Music at Low Volume — Safe?

[Krish230]

Hey everyone, just wanted some advice when it comes to listening to music. I currently have loud and quite intrusive noise-induced T, and because of this I've stopped listening to music through headphones completely.

I've noticed that my T does spike whenever I've been to a loud place such as a bar, despite wearing ear plugs the whole time.

There seems to be some conflicting information on TinnitusTalk regarding whether it's safe to listen to music, even at low volumes, after you get T. I've seen many people on here advocate that you should never listen to music with headphones, even at low volumes, as this can irritate the ear further given that headphone speakers are placed close to the ear drum. Other people have said that listening with headphones is ok, as long as you take regular breaks, and only use headphones on alternate days (one day using them, one day off, etc).

How does this translate when using conventional speakers e.g. HiFi sound systems, computer speakers etc? I currently use my laptop speakers to listen to music at low volumes (never higher than 50Db, measured with proper equipment) but I'm worried that even listening for short bursts (half an hour to an hour) are doing damage to my ears. I think my T does spike after these listening sessions but I'm not 100% sure if this is just anxiety, or whether there has been real strain on the ear and damage is being done.

I'd be really grateful if anyone has any insight into what might be considered a safe listening volume or listening duration for people with T, and whether conventional speakers are still safe to use.

Many thanks

 

[JurgenG]

If it wouldn't be safe, then nothing would be safe.
Music is not different from any other sound. Except that it might be on many different freq unlike an alarm lets say.
I won't say anything about headphones. Since I don't want join that debate, and my knowledge is not that advanced in the subject.
But you have no reason to stop listening to music, just don't have the habit of putting it louder and louder and louder..

 

[Paul10]

I've learned the most important thing about T is that it is very unique to the individual. We all have different types for different reasons, with different solutions we need to find. You need to get a relationship with a tinnitus specialist (an audiologist/hearing therapist who specialises in tinnitus) and always run queries by them. Make sure you can email them. Unfortunately the availablity of such services are dependant on country and location. I personally avoid headphones simply because my T is new and I'm not at the stage of knowing it properly. I would think that volume and base is key rather than the source of the sound.

 

[Krish230]

If it wouldn't be safe, then nothing would be safe.
Music is not different from any other sound. Except that it might be on many different freq unlike an alarm lets say.
I won't say anything about headphones. Since I don't want join that debate, and my knowledge is not that advanced in the subject.
But you have no reason to stop listening to music, just don't have the habit of putting it louder and louder and louder..

I feel like the fact that music varies in frequency and can have quite strong bass sounds means that this puts extra strain on the ears as opposed to ambient sound at the same volume. I always find that my T spikes when I listen to music for too long (1 hour or more) at low volumes. Bass-heavy music especially (hip hop, dance, EDM, R&B) seems to be the culprit!

 

[glynis]

Sound under 80 db from free standing units should be fine.
You might find noise reduction plugs handy and work better than foam ones for some people.
Regarding headphones and earphones...its a case of trial and error if spikes your tinnitus but keep them to a low setting if use them as im sure you will and not ramp the volume up as will cause more problems....lots of love glynis

 

[hans799]

I strongly suspect my T was worsened (a new sound was added) due to headphone use. I always kept the volume low over the past 1.5 years, but used them a lot (~8 hours every weekday).

A warning sign was that my preexisting T always became louder after headphone use. The spike always went down by the next day so I didn't care about it. I should have.

So my take is: if headphone use doesn't make your current T louder it's probably safe. If it does become louder, you'd better stay away.

I cannot provide a physics-based explanation on why headphone music is seemingly "worse" than free unit based music - although I'd love to understand myself. This is simply my personal experience and intuition.

 

[racerfish]

My rule of thumb for volume is to never go over the halfway mark. On my phone I've also limited the volume setting so it can never ever go past this unless I enter a code and remove the restriction manually.

 

[Sam Bridge]

I only listen to music on my PC speakers or TV. The loudest I go is around 70-75.

