Got Tinnitus from In-Ear Headphones, Will I Be Able to Wear Them Again?

[fronceme]

Firstly, I got tinnitus from swimmer's ear. The doctor prescribed an ear drop. But after that tinnitus doesn't stop. And when I tried to wear headphones or earbuds with any sound, my ears ached and the ringing is louder and a higher pitch. Since then I don't wear them for a month and tinnitus seems to be a little bit lower.

But my wonder is can I wear headphones again after all or should I just live without them forever?

 

[dpdx]

dont use headphones or earbuds ever again

 

[SugarMagnolia]

I think you should give up headphones and ear buds. I did. And I do miss them. I used to wear ear buds on my long trips on public transportation. But it's not worth it if it makes tinnitus worse.

 

[Bill Bauer]

Check out the thread below
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/isnt-it-ok-to-use-headphones-even-at-low-volume.25287/

 

[astaff14]

Personally I would say don't use them. I had headphones in for about 10 minutes yesterday at 25% volume and it made my ears feel quite uncomfortable. & you've already had a negative experience with your t increasing so yeah I'd stay away.

 

[fronceme]

thank you every one for your replies
that sounds really bad cuz my dream is that i wanna be a DJ/EDM producer
and now i'm living uni's dorm so i can't use speakers when my roommates come (i turn it low about 10%)

now it's getting better
i'm having an appointment with the doctor next week to follow up my T (i saw he wore my symptom as "Subjective T")

and thank you again for every replies

 

[dm222]

Even if you recover 100% I would not use them....
Mine are stored and I will never again use this stuff!
If I would recover my ears it would be my most precious thing from that moment on...

 

[Mr Possible]

It is Very important to train your ears to listen to music with the lowest possible volume.

 

[Gman]

Sure you can wear them anytime you want to. Just without music or any sound playing.

 

[John Smythe]

It can depend on the in-ear listening device, I think. I have used Etymotic in-ear earphones for many years. For many years before that I used standard iPod earphones. If anything, those were making my tinnitus worse because external noise (especially the subway) was competing with the music, and I probably was listening to music much louder that was appropriate. Enter the Etymotic earphones. External noise was lessened, and I was listening to my music at much lower levels. I think my tinnitus might have improved. Years later, I needed to replace the Etymotic, and I bought another brand (based on online reviews extolling their audio "response") . I had really bad hyperacusis (not tinnitus) for several days after using them. Fortunately, that problem went away. I tested them again just for about 15 minutes to make sure of the cause-and-effect and the problem returned (for a very short period of time). I went back to the Etymotic with no problems. Many people trash the Etymotic because of their lack of audio power (e.g., thin bass response), but my view is that you do not want that type of "quality" that close to your eardrums. This was my experience. Your mileage may vary, as they say.

 

[Daniel95]

I don't know about earphones, I would stay away from those, but the amount of headphone stigmatization on TT is pretty huge.

No, your dream is not over because of T. Yes, it may require adjustments so that you can avoid potential worsenings. To start off, try to lay off either for a few months, give your ears a rest and a chance to recover. Afterwards, consult an Audiologist or a Hearing Therapist for their advice on whether you should or not use headphones, and how to go about it.

There are certain people on the forum that will tell you that headphones are going to swallow up your ears and drown you in Tinnitus, and there are those that have used headphones and had no response in their T either way. I've not been around long enough to know the exact implications of this, but don't let anyone crush your dreams. Health will deteriorate whether you like it or not, but the only regret you should have is for the opportunities missed, not for the opportunities taken gone sour.

For the rest of you, I'm not really one to say these things, but I feel like I have to speak out. It's really disappointing how easily you dismiss a man's dream. Remember that, for some people, a life where they believe they can't achieve their dream anymore is often not a life worth living. Sometimes, it can be a worse killer than T itself.

To OP, take it easy and don't panic. There are steps to be taken, and it won't be easy, but your T is your own personal journey, and as long as you don't give up, you will be able to find a way to achieve your dreams, health problems or not.

 

[GregCA]

But my wonder is can I wear headphones again after all or should I just live without them forever?

Give some time for your ears to heal.
After that, I suggest you consult with doctors/audiologists so they can tell you if/how you can introduce headphones back into your life.