Ringing in the Ears (Tinnitus)

JoeP said:

With my SENA speakers I would have to crank it all the way up and still couldn't hear the music too well as speed.

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This is a sure-fire way to damage your hearing. You don't realize how loud the sound it cranked up until you're going slow or stopped. Even then the brain attenuates what you hear to some degree but the sound pressure level stays the same.

Your method or earplugs and helmet speakers minimize or eliminate damage. Custom molds around good earbuds afford the best solution but as you say are pricy. And some hearing problems like auditory nerve damage can't be fixed. But it can be prevented.

Always, always ride with ear plugs!


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ST Gui said:

This is a sure-fire way to damage your hearing. You don't realize how loud the sound it cranked up until you're going slow or stopped. Even then the brain attenuates what you hear to some degree but the sound pressure level stays the same.

Your method or earplugs and helmet speakers minimize or eliminate damage. Custom molds around good earbuds afford the best solution but as you say are pricy. And some hearing problems like auditory nerve damage can't be fixed. But it can be prevented.

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If you live and ride in Florida you may want to check Florida motorcycle laws, because I recently did and if I remember correctly the regs say riding with ear buds is illegal here. Just a thought. It did not say anything about helmet speakers being illegal and that's what I use with my Sena.


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Bill, I think they're illegal in Colorado if both ears are plugged in. But I take that risk... no law is going to keep me from protecting my hearing.

Well, I'm in the same boat with the ringing now. It just started a few months ago and I thgouht long and hard about what if anything was different to start the ringing. I only came up with a medication change a few weeks prior to it starting. Of course me doing some research on the interwebs there are some accounts of "it may cause ringing in the ears"... Did the medication start it or prior damage? 22 years in the Navy and I knoew i have hearing loss but never had ringing in the ears until a few months ago. I used ear plugs on and off when riding the motorcycle and now used them most of the time... I also have the windscreen up on the higher speed roads to minimize any wind noise, which I did before the ringing started.
I went back to see the Doc and she said there was some trapped liquid behind my hear drum that she could see so she put me on some nose spray stuff to help with the sinus pressure I've been having... which I'm still congested and my ears seem to get plugged up when I blow my nose.
I'm still hoping that the sinus issue is what is causing the ringing and it will eventually go away but seems like the longer I have it the more I just feel like it's not going away.
At times it's pretty distracting.

As I can see, most of you guys already have an issue with ringing/buzzing in your ears (tinnitus). Though, I wonder, how bad is in your case. Right now I can "hear" buzzing in my ears even when I drive my car on interstate.
I scheduled an appointment for the ear exam...

ParkerBill said:

If you live and ride in Florida you may want to check Florida motorcycle laws

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This is good advice for anybody in any state anytime they they're not sure what the law is even if they are going to ignore it.

It used to be illegal to use earplugs in CA (who's gonna wear just one). Now earplugs are legal so long as you can hear hear sirens and horns of emergency vehicles or the horns of other cars etc. There are other exceptions as well but riders using earplugs within the law are A-OK.

Being illegal didn't stop a lot of people. And it's no exaggeration that most of us can actually hear better at speed with 'em than without 'em. That's a law I don't mind breaking. The only problem is when you're stopped for anything. I don't hear well with 'em in normal conversation. So in FL I'd have to leave my helmet on (just lift up the front have of the modular) and "Sorry riding makes my ears ring!"

My ears began to ring after I caught a cold four years ago. The tinnitus continued for several years and went away on its own. I always use hearing protection around loud noises and I wear ear plugs while riding.

Since it is legal for totally Deaf people to ride in all 50 States, it would be a hard row to hoe to get money from me if they ever ticketed me for wearing earplugs.

I just want to make something clear. I did not say or suggest that ear plugs are illegal in Florida. I was saying that ear buds (for music, etc.) are illegal.


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Some custom ear plugs are called filters by the manufacturer as they don't block the sound but decrease the sound pressure. The filter designation could be the answer to the legal question. My audiologist recommended wearing them to concerts as they will "filter" out the noise of inconsiderate people who talk during performance. It works. Wearing them on plane flights cuts the cabin noise way down but I hear the messages from the crew.

With the custom plugs I can hear vehicles coming up to the side and rear as well as emergency vehicle sirens from a good way off.

Len

lenparkin said:

With the custom plugs I can hear vehicles coming up to the side and rear as well as emergency vehicle sirens from a good way off.

Len

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Yes - this is my experience and as I mentioned before I can still hear the intercom OK with custom plugs.

I have a set of custom molded plugs with sets of attenuation inserts from 15 to 25db. I had them made for surviving guitar playing gigs.

They have a flat response curve and don't leave you with that plugged up feeling. They just turn down the volume. I love using them when mowing.

I just never really thought about the wind noise while riding. I'll need to try them while riding and report back.

Sorry for bumping this super old thread, but I've recently started experiencing tinnitus. It should be mentioned that I had Covid just after Christmas and it seems that my current condition might be caused by Covid. Did anyone experience ear ringing after Covid or other viruses? Did it pass away on its own?

I haven't heard of this as a Covid symptom (which means nothing, I'm no doctor). I would suggest you see an ENT doc and have him check you out. You are too young to be having hearing problems. You have access to the National Health Service, do you not? So seeing doc is not expensive like over here.

This is interesting. I caught Covid in July of last year and noticed the tinnitus was more pronounced. I just assumed it was my old age and all the previous years of riding without ear plugs (when I was younger and didn't know better). It comes and goes, can't say that Covid made it any worse, but I sure notice it more.

Many years and miles of riding will cause tinnitus to sneak up on you regardless how old you are. I used to work very close to jet engines running... as in standing right next to the main landing gear. The jet engine noise is most damaging directly in front of the intake, but you really don't want to be too close to that part or it might ruin your whole day!
I was expecting tinnitus to happen to me when I was only 30 because of this. But it hasn't. At least I haven't "heard" it happening. Maybe more damage than I thought!

I think I posted earlier about this, but I always try to protect what hearing I have left by using ear plugs when riding more than just a mile or two to the store. I just turn up my Sena when I do wear them and all is good.

But I am aware that getting Covid will... enhance anything that is bad that is happening in addition to diminishing what is good.

rjs987 said:

...I think I posted earlier about this, but I always try to protect what hearing I have left by using ear plugs ...

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I always wear earplugs. I managed to make it through a lot of years on the flight line without losing my hearing. There's no reason to lose it now.

Chris

What..???

rjs987 said:

The jet engine noise is most damaging directly in front of the intake, but you really don't want to be too close to that part or it might ruin your whole day!

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In case there was any doubt...