 

[Krish230]

My rule of thumb for volume is to never go over the halfway mark. On my phone I've also limited the volume setting so it can never ever go past this unless I enter a code and remove the restriction manually.

Thank you, I've started implementing your rule of thumb this past week and it has helped me in a couple of occasions where I almost played music too loud ( around 65-70Db but is still too loud for my recovering ears)

 

[devonlee]

My approach to what you "should" and "shouldn't" do in regards to tinnitus:

Tinnitus is so personal that really no one but you knows what is best for you. If music is something you enjoy, don't let tinnitus take that away from you. You can spend your whole life worrying about things making your tinnitus worse or better, but at what expense? If you enjoy music, listen. Now I'm not saying go and blast a bass in your car until it shakes, but if you're listening at a low volume through speakers I would say that you are fine. Like others have said, if it's no louder than a regular conversation you should be fine.

I'm sure there are several people who will disagree with me and say that you should take every single measure to protect your ears and if that's something you want to do that's fine. For me, it's just not worth the stress and I have no desire to alter my entire life for the sake of tinnitus.

 

[astronomer]

hey,
as a musician I do not play in rock bands any more, however, as the lead singer/guitarist I was able to pick myself up from the ashes and do solo acoustic guitar/vocals at lower volumes at small venues ,the best I ever sounded ! nothin like soft sound of music ,K.C

 

[devonlee]

hey @astronomer nice to meet a fellow Ontarian. I live in Alliston but frequent a cottage on Georgian Bay. We also love camping on Franklin Island, not sure if you're familiar. PS I tried to message you but it says that I can't because of your privacy settings.

 

[Michael Leigh]

Hey everyone, just wanted some advice when it comes to listening to music. I currently have loud and quite intrusive noise-induced T, and because of this I've stopped listening to music through headphones completely.

@Krish230

Tinnitus is a complex condition that comes in many forms and intensities and no two people experience it the same. I mostly deal with tinnitus that was caused by exposure to loud noise. From personal experience and talking with many people over the years that have tinnitus and use headphones at low volume, I can tell you that its risky listening to music through headphones even at low volume.

However, it is true some people with tinnitus are not adversely affected by headphone use. Why anyone would want to take such a risk knowing how debilitating tinnitus can be is beyond me. My tinnitus is variable and ranges from silent to severe. I have no problems listening to music through my HI-FI system and keep sound levels at around 70 db. Your ears are the best judge of what sound levels you can tolerate so I advise you to listen to them and see how you feel.

There are some people that get warnings that their ears and auditory system are not happy with the sound levels they are being subjected to but carry on regardless. This is not wise, because sooner rather than later the consequences will be severe, unforgiving and probably irreversible. Sorry to sound so sobering but this is the harsh side of tinnitus that some people don't like to talk about. I am telling you the cold hard truth. Please read my recent post below, of what happened to such a person that chose not to listen.

All the best
Michael

A change of lifestyle?

I am writing this post in the hope that it will make some people look at their lifestyle and consider changing it, when it comes to tinnitus that was caused by exposure to loud noise.

At another tinnitus forum that I visit, someone who is a musician and has played the drums for a number of years, has tinnitus that has recently got worse. In addition to this hypercusis is now present even though he wears noise-reducing earplugs. This person asked if there was any way of reducing his tinnitus back to baseline as he enjoys playing the drums and it is his living. He mentioned that he had cut back on the number of gigs but there wasn't any noticeable improvement.

Although I am not a musician I am an Audiophile and get a lot of pleasure listening to my music through my audio system, so understand this man's desire to want to continue playing music and also to earn a living from it. However, with noise induced tinnitus one has to be careful. If the condition is getting worse exposure to loud noise is the usual cause providing there is no underlying medical condition that's responsible. Therefore, the only way to address this and to hopefully reduce the symptoms is to stop being around loud sounds. Even though noise- reducing earplugs help the best earplugs in the world are not one hundred percent safe, so one still needs to be careful.

Behind each ear there is a hard piece of bone called the mastoid bone. It is honeycombed with air pockets. If external sound is loud enough, it can pass through the mastoid bone and enter the inner ear and irritate the cochlea, which could make the tinnitus and hyperacusis (if present) louder and more intrusive.

