Tinnitus and General Ear Care

DrGonzo

Hey Guys,

I know we are all lovers of sound, music and tone - especially that which comes from very high output devices!
so I know that Im not alone in experiencing the occasional tinnitus (that annoying tonal ring in your ears!)

Recently I have become Super paranoid about my ears and hearing seem as though i would like to use them to pursue a career and without full functioning I could imagine being a horribly depressed person...

I get the occasional tinnitus (prob about once a week, sometimes more, sometimes not for more than 2 weeks) in my left ear. from a random guess i would say probably around 1khz, sometimes a bit higher...
It really bums me out.

Some people say that it is indeed hearing damage and you will never hear that frequency properly again.. and others say that it can be temporary and not even related to hearing damage.
I visited an audiologist a year or so ago and she said it could be anything from just having 1 too many cups of coffee to sinus problems, to hearing damage.
There didn't seem to be any damage in my ear, some dips in certain frequencies but all within a perfectly acceptable range.

So I was wondering what any tinnitus sufferers and informed ppl have to say about it.

and also any tips about general ear care and maintenance would also be appreciated - I think it is something that ppl tend to put off or laugh off (no crank it up stop being a wuss!!) until it is far too late...
and tell me can you imagine a world where those sounds that give you so much pleasure are just a muffled blur. ☹
HELL NO!

aja

if you don't mind me asking, how old are you? are you an avid swimmer? water can be evil to ears...

Psean

A question: do you use earplugs? Stories about tinnitus scared the crap out of me so I got a pair and it makes things so much more comfortable. I use them when I watch gigs too.

Here's what Paul G0ilbert has to say about his hearing loss (no tinnitus bit good to hear (no pun intended) from someone who's dealing with hearing loss and continuing a pro music career
http://www.premierguitar.com/Magazine/Issue/2012/Mar/Shred_Your_Enthusiasm_For_Those_About_to_Rock.aspx

IceCreamMan

I have hearing loss at certain frequencies , i also have difficulty discerning sound when there is noise around me.,...caused by years of loud music, motorcycling long distances and an element of hereditariness (sp)

i use earplugs sometimes, all the time on my bike, and at concerts...ppl look at me funny but at Rammstein i wore earplugs for 80% of the concert......i had a great time.

Hearing loss is permanenet , only way to recover is with aids .....so best look after it throughout life.

go to a hearing clinic and get some specially made plugs , its going to cost you around a grand OR get a set of Vater plugs at around R200-00 ( or similar) its worth it

Good luck

singemonkey

I damaged one ear some time back by wearing in-ear headphones while driving (masking how loud I actually had my music). It's permanent. No doubt. But - it is influenced by sinus issues too. For example, right now, with a certain limited amount of background noise, I'm not aware of it. It's at its worst when my sinuses are heavily blocked up and it's super-quiet.

Mannemarak

I fell with a mountain bike in 2000, hit my head hard, and I have tinnitus in my left ear, it is alwaysthere, (I just learned to ignore the sound) and it is permanent, also about 20% hearing in that ear if I am lucky, that is my issue, and from what docters say, we have no way of fixing that currently, so it is permanent. your case might be worthwile to investigate further if it is bothering you too much, and they might be able to hep you depending on what is wrong.

Reinhard

I think my damage came from clubbing when i was younger, small dance floor and speakers blasting right at it.

Earplugs are a must. I love the cheap foam ones for a good volume drop, but it knocks out the treble frequencies. I ended up buying the ones music stores sell. While they don't dampen as nicely, you hear more of the tonal spectrum.

These days I try to avoid using headphones in situations like Singemonkey mentioned. I used to listen to my ipod in the gym to drown out the shite music they played, but you have to turn up so loud it can be good for you.

Like others have mentioned, I am only aware of it when there is no background noise and the intensity varies.

DrGonzo

Psean wrote: A question: do you use earplugs? Stories about tinnitus scared the crap out of me so I got a pair and it makes things so much more comfortable. I use them when I watch gigs too.

Here's what Paul G0ilbert has to say about his hearing loss (no tinnitus bit good to hear (no pun intended) from someone who's dealing with hearing loss and continuing a pro music career
http://www.premierguitar.com/Magazine/Issue/2012/Mar/Shred_Your_Enthusiasm_For_Those_About_to_Rock.aspx

Im 24, 25 later this year....
I played a few gigs, like about 4 or 5 perhaps more without ear protection and a couple of band practises (albeit damn loud band practises) my ears are very sensitive so in all those situations i recognised that it was too loud and put toilet paper in my ears.. then I got myself a pair etymtotic 20's the ones that arent moulded into your ear, wore them religously (forgot them once or twice) and for the last year I have had custom moulded ones with 2 filters 15db and 25db.

So i have actually been proactive in looking after my ears... too the point where it is just a tad obsessive! Like i get real angry if someone accidently makes a loud noise near my ear...

I find the ring happens in my left ear usually after a cup of coffee and a smoke as well as after mixing for a prolonged period (although i do mix ant generally low levels.!)
I have been reading that Caffeine, nicotine and anti inflammitory drugs( ibuprofen, aspirin) can cause the ring... Allergies and Sinus problems can also do funny things to your ears..

As i said it is not constant, or periodical, and usually doesnt last for more than 15 seconds.... and sometimes there it doesnt happen for 2 or 3 weeks.
Mybe its just my ears tellng me to take a break who knows..
The last hearing test i went to last year was positive with nothing out of the norm...

Perhaps I will book another appointment soon just to follow up.

