Tinnitus Now Severe from Using a VR Headset and MTB Riding

[snowy]

Hi everyone, first post! Had tinnitus for as long as I can remember, but it was always only noticeable when it was dead silent. Over the last two months I have unwittingly made it severe and I can hear it over everything at all times.

First was using a VR headset. They don't seem loud when using them, but I guess they are. Then a trip to the cinema, which has never caused me issues, made it louder. And then mountain biking. I even put some foam earplugs in thinking I was protected, but the tinnitus got louder again. Now I know there is something called the occlusion effect with earplugs. I think the wind noise travels through the earplugs.

So I'm basically in search of a solution to continue riding because there doesn't seem like a way to block the wind noise...

 

[Tom_Tom]

Hi there, were you using foam earplugs? I've worn those a few times out of windy days and they do a pretty good job of cutting out all wind noise.

However, I can imagine musicians ear plugs probably wouldn't be as effective.

The cinema and VR headset seem likely to at least potentially cause an increase in severity, however the wind noise from mountain biking does feel a bit less likely to be damaging - at least so far as to do permanent ear damage.

I have spikes but sometimes they can take a day or so to kick in and tend to last ages so it's hard to pinpoint exactly what makes it get worse!

If you haven't tried foam earplugs, I'd give them a shot and see if you can ride without any worsening in symptoms.

Good luck.