What to do if you get tinnitus during strength training

If tinnitus suddenly occurs during training, don't panic. Slow down the rhythm of your movements immediately, remove the current weight, open your mouth and take a few deep breaths slowly. Don't hold your breath deliberately to build up strength. Most physiological tinnitus will relieve itself in 1-2 minutes. If it persists for more than 5 minutes, or is even accompanied by earache, dizziness, and hearing loss, don't force it. End the training and go to the otolaryngology department for treatment.

This situation is most likely due to incorrect use of the Valsalva maneuver, which is a movement we habitually hold in our breath and gather strength when pushing heavy weights. If used correctly, it can stabilize the core. However, if used correctly, blood pressure and intracranial pressure will suddenly skyrocket, and the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the ears will be full. It is like diving into water two or three meters deep without equalizing the pressure in the ears, causing the swelling to buzz. Last week, a novice student I coached tried to bench press 1RM. When he lifted the bar, his face turned red. He frowned and took off his protective gear just halfway through the push and said it felt like there was a buzzer in his ears. I asked him to slowly put the bar back into the rack, open his mouth and do a few swallows + pinch his nose and gently inflate. He recovered in two minutes.

There are also many veterans in the circle who think that "tinnitus is just a matter of holding back the intensity, and it will be fine if you shake your head and continue practicing." This statement is actually only applicable to very mild cases that disappear immediately after adjusting your breathing. If you still have a stinging or dull feeling when listening to the sound, it is easy to cause problems. Two years ago, I met a powerlifting enthusiast who got tinnitus when he was trying to deadlift 220kg. He even did two sets of deadlifts. As a result, he was found to have a recessed eardrum. He was unable to train with heavy weights for two whole months. The gain outweighed the loss. I have been through this trap myself before. When I was doing a deadlift PR, I held my breath until I locked out. My ears buzzed, but I didn't take it seriously. I continued to practice two sets of assistance. As a result, I felt like air was leaking from my ears when I yawned for the next three days. I went to the doctor and found out that the Eustachian tube dysfunction was caused by excessive pressure fluctuations in the ears. It took almost a week to heal.

Of course, breathing is not entirely to blame. If you have recently suffered from otitis media or a cold and a stuffy nose, your Eustachian tubes are already blocked, and you may easily develop pressure-type tinnitus if you exert even a little force. In this case, don’t try to push the weights. Wait until the inflammation subsides before resuming training. There are also a few people who experience pulsatile tinnitus that synchronizes with the heartbeat. It is most likely caused by a surge in blood pressure during training. Not only should you stop training immediately, but you should also measure your resting blood pressure more often and adjust the training intensity. Don't make fun of your body just to achieve a PR.

Anyway, to put it bluntly, training is to make the body more comfortable. There is no need to carry it hard for the weight data in the circle of friends. If tinnitus does occur, stabilize it first and adjust your breathing and weight-bearing rhythm. Most of the time, it can be relieved quickly. If you continue to feel uncomfortable, don’t carry it yourself. Seeing a doctor is more reliable than anything else.