Try not to be cross with yourself
@pixiebelle If it is the headphones that has caused the spike and I believe it is, then it's not your fault as you didn't know this could happen even though you kept the volume low. The people that should feel cross are the one's that have been forewarned about the risks of headphone use with tinnitus and dismiss it as nonsense. You wouldn't believe the amount of people that contact me after months of habituation even years, and go back to headphone use and find their tinnitus increases then are angry with themselves and full of regret.
Your tinnitus will most probably return to it's previous level in time....
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.
As I have already mentioned 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 becomes affected by noise exposure, it is much more sensitive to sound. This is one of the reasons hyperacusis (sensitivity to sound) is often experienced with noise-induced tinnitus. Someone that already has a sensitive auditory system due to noise-induced tinnitus and listens to music through headphones at a low volume, risks irritating the cochlea further, and this can make the tinnitus louder and more intrusive.
I believe it can be 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 . However, many of them have never experienced intrusive tinnitus. I have spoken to people and corresponded with them by email and at Internet forums, 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 through headphones, as the auditory system is more sensitive but the choice is entirely up to them. Even if the tinnitus wasn't caused by noise trauma, I still advise caution when using headphones and believe, it would be best not to use them at all.
Michael
Member
