Tinnitus: Pilates

Many people with chronic severe tinnitus find it very difficult to participate in cardiovascular workouts because the workouts can raise blood pressure and raise AC current levels in the brain which causes the tinnitus to get even louder and then taper down a few hours later. When the tinnitus is louder it can trigger natural brain annoyance responses like depression and mood changes.

If you are doing jumping jacks, running, or bouncing your head in any way as part of your workout you should probably stop doing that because you are creating infrasound waves inside of your cochlea that could be causing more damage to your delicate cilia cells. 

Some medical providers do not know about the infrasound phenomenon and so they generally recommend cardiovascular workouts for tinnitus patients. You have to take control of your health and recognize that you have a choice. You have to know what makes your tinnitus worse and what does not. Avoid what makes it worse regardless of what anyone else recommends. You are the only person in the world who has your unique auditory damage. You are uniquely out of tune (like a piano).

Before my tinnitus became severe, I used to participate in triathlons. I ran, biked, and swam often for training. Now I cannot even imagine participating in a triathlon. But, if I don't exercise then my overall physical health will plummet and the tinnitus will get worse. 

Since I could no longer maintain a triathlete regimen I had to look for an alternative. The best alternative that I've found is Pilates. It does not cure my tinnitus or make me any less aware of the tinnitus. Pilates does keep me from becoming physically unhealthy and possibly prevents my tinnitus from getting worse.

If you live near water, go kayaking once in awhile just to get some fresh air and apply your new Pilates arm strength. Plus, the sound of water is a natural white noise that may mask your tinnitus while you are paddling. Biking is good. Focus on what you can do, not what you can't do.

Occasionally I will attend a stationary bike class but I inform the instructor beforehand that I will not be able to maintain the class pace. They are very understanding. It really is just to get my legs moving. I bring my Bose QuietComfort 15 to class with me. 

What works for me may not work for you. Your tinnitus may be completely different from mine. You may have secondary conditions that might prevent you from certain exercises like Pilates. Your body is made to move. Excessively loud tinnitus is exhausting. It will make you not want to move. You have to compel yourself to do so.  

Tinnitus: Temporary Relief While SCUBA Diving

I've noticed some temporary relief from my tinnitus while SCUBA diving and for a few hours after each dive. When I leave the water and try to listen for the ringing sound it is completely gone. A few hours later, it suddenly returns. I have severe chronic subjective tinnitus.

My theory as to why this happens has to do with temperature. Pressure, at depth, can be ruled out as the source of temporary relief because the cochlea and the brain are fluid filled spaces.

My theory is that as brain temperature cools it causes the AC current, in the brain, to drop causing temporary relief. A few hours later, on land, as the brain returns to its normal temperature the AC current raises back up and the tinnitus suddenly returns. It is like a light switch being turned on and off.

Researchers should be looking at brain temperature control as a possible treatment option. The water that I dive in is typically 52-56 degrees. That is about the same temperature as iced tea. I wear a 3mm hoodie and a 5-7mm wetsuit which keeps me fairly warm but cooler overall than I would be on land. I typically dive in the 25-50ft. depth range.

Tinnitus: Infrasound Effects

Infrasound may cause tinnitus or make existing tinnitus worse. Infrasound occurs when the cochlea is shaken repeatedly for long durations. Normally, ears detect a noise vibration and the brain interprets the vibration as sound. However, with infrasound there is no noise stimuli. It is the fluid in the cochlea being moved back and forth due to being shaken repeatedly. A good example is sea sickness. There is no noise but the boat rocking and vibrating causes the fluid in the cochlea to move. The effects are obvious and immediate. Sea sickness is one result of infrasound overexposure. Some people are more sensitive to infrasound than others.

People who drive or ride in tanks, airplanes, buses, trains, or ships for long durations are exposed to infrasound. Over time, infrasound can begin to weaken the cilia (hairlike cells) of the cochlea which causes the brain to generate a sound (e.g. ringing, whooshing, crickets, crackling, thumping, clicking, popping). 

This may explain why hearing protection will not help some people to avoid tinnitus.
Here's an example, hypothetically speaking: A ship's captain or crew member may be wearing proper hearing protection and yet may still experience tinnitus during or immediately after an 18 hour boat ride. The vibration of the ship passing through the water has vibrated the liquid in the cochlea and caused the liquid to pass over the delicate cilia cells and mat some of them down (like blades of grass that have been trampled down) despite the fact that hearing protection was used. If the boat captain or crew  member is running tours everyday then over time the tinnitus cannot only become permanent but louder and more annoying and even debilitating.

The only protection against infrasound overexposure is to stop the activity altogether or reduce the exposure duration by limiting the activity to safe time limits or intervals.