Headphones — I Can't Give Them Up Altogether

[Contrast]

Hello,
My name is Ann. I started having issues with tinnitus in January. Not sure yet of the cause, and my doctor is hoping that it will resolve.

I am posting here to get some advice regarding headphones. While I know use of headphone can be ill advised for folks with tinnitus, listening to music, podcasts, etc. are key coping mechanisms to help me deal with my long history of anxiety and depression. Most of the time, I listen music and such via my Apple earpods. I depend on them for my workouts. Also, I live in an apartment which does not lead itself to listening to music in the late evening and at night. I complain enough about noisy neighbors that I don't want to come of as a hypocrite.

I am willing to give up my Apple earpods, but I can't give up headphones all together. My mental health is already suffering from the tinnitus, and giving up a key part of how I cope with my mental health issues is not something I can do at this time. Does anyone at all have any specific suggestions as to what specific brand/type of headphones I should consider? Or should I just be mindful about the volume I set my Apple earpods at?

I have the same problem you do. Since I'm in a apartment as well and can't play music late at night.

I still listen to music via headphones evenings and nights. I just don't do it frequent as I use too.

I do not notice it having an effect on my tinnitus but I feel a slight discomfort in my right ear while listening to music sometimes. What effects do you notice while listening to music with headphones?

Take Michael's advice I guess but the choice is up to you and just use common sense.

-Contrast

 

[Alvise]

I have T on the right.
What if I use monaural headphone only on the left?

 

[Alvise]

Everyone's tinnitus is probably a bit different. What has happened with me is this:

Several weeks ago when the T was very loud, I had a day where it disappeared. I was relieved and thought it was all over. That evening I watched a movie with my over-ear headphones. Kept it very low volume, and the movie had little in the way of loud stuff - it was mostly dialog. Half way through the movie, I started getting some inner ear irritation, and then the T returned. The next 4 days was pure hell - the T was super loud and unrelenting. I'm sure that it was from just using the headphones for those 100 minutes.
My T does seem to be exacerbated by sound. In the morning when I get up, it is typically very low. Showering, and other noises definitely brings it up. I tried using masking noises at night via a small bedside speaker set - things like rainfall, white noise, etc. Boy, did that ever make the night time T worse! What works for me is absolute silence. This doesn't work for everyone.

Now I'm not even considering using headphones until the T is completely gone for 6 months (I still have hope that it will fade given that I'm now 5 weeks in, and overall each week is getting lower in volume). And I'm a headphone junkie.

this kind of T that u describe seems caused by an acoustic trauma, not a virus

 

[TWK]

this kind of T that u describe seems caused by an acoustic trauma, not a virus

My T started when I had a massive inner ear infection following a long bout of sinus infections and post-nasal drip. It may have been compounded by the blood pressure medication I was on (Telmisartan). No acoustic event happened anywhere near that time. Both ears had pussy fluid behind the eardrum, and the ETs were blocked. Fluid eventually became clear, then at one point drained.
I had hyperacusis develop at the same time, and it still persists, albeit at a lower level. I attribute that to the inflammation of the inner ear from the virus.
My hearing tests came back as "excellent".
Certain noise like almost anything outdoors including traffic don't bother my ears at all, but inside my house - ouch! Our house is open concept with hardwood floors so a lot of sound echoes. Loud voices like my kids playing hurt the worst (unfortunately).