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Low-Impact Exercise Can Help Reduce Tinnitus Noise



Exercise can have positive effects on tinnitus, mainly because it's a stress-reliever and stress can worsen tinnitus symptoms.

However, all exercise is not created equal.

Certain types of exercise, particularly high-impact activities like running or sports involving jarring movements of the head, can actually worsen your tinnitus.

According to the National Exercise & Sports Trainers Association, "the head jarring that typically occurs during high-impact aerobic workouts jars the otoconia, which are calcium crystals in our ears, out of place. The result is inner ear problems. If you have a lingering case of tinnitus, you may need to avoid or limit exercises that include jarring movements of the head like running, basketball, football, and soccer."

Weightlifting too can worsen tinnitus. 

The NESTA team writes: "Straining while lifting weights and any other kind of heavy exertion causes pressure within the brain, known as intracranial pressure, which also puts pressure on the ears. This is compounded if you hold your breath. This pressure is similar to what you’d experience when taking off or landing in an airplane. In addition to a feeling of pressure or fullness in the ears, straining can lead to a perilymph fistula, which is a small tear in the membrane between the middle and inner ear. If fluid leaks through the inner ear, it can cause dizziness, tinnitus (ringing in the ears) and hearing sensitivity."

If you notice that your tinnitus gets louder or more frequent after exercise, you may want to try switching your workouts to low-impact activities, like swimming, walking or yoga. Even decreasing the intensity or duration of your sessions of high-impact exercise can help. 

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