To ask if you have tinnitus, if you work out in gyms/classes with music?

[VeepVeep]

I suspect I have mild hearing loss of late, which has led to a strange tinnitus - a low level buzz. It's not continuous - or at least, I don't notice it all the time.

But I have been working out/doing classes in a place that plays loud music. It seems ALL the classes now play loud music.

The classes only run for 45 mins. I'm thinking about getting bespoke noise cancelling ear plugs.

But if you have tinnitus, do you avoid these places? I love exercising and I love my classes. It's also crucial for mental health. But I don't want to make things worse for myself

Your post reads like you think the loud music has caused the tinnitus perhaps?

I have tinnitus but have had it since I was very young, I think caused by persistent ear infections. I have gone to a lot of exercise classes over the last ten years and don't have any problems hearing instructions for example, nor do I feel it has made my tinnitus worse.

I only notice my tinnitus when my surroundings are very quiet and/or I am feeling stressed. I think it's quite normal for it to appear to come and go, but also ear infections can exacerbate it - so if feeling as if you have hearing loss and also noticing the tinnitus is a very new thing I would go to the GP.

I have loud, permanent noise induced tinnitus and carry my custom earplugs everywhere. I haven't been to a live music event or used earphones to listen to music since I got it and yes, I would walk out of any place that I thought was too loud.

I think it would be a good idea to invest in custom moulded plugs, etymotic do 15db and 25db reduction versions. You can get hearing damage and/or tinnitus from noise over 85db, and it important to protect your hearing, especially if you already have tinnitus, and especially if it is caused by noise.

Loud music/sounds can aggravate tinnitus in some people. Do you follow any programme for managing the tinnitus?

www.takeontinnitus.co.uk/#home

I have substantial hearing loss and sometimes the reason I know I'm in a noisy environment is because the tinnitus worsens. So, altho' it can seem bizarre, I have phone apps. for measuring background noise and there are levels above which I'd wear ear plugs.

There are exercise classes that I'd never attend because of the noise levels (truly ludicrous readings). The dB level is so high that it's enough to damage the hearing of the attendees (overwhelmingly female) but it particularly bothers me because the organisers promote that they're family friendly and a lot of young children can be present (and I do mean under-7s).

Hi, thanks all

I just bought a pair of Senner music pro ear plugs off Amazon for music events - I will use those when I exercise.

I would be devastated to have to stop exercising in the classes that I love so I hope this will do the trick. Otherwise I will look at the brand another poster suggested

I too have tinnitus, from listening to headphones too loud and I always take foam headphones with me everywhere I go. I use these in exercise classes and they are brilliant

@MountPheasant - that's good to know. Do they play loud music in your exercise class?

I'm pretty sure years of listening to loud music on headphones also plays a key role.

But both older sister and dad have hearing aids, so there's obviously something hereditary going on too (they don't have tinnitus)

Yea really loud. I am more aware of when music is too loud now so I actually mentioned it to them once- they just said ‘it’s at safe levels’ so I left it. I stay at the back far away from the speakers with my earbuds in now and just follow the beat.

I spent 15-25 with my headphones in on max volume, definitely self inflicted as nobody else in my family has hearing loss at all. I’m a cautionary tale on the importance of not going over the ‘high volume’ level on your headphones!

Just noticed I wrote foam headphones- I meant earbuds! The little cheap orange ones are fine.

Thanks all - it does upset me - I'm a writer so silence is good etc - I'm hoping it will pass

I too have permanent tinnitus after years of listening to music while on the treadmill, far too loudly. It was utterly stupid and I regret it every day. When the tinnitus first started it was horrifying, I lost about 2 stone in weight and ended up on anti depressants. It was a very black time in my life. If you have never had severe tinnitus you can never understand the horror of this condition. Imagine being strapped to a screaming alarm clock on your head 24 hours a day for the rest of your life. Knowing you will never hear silence again. Knowing you can never escape the constant noise. Tinnitus (once you've had it for a few months) is usually permanent. Over the years I've developed coping mechanisms, and I would never expose myself to loud noise now. So the cinema is out for me, as well as loud pubs or bars etc. It's not worth it to know I could damage my ears even more. I sleep with a sound machine playing soft noises so that I can concentrate on something else apart from the tinnitus.
I hope one day they will find a cure but its years away, if ever. Tinnitus is not really an ear problem, it starts as an ear problem but them becomes a brain problem. They know this because some people who have had tinnitus have opted to have their acoustic nerve severed (preferring deafness to tinnitus) but they still hear the tinnitus once the nerve is severed. There are all sorts of theories as to why people get tinnitus including the tiny little 'hairs' responsible for hearing different tones becoming damaged through exposure to sound. The brain then 'helpfully' tries to recreate the missing frequencies by creating the tone on its own. Some people get it through damage from certain ototoxic drugs which damage the inner ear (certain antibiotics, even chemotherapy). Head injuries can cause it. If you are struggling, visit 'tinnitus talk', a helpful forum for sufferers. I hope you get rid of it but if not, don't allow it to get worse by exposing yourself to loud noises if you can avoid it!

Oh, LoobyLou, that's so upsetting. I'm so sorry for you.