Is it still possible to use headphones with tinnitus?

[hylol]

Good morning everyone, I'd like to know if it would be possible to use headphones, of course, at a low volume.

Unfortunately, I read online that people advise against using them even at low volume because they could worsen the symptom. I'd like to know your opinion as well.

Thank you.

[please_stop]

Hi Hylol, I use headphones regularly with no effect on my T. In fact in the early days of T I used them a lot to mask with noise generators. My understanding is hearing loss is linked to T and loud noise is linked to hearing loss. The source of noise is not specific.

[Stubble]

I use mine daily - they are Sony mx5s which have excellent noise cancelling and are very good sound quality. I never have them loud...

[Tlyna]

I have had tinnitus since a head injury back in 1993. Mine tends to get worse at night. I have never tried any meds for it but found that a long (8 hour) track of either light ocean surf or a forest stream at very low volume distracts enough so I can go to sleep. It has never made the problem worse for me. I use it also sometimes when I am sitting up reading or on the computer.

[Notreve7766]

Hi Hylol

I use them all the time with no issue. Headphones don't cause hearing loss if used sensibly

[TinyTin]

I take my hearing aids out and use headphones. Apparently the volume should only go up to 60% for up to an hour. I do this and sometimes myT is a litle worse for a day or sometimes it may less it for a day for some reason. It could depend on what you wish to listen to though.

[surreycccfan]

In the early days when my T caused me distress I limited headphone use to try an maximise the amount of environmental sounds I could hear to try and help me move toward habituation. I did buy some jawbone headphones (I bought from uk.shokz.com but others are available), I found these useful as could still listen to music and take calls while still allowing my auditory system to hear other external environemntal sounds. Probably wearing headphones 24 x 7 to try and drown out your T is not helpful but as with everything T, moderate use depends on how you react to it. Living normally is an important part of living well with you T but as many auidoligst say, excluding enviromental sounds by using headphones can hold us back to allow our auditory systems to adjust to our new phantom sounds and in some way gives the T more focus if we are using headphones to 'avoid' it. I now live well with my T and comfortably use noise cancelling headphones without any negative emotional response. Hope this helps in some small way

[Kellythecat-74]

I use them all the time . They don't make mine any louder . I have them on a very low volume. It could be that people have headphones on loud trying to drown out their T . The thought is that T tries to compete with the noise, so the volume should be just below the T.