Tried running outside this fall, absolutely terrible like my ears were pounding.
Been getting dry needling for 3 weeks now and found an off spot yesterday. If it bothers you running, it might help you too. My ringing has always fluctuated in volume and tone. To visualize it was off to the right of center. Well my trigger point is on my right side scalene ,closest to where it attaches to the first rib. Try massaging and applying pressure there. Hope you all some relief. On a scale of 10, normally I am 6 to 8. Today less than a 1.

 

[Arrojo]

How active you are
Very active. I am a runner, I've done 7 marathons, I ski all winter, do a lot of cross- training (like plyometrics, weights), hockey. Ran a 10K race today

What sort of exercise you do
See above

How loud your tinnitus is

Loud. Always there. I hear it when I run, ski workout you name it

How annoying your tinnitus is

More annoying when I think about it.

Experience with exercise and tinnitus - does it go louder / quieter in the sort and long term, is it dependent on the type of exercise you do?

No. It is always the same volume. I am more aware of it, the quieter it is. The Boston Marathon is wonderfully loud due the tremendous crowds, so I am aware of it less for that reason. Sometimes hockey games are loud too.

Anything else you can tell that could help us understand more about any links.

Nothing helps, nothing changes it. External noises can mask it if loud enough.

 

[squeek]

How active you are
I exercise only few days per week.

What sort of exercise you do
Low impact. Gentle walks and bushwalking.

How loud your tinnitus is
Judging by others here I grade mine as 9/10 on the horrific scale.

How annoying your tinnitus is
Debilitating. So much I walk into walls and people. No glassware shops for me.

Experience with exercise and tinnitus - does it go louder / quieter in the sort and long term, is it dependent on the type of exercise you do?
Anything more than gentle exercise aggravates the tinnitus and its impact remains for the remainder of the day.

Anything else you can tell that could help us understand more about any links
I feel my tinnitus has a strong nervous system relationship.

 

[Luke77]

How active you are
Work out 6-7 days a week 30-90 minutes. Walk 3-5km a day sometimes extra.

What sort of exercise you do
Cycling, running, walking weight training, random sports.

How loud your tinnitus is
Usually 2/10 sometimes 4/10

How annoying your tinnitus is
Minor/don't notice but with short periods (days) where its distracting from work/reading/etc

Experience with exercise and tinnitus - does it go louder / quieter in the sort and long term, is it dependent on the type of exercise you do?
Haven't noticed any connection but can't stop exercising to check

 

[coldroses]

Anyone who does weightlifting/powerlifting - do you think that this could contribute to making your T worse? I ask because I've wondered whether in my case that might have been applicable.

 

[Steve]

Anyone who does weightlifting/powerlifting - do you think that this could contribute to making your T worse? I ask because I've wondered whether in my case that might have been applicable.

Certainly a theory of mine. When I lift heavy mine gets worse. I think it's a combination of the strain, jaw clenching and general high exertion, with the increase in cortisol that's evidenced from more extreme exercise.

I've just started back again on sets of 12, adding in some drop sets, to see if mine goes down. I really love heavier weights, pyramid sets etc but I think they are bad for my tinnitus in general. I'm still going to do them but for a single cycle only here and there.

 

[led1317]

1. How active you are = I workout 1-3 days a week
2. What sort of exercise you do = weightlifting & running
3. How loud your tinnitus is = depends on time of day or stress level ranging from 3-7 throughout the day on a 10 point scale (1 quiet, 10 very loud)
4. How annoying your tinnitus is = 7/10
5. Experience with exercise and tinnitus - does it go louder / quieter in the short and long term, is it dependent on the type of exercise you do? = Tinnitus is less noticeable during workout but spike for about an hour or two after weightlifting or running
6. Anything else you can tell that could help us understand more about any links = N/A

 

[Bill Bauer]

I stopped using my treadmill right after the onset of my T... Any day now, I will begin using it again.

 

[Bleep]

1. How active you are

Moderately active

1. What sort of exercise you do

Jogging, walking for miles etc...

