As a tinnitus sufferer ive noticed when riding my motorcycle its not there, no whistling/beeping/screeching/or any other bloody noise it decides to make. Anyone else noticed this ?
I’ve had tinnitus all my life, certainly since as far back as I can remember. Back in 1964 on my first Bantam I wore a very used pudding basin with a super soft and warm leather strap / curtain / skirt ( I didn’t want to just write skirt eh! ) I think it was ACU approved for racing and was just like the one that Derek Minter and all the other racers wore. The leather skirting kept my ears warm and protected from noise. A couple of years later I bought a “jet pilot” style Everoke and was very unimpressed at the roaring racket it produced. Over the years I have tried many helmets, but all were much too noisy. From early trials with cotton wool, then foam and now with custom moulded ear plugs, I cannot ride without hearing protection. It is much too painful. I have long suspected that my friends, who wear no protection and never even mention it, have more rounded heads than I do. I have not yet managed to find a helmet that fits snugly at the sides without it being much too tight front to back. I do sometimes use an ipod type player for music with ear plugs with tiny speakers inside and this, when set at the required volume, just overcomes the effect of tinnitus. In my car and around the house and garage I always have a radio on for the same reason. In fact I have a radio on with a sleep setting on the bedside cabinette or my tinnitus will keep me awake.
I spent my working life in a glass factory (bottles) and the noise was beyond understanding, always wore ear protection but tinnitus crept up on me, i too never sit in a quiet room, always tv or radio on to try and mask the whistle. Funny how its not there or noticeable whilst riding
Maybe your tinnitus is being overwhelmed by the the air whistling past your hat. Or have you got naughty boy exhausts Hmmmmm?
V85tt with standard exhaust, i think its possibly a concentration thing. Apart from the pure joy of riding i think im concentrating to a point where im not aware of the tinnitus
The tinnitus is not there when I ride but the ringing in my ears are there that night.
Mostly when riding the Cali Stone with the bat fairing. I think the intake roar bounces of the fairing and the exhaust packing is gone too.
My LeMans 3 with stock exhaust and airbox is quieter and seem to affect the Tinnitus less.
I’m a sufferer too and when riding I never suffer from it. I put it down to concentration, I’m so busy looking at the road and surroundings that I don’t hear the tinnitus.
I’m a great believer that riding a stress reliever for the same reason. You concentrate on your ride or end up in a tree.
One of the mean reasons I ride, pure escapism
Your spot on i think its the whole concentration/enjoyment mix that makes you not hear your tinnitus. I just try and avoid total silence when at home (radio or tv on in every room) although when im out walking Rosie the labrador i can enjoy the birdsong or noise of the breeze.
Have you noticed that tinnitus makes its presence felt when you read about it?
I was sitting here peacefully until I saw this thread
Thinking about something else helps, but I doubt it is concentration alone. I think, the volume of external noise overwhealms the tinnitus which is then not noticeable. However, the volume of the masking noise may itself cause further damage. I wear ear plugs that allow me to hear my tinnitus in the belief that I am reducing further damage. However, I am not a scientist, just a pensioner sharing my delusions.
I also have ongoing ringing in the ears and put it mainly down to loud rock concerts when younger and using power tools without protection. most of the time it doesn’t bother me, but I always use ear protection now and ear plugs when riding. For music events I use Loop ear plugs and these are pretty good.
I found the information on these links interesting
These days many buildings we visit have hard surfaces and nothing to absorb reflected sound. Something designers ignore are unaware of.
I agree, I think it’s a concentration thing. I’ve had the noise for years, combination of riding bikes without ear plugs in my youth, Motorhead, and simply living…It used to get me down but I now accept it. I read that ancient Tibetan monks meditated by focusing on their noises in the head and since I’m a yoga teacher, I researched this.
Meditation is now becoming an effective tool to manage the condition and I have found that engaging with the noises ( in my case like heavy lorries on a motorway is the best description), I have developed an acceptance. We can’t stop the thousand’s of thoughts that we encounter each day, but we can train the brain to respond differently through meditation, and this is the essence of using meditation for tinnitus.
Oooo meditation sounds interesting
Meditating while riding might cause some interesting side effects.
Joking aside it seems similar to Cognitive Behavioural Therapy which seems to have good reviews in managing tinnitus.
Luckily mine still comes and goes, but im working on my arsenal of weapons to manage it should things worsen
As Lawrence of Arabia said “The trick is not to mind”
It’s always worse when one is bored, seldom a problem for me when riding, particularly as said above, when one has to concentrate.
My tinnitus is whistling like a b@ÂŁ^*rd today, didnt notice it earlier dropping the v85 off at iron city today.