I, and a few others advised this person to stop playing the drums completely for a while and see if the symptoms reduce. For it is likely the noisy environment that he has been around for so long has taken its toll on his ears. We felt the increase in tinnitus and now hyperacusis was a warning sign that he should stop, as things could get worse and become very distressing. This person decided not to follow our advice but instead, listened to others who were saying: we were being negative and causing scare mongering. Life is for living and he should do what he wants to do.

Unfortunately, this person's tinnitus and hypercausis has increased quite a lot and he has had to stop playing the drums. He is afraid to go into bar, restaurant or any venue where music playing or there are high sound levels and finds wearing earplugs doesn't help. Hopefully, with treatment his symptoms will improve.

I am a positive thinking person when it comes to tinnitus, and try not to let it stop me doing whatever I want to do. However, I'm also a realist and that means not taking unnecessary risks, by constantly being exposed to loud sounds that could harm my auditory system and make my tinnitus worse. I advise people reading this post to think about this. Go out and enjoy yourself and have fun but at the same time be prudent and respect your hearing.

 

[fishbone]

Hey everyone, just wanted some advice when it comes to listening to music. I currently have loud and quite intrusive noise-induced T, and because of this I've stopped listening to music through headphones completely.

I've noticed that my T does spike whenever I've been to a loud place such as a bar, despite wearing ear plugs the whole time.

There seems to be some conflicting information on TinnitusTalk regarding whether it's safe to listen to music, even at low volumes, after you get T. I've seen many people on here advocate that you should never listen to music with headphones, even at low volumes, as this can irritate the ear further given that headphone speakers are placed close to the ear drum. Other people have said that listening with headphones is ok, as long as you take regular breaks, and only use headphones on alternate days (one day using them, one day off, etc).

How does this translate when using conventional speakers e.g. HiFi sound systems, computer speakers etc? I currently use my laptop speakers to listen to music at low volumes (never higher than 50Db, measured with proper equipment) but I'm worried that even listening for short bursts (half an hour to an hour) are doing damage to my ears. I think my T does spike after these listening sessions but I'm not 100% sure if this is just anxiety, or whether there has been real strain on the ear and damage is being done.

I'd be really grateful if anyone has any insight into what might be considered a safe listening volume or listening duration for people with T, and whether conventional speakers are still safe to use.

Many thanks

I listen to music with my apple ear buds at very low levels and it hasn't bothered me at all. My tinnitus is probably at level 10 for being loud and it sucks.....

 

[Krish230]

I listen to music with my apple ear buds at very low levels and it hasn't bothered me at all. My tinnitus is probably at level 10 for being loud and it sucks.....

Thanks for the info. I'm gonna give it at least another 6 months before I think about returning to using headphones because my T is relatively new.

And hang in there, things get better over time, whether it's the noise decreasing in volume or your ability to deal with it improves

 

[fishbone]

Thanks for the info. I'm gonna give it at least another 6 months before I think about returning to using headphones because my T is relatively new.

And hang in there, things get better over time, whether it's the noise decreasing in volume or your ability to deal with it improves

I have hung in there for almost 30 years

The tinnitus doesn't bother me, as much as my loss of hearing...

 

[sleepy]

I'm sure my T was caused by a lot of headphones and ear buds usage. My T was relatively easy to handle, until I started using my headphones again for 30-40 mins. My T changed from a ring sound to crickets in the middle of my head.

It sucks, because I used music and videogames as my way to unwind and relax. I'm at about a month and half with T. I'm still experimenting on what triggers my T. I'm still hopeful for the 6 month period if my T will go away or calm down.

 

[Mark Beehre]

I my opinion you are better off listening to smaller speakers than larger ones. Whatever has the lowest wattage. I wouldn't be afraid of headphones, I use them without concern, I just don't have th volume loud.

 

[Fangen]

I'm sure my T was caused by a lot of headphones and ear buds usage. My T was relatively easy to handle, until I started using my headphones again for 30-40 mins. My T changed from a ring sound to crickets in the middle of my head.

