Can Exercise Lead to Tinnitus?
Is there a connection between exercise & tinnitus?
Exercise is one of the most beneficial things you can do for your body and mind. However, a noisy gym combined with loud music can damage your hearing and lead to hearing loss or tinnitus. In this article, we explore how exercise can cause hearing loss or tinnitus.
My ears get clogged when I exercise, why is that?
During heavy exertion like lifting weights, your body and mind strain as you push yourself to meet your weightlifting goals. When you have pressure in your brain while you strain your body and mind, it leads to pressure within your ears. Most people also hold their breath while they lift weights, which adds additional pressure to the inner ear.
To prevent your ears becoming clogged while lifting weights or heavy exercise, try unclogging your ears just by yawning just before you begin. Also, make sure to breathe during the exercise, which will help prevent your ears from becoming clogged as well.
Sometimes I hear ringing in my ears after I exercise, what causes this?
When you complete an intense workout, it increases the pressure in your ear and can lead to perilymphatic fistula (PLF), which is a small tear or defect in the thin membrane between the inner and middle ear. It can be caused by the pressure in the inner ear due to straining; however, most people aren’t aware of it right away after it happens. Symptoms include tinnitus, ear fullness, dizziness, and sensitivity to everyday noises.
Dropping heavyweights is as powerful as a gunshot blast.
When you workout in a weightlifting room, most weightlifters drop the heavyweights to the ground after the exertion from lifting. After testing the noise level of a weightlifting room, the dropping of a heavyweight to the ground was as noisy as the sound of a shotgun blast or an airbag deploying. If someone were to drop a weight near your ear, you could permanently lose your hearing or develop tinnitus. While most gyms have padded floor in weightlifting rooms, but if you find the noise bothersome or a gym member not respecting other’s space while lifting weights, then talk to the gym manager to see what can be done.
Loud gym music can lead to hearing loss and tinnitus.
We all know that using headphones or earbuds can cause permanent damage to our hearing. Did you know that the loud gym music that is blasted through the speakers in order to energize athletes for their workouts can also cause damage to our hearing? The music at gyms is often cranked up to well over 90-100 decibels (dB), which can cause noise-induced hearing loss or tinnitus when combined with all the other noises in a gym like the workout machines. If you notice after a workout that your ears are ringing or you have muffled hearing, that means that the music is too loud and you may have damaged your hearing. Most of the time temporary hearing damage can improve, over time from repeated exposure to loud music it will be less likely to heal. If the music is extremely bothersome, try talking to the gym manager to see if they would be willing to turn it down. If not, then try a set of good earplugs to help protect your ears while you work out. This will help you still hear fitness instructors and the music but at a safer volume.
If you notice any hearing loss symptoms, don’t wait to be seen by a hearing care professional. Contact Sound Hearing Care at 864-881-1663 to schedule an appointment at one of our four convenient locations including Simpsonville, Greer, Travelers Rest, and Greenville, South Carolina.
Love to exercise?
That’s fantastic! If you workout frequently, make sure you are taking the necessary precautions to protect your ears from hearing damage.
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