1. How loud your tinnitus is

It used to be a lot louder a few weeks ago and it can still be loud at times

1. How annoying your tinnitus is

Very annoying in the beginning. At its peak I couldn't even sleep. 10/10 a week ago. 8/10 a few days ago. Since a few days it's a 6/10. Hopefully it will 0/10 one day...

1. Experience with exercise and tinnitus - does it go louder / quieter in the sort and long term, is it dependent on the type of exercise you do?

I used to get pulsative tinnitus if I'd exercise but now it even feels good to exercise: my the ringing goes lower.

1. Anything else you can tell that could help us understand more about any links

No

 

[Erik9810]

1. How active you are

I usually make sure to jog sometime each week, other than that I guess working as a tenniscoach and practicing the sport counts as physical activity.

1. What sort of exercise you do

Running, playing tennis. Pushups and situps occasionally.

1. How loud your tinnitus is

Most days, 4/10. Some days 6/10

1. How annoying your tinnitus is

7/10, I've had a hard time during the last 5 months coping with the thought of only being 18 and probably having to deal with this debilitating symptom for a long time.

1. Experience with exercise and tinnitus - does it go louder / quieter in the sort and long term, is it dependent on the type of exercise you do?

It definitely increases when my pulse is high, it would probably best be described as increasing momentarily during activity but ultimately being less intrusive or simply easier to tolerate after having done something to get me tired.

1. Anything else you can tell that could help us understand more about any links

I'm probably going to focus more on building muscle this summer both for the mental benefits and to see how it affects my TT so I'd have to report back concerning that possible link.

 

[Nikopol]

How active you are

More than I used to be, which is not saying much because I wasnt active at all pre-T. I started doing at least something.

What sort of exercise you do

2km swim every week for past 5 months. Walking as well, depending on weather and mood but if I got to it I generally like to walk from my office to my home which is cca 7km.

How loud your tinnitus is

Got better I think. When it started it was somewhere between 30 and 40dB but after past 5 months I believe it got down to point of perhaps something around 10dB which is MUCH better. I get bad weeks though when it goes up, but I dont recall it being as loud as it used to be.

How annoying your tinnitus is

Used to be annoying, now it isnt annoying 99 percent of the time at all. Suppose because of drop-down of baseline but also because I for past months was "rewiring" my brain to associate T with pleasant and soothing sounds via WhiteNoise app. I now fall asleep without any problems.

Experience with exercise and tinnitus - does it go louder / quieter in the sort and long term, is it dependent on the type of exercise you do?

No change. Though, and this may be just an accident, first time that I actually went to sleep without even noticing any T (was there, just my mind was fully off it) was after 2.5km of night swim.

Anything else you can tell that could help us understand more about any links

I have been going in my head between all three possible causes I list in my profile. I figured I will tackle all three. I use daily neti pot to keep my sinuses clean. I swim in order to improve my spine and muscles. And I worked hard on my anxiety issues. Perhaps that is what helped. Perhaps something else. Who knows. It got better though and that matters.

 

[vermillion]

How active you are
Still quite active, but less active then pre-T.
What sort of exercise you do
I am a professional dancer/dance instructor. I do contemporary dance.
How loud your tinnitus is
4 (maybe 5)/10
How annoying your tinnitus is
Still quite annoying as i'm not yet habituated.
Experience with exercise and tinnitus - does it go louder / quieter in the sort and long term, is it dependent on the type of exercise you do?
After classes it's already spiked.
Anything else you can tell that could help us understand more about any links
Nope.

 

[Zug]

1. How active you are

Pilates 3X a week, do a lot of walking, used to also do Taichi and cardio but got lazy.

1. What sort of exercise you do

Nowadays just the Pilates regularly.

1. How loud your tinnitus is

Could hear it in the shower when I was really freaked out and could hear it anywhere.

1. How annoying your tinnitus is

I wanted to kill myself when all of this began, so I'd say pretty annoying.

