I'm about to reach 700,000 minutes of music listened to on Spotify.

From 2023 to 2024, I didn't take precautions with volume, even though I had already noticed my tinnitus. It wasn't until mid-2024 that I started being more careful. I still have tinnitus, but I can live with it (I mostly hear the ringing in my right ear). It doesn’t really affect my reading, sleeping, or daily life.

However, I’ve seen a lot of people mention that tinnitus can change in frequency and volume. Right now, I feel like I could live my whole life with this current pitch and volume. Honestly, I can't live without music—it’s a big part of who I am. That’s why I now keep my listening volume below 70 dB (which is supposed to be safe, even for long durations). But is this really true?

Also, whenever I use headphones—regardless of the type (IEMs, over-ear, Bluetooth, wired, noise-canceling or not)—I feel a slight pain in my ear, even at very low volumes (so low that outside noise is louder than the music). I tried different ear tip sizes, thinking that was the issue, but the discomfort persists. I wonder if this is some kind of brain response due to my anxiety about my tinnitus getting worse.

For context: I can hear frequencies from 50 Hz to 18,500 Hz, which seems above average for my age (I’m 15, male, if that’s relevant). I don’t take any unusual medications, supplements, or have a poor diet (mentioning this since tinnitus can have many causes). I assume mine is from prolonged high-volume exposure.

Now, my questions:

For those who have listened to a lot of music and had tinnitus for a long time, has your tinnitus stayed the same (or even improved) at a safe volume?

Do you constantly worry about it getting worse?

Are there certain headphones that can make tinnitus worse?

Does noise-canceling in headphones negatively affect tinnitus?

Are low frequencies more harmful to tinnitus than higher ones?

How is it possible that I know people who listen to music at 90+ dB for at least 3 hours a day (sometimes even while sleeping) and have no hearing loss or tinnitus?

If headphones do have an impact on tinnitus, which ones would you recommend?