HI
@T Toledo OH
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@Michael Leigh Then I will receive an alert message.
I live in the UK and had TRT treatment using white noise generators and counselling. The treatment lasted 2 years and at its completion, the hyperacusis was completely cured and remains this way to this day. The tinnitus reduced to a very low level until 2008 when I had a 2nd noise trauma. The hyperacusis did not return but it took me 4 years to habituate again. Two years of that was having TRT for the 2nd time.
Please read the post below for the reasons I don't recommend using headphones or earbuds for people with Noise induced tinnitus. There is a significance difference between headphone & earbuds to white noise generators and hearing aids.
I understand your reasons for wanting to follow the advice of your Audiologist and the cost element of your treatment. However, headphones and earbuds deliver sound into the ear differently from white noise generators and hearing aids, that can cause harm even at low volume for some people with NIT.
The choice is yours.
Take care
Michael
Headphones and Tinnitus.
The views on whether a person with tinnitus should listen to music through headphones are controversial. Some people show no adverse affects while others do even when the volume level is kept low.
We are all different so the only way a one can know is to experiment for themselves if they want to. In my opinion, when the tinnitus was caused by exposure to loud noise/music and it has become intrusive - by this I mean a person having to seek help at ENT, then they shouldn't listen to music through headphones no matter how low the volume is set.
Most music has syncopation throughout its frequency range, so it's constantly changing in pitch, rhythm and timbre. The beat of the music and volume can also change while listening. This evokes pleasure and can stir our emotions. This happens whether we listen to music loud or soft, although certain types of music does sound better played at a higher volume than others, and vice versa.
Once the Cochlea in the inner ear is affected by exposure to loud noise resulting in tinnitus, it is usually more sensitive to sound. This is one of the reasons hyperacusis (sensitivity to sound) is often experienced with noise-induced tinnitus. The wearing of WNGs (white noise generators) as part of TRT treatment can often improve or cure hyperacusis completely for some people.
The cochlea has approximately 20,000 hair cells attached to it. These hair cells move to the vibration of sound and are just one of the components in the auditory system that enable us to hear. Someone that already has a sensitive auditory system due to noise-induced tinnitus and listens to music through headphones even at low volume, risks irritating the cochlea further; this can make the tinnitus louder and more intrusive.
I believe it's misleading when some health professionals tell tinnitus patients, listening to music through headphones is fine as long as long as the volume is kept low. These health professionals mean well and know a lot about the anatomy of the ear but many of them have never experienced intrusive tinnitus.
I have corresponded with people that have NIT at forums by email and by telephone, complaining their tinnitus has become worse after listening to music through headphones even though the volume was kept low. My advice to anyone that has tinnitus that was caused by exposure to loud noise is not to listen to music or any type of audio through headphones, as the auditory system is more sensitive.
White noise generators and Hearing aids.
Some people question the use of white noise generators and hearing aids and believe they are the same as headphones or earbuds, this is not the case. White noise generators and hearing aids don't usually irritate the auditory system due to the volume being kept low and its frequency range remains constant, so there is no syncopation within it unlike music. In addition to this the sound is delivered through a small plastic tube that wraps over the back of the ear and enters the entrance to the ear canal. At the end of the tube there is a tiny aperture/hole where sound emits.
Headphones and earbuds use a large speaker/diaphragm in comparison to emit sound into the ear. Compared to white noise generators and hearing aids, the sound is crude, unregulated and can cause irritation.
Although white noise generators can be bought privately to treat tinnitus and hyperacusis, I don't advise anyone to do so, unless a Hearing Therapist/Audiologist has first tested their auditory system for suitability. A person must also be shown how to use these devices correctly, as improper use can make the tinnitus worse. Furthermore, they are normally used in conjunction with Tinnitus Retraining Therapy to get optimum results.
I also don't advise listening to white noise, pink noise, brown, noise etc through headphones even at low volume. It is best to always be under the care of an Audiologist/Hearing Therapist that specialises in tinnitus and hyperacusis treatment and management.
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