1. Experience with exercise and tinnitus - does it go louder / quieter in the sort and long term, is it dependent on the type of exercise you do?

In the beginning it did get louder after exercising. Nowadays it's the same, or I don't care anymore, who knows.

1. Anything else you can tell that could help us understand more about any links

I think it helped me a lot. Can't quite describe it, in the beginning it was hard since my Tinnitus would scream after, but now I miss it when I don't exercise.

I've been to a Tinnitus expert, he told me to never exercise on an empty stomach since the ear region get's depleted very fast. He told me that as long that I never exercised without eating something first, I could do anything.

So here it goes, hope it help,
Best
Zug

 

[Samir]

I used to go to the gym regularly. I stopped going at the end of last year. I don't know if it's a coincidence, but it was about 2 months after that I became more aware of my tinnitus. I became much less physically active at that time. Although I have had more of a hissing sound before that. I think that some of those exercises might have changed my tinnitus into a more tonal type. I'm not sure what type of exercises. But I'm thinking it's some kind of neck extension.

1. I currently take walks every day, and I do some weight training at home.
2. See above.
3. I don't know... how do I measure it? I would say it's in the mild category.
4. It was first scary at first when it became tonal. Then I started to habituate to it, and it got more quite, only occasionally intrusive. Now it's mostly annoying. Before it became tonal I was hardly aware of it.
5. Not sure about type of exercise... but it seems to me that it gets more noticable when I do weight training. I do these at home, and it is quite. But it seems to get louder than baseline when I do the exercises than when I sit and read a book. It's not consistent though, it's not always noticable. So it's inconclusive. Of course, my observations are not scientific.
6. I do think there might be a link between physical exercise and tinnitus. But I don't think I would have any such experience if my ears were not damaged. My theory is that physical exercise can exacerbate tinnitus. In short term! Long term? I don't know... I will have to find out myself.

 

[erdoha]

Hi Mr. Director,

Since this recent spike / sound trauma from a couple weeks ago, I've started working out daily, for about an hour or so. I do low impact cardio (biking or some strange stepper death trap device) and then light weights or body weight exercises. My T is not loud, unless I'm drinking or by myself, or both, which has actually forced my to stop drinking completely (I'm a bit of an alcoholic to be honest). My T is annoying when I'm in a very quiet environment, and also when I'm drunk, both for physical and psychological reasons. The reason I'm writing about alcohol is that it's the opposite of physical excursion. When I'm not drinking, I can actually work out. T is going to turn me into a healthier person believe it or not.
I have not noticed T become worse when exercising. As long as I don't suffer further noise damage (dropping weights?????) physical activity makes me feel healthy and strong, and also minimizes any physical pain I feel in joints, muscles etc. I feel confident that I could run and bounce around, and it would not adversely affect my T. The reason I believe physical exercise specifically helps me live with T is that physical exercise improves other physical pain I might be feeling (knees, ankles, shoulders) totally unrelated to my hearing. Physical exercise releases good feeling chemicals in your brain, improves confidence, strength, and agility so that when I'm done and return home, I feel accomplished and like I've made the most of my day. Because of this, I am psychologically better equipped to meet my T, accept it's presence, and focus on my real life in the moment. Compare this feeling to sitting around eating and drinking, feeling sorry for myself, and being all alone... it's the psychological impact that is important.
My most recent sound injury was from a damn loud close range sound. Nothing in every day life comes even close to that level of volume, which gives me confidence that I can be active outside without ear protection, most of the time.

 

[TuneOut]

Certainly a theory of mine. When I lift heavy mine gets worse. I think it's a combination of the strain, jaw clenching and general high exertion, with the increase in cortisol that's evidenced from more extreme exercise.

I've just started back again on sets of 12, adding in some drop sets, to see if mine goes down. I really love heavier weights, pyramid sets etc but I think they are bad for my tinnitus in general. I'm still going to do them but for a single cycle only here and there.

Permanently worse? Do you have reactive T?