I take out my hearing aids and wait for the technician to take me into the room with the MRI machine. I knew the drill from last year’s MRI, but sitting in the hearing-aid-less silence was still unnerving. It’s always in the silence that my tinnitus rears its ugly head.
At last year’s appointment an unexpected hearing loss friend helped me through the process — the technician had a child with a cochlear implant — but not this time. This technician was focused only on getting the job done. Fine with me. Let’s get this over with!
Doubling Up for Better Hearing Protection
We entered the space and she offered me headphones for ear protection. I placed them on my head, but they didn’t seem particularly hefty. Noise during an MRI can range from 65 – 130 decibels, with most at 100 dB or higher. I urgently missed the Bose noise-canceling headphones I wear on planes to block out noise.
“Are these strong enough headphones?” I asked. “I don’t want to exacerbate my hearing loss.” We decided to double up. She added an extra pair of in-ear earplugs before replacing the headphones on my head. I was glad that I had asked and received this additional protection. As someone with hearing loss, I cherish the residual hearing that remains. And as a person with thankfully well-controlled tinnitus, I didn’t want anything unusual to cause a flareup.
For 20 minutes I practiced yoga breathing — a slow six counts in and out through the nose — while the machine buzzed and beeped its magic scans. With each pause in the noise, I assessed the level of my tinnitus. Was it the same as before? Had it increased? I couldn’t tell.
MRI and Tinnitus: Spike Recedes Over Night
The procedure ended, I donned my hearing aids and headed for home with the advice to drink a lot of water to drain out whatever dye they had used for the contrast. I felt a bit woozy. A little dizzy. A little off-center, but figured this was normal. And then the ringing began. Thankfully, it wasn’t terrible but it was certainly elevated from my minimal baseline levels.
I headed home to rest and hoped my ears and brain would reset themselves before long. And thankfully they did. By the next morning, I felt no residual effects. And the scan came back clean. What a wonderful way to start the week.
Readers, how do you protect your hearing during an MRI or other loud medical procedure?
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As a person that is claustrophobic MRIs are a no go. I would have to be put in a deep sleep before they could get me in the room.
It is claustrophobic! Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Sometimes I don’t know what’s worse…tinnitus or hearing loss…close race.
Agreed! Thank you for your comment.