Sound in the Ears

[Gionnirocket]

Not necessarily goofy

 

[RunForTheHills]

I stand corrected

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

Loud music and helmet straps did it for me.

Helmet straps can cause tinnitus? How?

 

[stompandgo]

Helmet straps can cause tinnitus? How?

The wind rushing by them creates noise. I noticed that while descending, if I pushed the front strap against my head, or turned my head sideways, the noise went away. I also noticed that it was much harder to communicate with other riders while descending, and that my tinnitus was more prominent after a long ride or race. I have no scientific data for you, just my own situation and experience.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

The wind rushing by them creates noise. I noticed that while descending, if I pushed the front strap against my head, or turned my head sideways, the noise went away. I also noticed that it was much harder to communicate with other riders while descending, and that my tinnitus was more prominent after a long ride or race. I have no scientific data for you, just my own situation and experience.

Interesting. I have mild tinnitus that I don't even notice most of the time. Also don't notice much wind noise on most of my rides (always with helmet), but pretty sure you ride faster than I do in average.

Will pay more attention to these things to see if there's a correlation in my case. However, no way to prove long-term causation with case reports.

 

[stompandgo]

My tinnitus is not mild. I'm not trying to prove anything.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

My tinnitus is not mild. I'm not trying to prove anything.

Understood.

 

[Gionnirocket]

Hey maybe we can enlist the same NASA scientists trying to nail down the handlebar vibration/smart phone camera dilemma to chime in on the specific sound/pressure waves caused by helmet straps and their affect on tinnitus

 

[stompandgo]

Hey maybe we can enlist the same NASA scientists trying to nail down the handlebar vibration/smart phone camera dilemma to chime in on the specific sound/pressure waves caused by helmet straps and their affect on tinnitus

I support this.

If I'm not mistaken, Jeremy is a retired doctor, and may know of relevant studies on the subject.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

If I'm not mistaken, Jeremy is a retired doctor, and may know of relevant studies on the subject.

Correct but not my area of expertise (diagnostic and interventional radiology), and I no longer have medical journal access. Pretty sure, though, that tinnitus is a complex technical problem with the devil in the details.

 

[stompandgo]

Correct but not my area of expertise (diagnostic and interventional radiology), and I no longer have medical journal access. Pretty sure, though, that tinnitus is a complex technical problem with the devil in the details.

Excellent. Then maybe you can help me with my cervical spinal stenosis.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

Excellent. Then maybe you can help me with my cervical spinal stenosis.

Happy to help. Next time you're in SoCal, we'll hold you up to the light and see what's wrong with you.
;^}

 

[6zfshdb]

My doctor told me there is no single cure for tinnitus, and it affects individuals in a variety of ways. Different remedies work for some but not all. This thread tends to support that statement.

In my case, any sustained noise above a certain level brings on tinnitus for a period of time. It never goes away completely but the amplitude varies greatly. Sustained road noise on long trips in my pickup often trigger an attack. I usually wear ear plugs to prevent it. Yeah, it's illegal but I value my hearing so I chance it. I can still hear horns and sirens with the plugs, so I don't consider it a safety hazard.

I'm also affected by wind noise caused by my helmet straps and it can trigger tinnitus. I don't hear it without the helmet but I value my head too much to ride without one. The Cat-Ears solve the problem and have been a godsend for me anyway.

Noise cancelling headphones and earbuds, if worn for an extended period, can also trigger a tinnitus attack. So far, I've never heard anyone else complain of this. Again, just another example of how the malady affects people differently.

Unfortunately, listening to my wife yammer all the time doesn't trigger an attack, so I can't use that excuse to wear the ear plugs all the time.

 

[stompandgo]

Happy to help. Next time you're in SoCal, we'll hold you up to the light and see what's wrong with you.
;^}

I'm not that thin.