It sucks, because I used music and videogames as my way to unwind and relax. I'm at about a month and half with T. I'm still experimenting on what triggers my T. I'm still hopeful for the 6 month period if my T will go away or calm down.

I do believe you should stay away from headphones and loud places in general for the first few months after T onset. Your T is "everywhere" right now, it takes a while before it settles and you learn what patterns and what your baseline is. For now, rest your ears! I stayed away from headphones for a while and now I use it maybe a total of 30-45 min a day (usually spread out over 2-3 periods so never really super long). It doesn't make my T worse, but it is different for every individual. I have the sound on 3 (of 100) on the computer and usually go mid-way on spotify, so it is very low. I can even find that too loud so I can go even lower.

 

[sleepy]

I do believe you should stay away from headphones and loud places in general for the first few months after T onset. Your T is "everywhere" right now, it takes a while before it settles and you learn what patterns and what your baseline is. For now, rest your ears! I stayed away from headphones for a while and now I use it maybe a total of 30-45 min a day (usually spread out over 2-3 periods so never really super long). It doesn't make my T worse, but it is different for every individual. I have the sound on 3 (of 100) on the computer and usually go mid-way on spotify, so it is very low. I can even find that too loud so I can go even lower.

Thanks. Listening to music was my remedy after a long day. I'm pretty bummed that I can't do my normal everyday activities. Is that D.va on your avatar? Sad to say, I think me gaming long playing overwatch was what caused my T. Coupled with lots loud music etc.

 

[maltese]

I'm sure my T was caused by a lot of headphones and ear buds usage. My T was relatively easy to handle, until I started using my headphones again for 30-40 mins. My T changed from a ring sound to crickets in the middle of my head.

It sucks, because I used music and videogames as my way to unwind and relax. I'm at about a month and half with T. I'm still experimenting on what triggers my T. I'm still hopeful for the 6 month period if my T will go away or calm down.

Keep playing video games and listening to music, this is very important actually. Dont let T control your life.

You *have* to make lifestyle changes - stay away from headphones, nightclubs, metal concerts but if you stop doing things that make you happy, T wins - takes over your life.

Keep doing stuff that makes you feel good. Don't you dare quit playing video games lol

Just use speakers, not headphones. Keep the volume low. You'll be fine.

 

[Fangen]

Thanks. Listening to music was my remedy after a long day. I'm pretty bummed that I can't do my normal everyday activities. Is that D.va on your avatar? Sad to say, I think me gaming long playing overwatch was what caused my T. Coupled with lots loud music etc.

That is D.va She is my main (among a few others!).
I used to play a lot of Destiny, through headphones prior to my T. What I did after T, was to use the mic around my neck (I have both an Astro and a cheaper model) and have the sound from the TV. It is not optimal and can give out an echo to my teammates but that was my solution to be able to play with friends and be careful of my hearing at the same time.

I know you have regrets, I got mine from a concert I didn't want to attend to. I walked by the venue/club where I got it everyday and in the beginning it reminded me of my T all the time. Now I pass it without much thought, at some some point you just realize that you cannot change the past. You're still new to T and I know there is a lot of feelings and you have good and bad days, don't feel stressed that you are not okay just yet. Take your time.

I do have to say that gaming is the number one reason for my habituation, or well it speed it up a lot. You don't think about the T when it is 99% vs 99% on overtime and you are in the point and fighting for the victory After a while I realized escaping to another "world" gave me "silence". Having a break from it really helped. There is always ways around things, so don't give up on your favorite hobbies

Love,
D.va

 

[EddieMar]

Since my T, I don't listen to music via headphones anymore but two ENTs told me listening to music with headphones at 50% should be fine.

 

[Krish230]

Since my T, I don't listen to music via headphones anymore but two ENTs told me listening to music with headphones at 50% should be fine.

I think it varies depending on the person. As your T is quite new it's definitely good that you aren't listening via headphones. I think I will give it a go in a couple of months and pay extra close attention to any changes in my T to make sure there isn't an increase