V8

IceCreamMan wrote: go to a hearing clinic and get some specially made plugs , its going to cost you around a grand OR get a set of Vater plugs at around R200-00 ( or similar) its worth it

+1 - I researched custom earplugs a few years back. There was a company in PTA doing proper custom made sets of earplugs, around R650 (inc postage to CPT). Alas there was a bit of a mission getting the casts properly done so I just got a set of vaters from the local music shop. They fit all right, have lasted a good few years and come with a 15db & 20db set of inserts.

Hearing damage isn't only music related...I was doing some car DIY this week, which included grinding out some rust from the boot (gotta love old cars) and stoopid me, didn't use earplugs on day1, which resulted in ringing ears and no sleep. Day2 the plugs were firmly inserted and no worries after that.

Perhaps slightly offtopic : I was chatting to some pro PA guys at a trance party - 40K PA rig, during my mates set the FOH engineer told me that I'd have zero ringing in my ears due to the mid range drivers he was using on the system - apparently these mid's had super strong magnets that controlled the travel of the speaker - which he reckoned translated to minimal distortion in the mid range, whioch was supposed to translate into no ear ringing-ness. Which my unprotected ears can testify to, zero ringing, even though I was 5-10m from the speakers for at least 4hours. Colour me impressed...

DrGonzo

V8 wrote:
IceCreamMan wrote: go to a hearing clinic and get some specially made plugs , its going to cost you around a grand OR get a set of Vater plugs at around R200-00 ( or similar) its worth it
Hearing damage isn't only music related...I was doing some car DIY this week, which included grinding out some rust from the boot (gotta love old cars) and stoopid me, didn't use earplugs on day1, which resulted in ringing ears and no sleep. Day2 the plugs were firmly inserted and no worries after that.

Well you see that's kind of info i like to see, that ringing in the ears can possibly just a be a result of agitation and then its fine the next day!

V8

DrGonzo wrote: Well you see that's kind of info i like to see, that ringing in the ears can possibly just a be a result of agitation and then its fine the next day!

Yeaaahhh welllll, I'm not a doctor and hearing loss can be permanent (and severely affect one's lifestyle) so the fact it's apparently recovered in a day is not entirely factual? I remember reading stories of 70's rockers who'd have to drink/drug themselves to sleep due to tinnitus...I enjoy playing guitar and making noise, but that's perhaps excessive...

Basically, no excuses for not taking adequate precautions.

As I mentioned I chatted to these guys : http://www.protecear.co.za/ in PTA and they were 'on the ball' in replying to my questions and would be my first choice locally for pro level ear plugs.

Here's an email from them :

The basic price for a set of custom-made hearing protectors is around R480.00, excluding VAT and courier costs. Our factory is in Pretoria East - if we see the clients here for impression taking and fitment the courier costs are negated. The product has a filtering device which attenuates loud sounds above 85dB but allows softer sounds thru practically unaltered. We also manufacture custom interfaces for in-ear monitors (at around the same price), where the client would supply his own hardware.

Chabenda

Pardon?.......

Psean

Chabenda wrote: Pardon?.......

It was only a matter of time... :roflmao:

Averatu

I know of some highly regarded sound engineers who are basically deaf. I was lucky, the guy I took lessons from made an issue about it from the start. If I dont have plugs I shove toilet paper in my ears. I plug, or I use insulating earbud headphones when working with powertools, rehearsing, night clubs, gigs. Some factorys I've been to the machines are so flipping loud, you'd be deaf in a day. Dont take chances!

Kalcium

IceCreamMan wrote: Hearing loss is permanenet , only way to recover is with aids .....

??? I don't think thats worth it, the cons of having aids far outweighs hearing loss... ?

psyx

Kalcium wrote:
IceCreamMan wrote: Hearing loss is permanenet , only way to recover is with aids .....
??? I don't think thats worth it, the cons of having aids far outweighs hearing loss... ?

:roflmao:

Chabenda

A cramped stage where you are standing right up against the cymbals will also leave you feeling like you have just survived Gunfight at the Ok Corral.. Quinine is also a bad one that can leave your hearing impaired for life.

guidothepimmp

yup I have tinnitus.

For the last 2 years Ihave been visiting audiologists to monitor my hearing loss.

It hasnt gotten worse over this last year and a half but through allthe testing they have confirmed I have mild hearing loss in the higher frequencies.

Their explanation is quite interesting too. As the hairs in your inner ear that transfer sound wave are damaged, they can never regenerate. Your brain then creates that frequency to compensate for the lack of stimulus in that range...

So in both my ears I have a high pitch noise. I went through periods where I couldnt sleep... was a total mission... but I am getting used to it.

Needless tosay.. I carry my earplugs with me 24/7. If it gets loud, in they go.

DrGonzo

guidothepimmp wrote: yup I have tinnitus.

For the last 2 years Ihave been visiting audiologists to monitor my hearing loss.

It hasnt gotten worse over this last year and a half but through allthe testing they have confirmed I have mild hearing loss in the higher frequencies.

Their explanation is quite interesting too. As the hairs in your inner ear that transfer sound wave are damaged, they can never regenerate. Your brain then creates that frequency to compensate for the lack of stimulus in that range...

So in both my ears I have a high pitch noise. I went through periods where I couldnt sleep... was a total mission... but I am getting used to it.

Needless tosay.. I carry my earplugs with me 24/7. If it gets loud, in they go.

I feel for you man... I appreciate your positive outlook to it though!

Mine is not continuous or periodical but rather random... It has never lasted more than 30 seconds to a minute and has certainly never kept me awake!

DrGonzo

Chabenda wrote: A cramped stage where you are standing right up against the cymbals will also leave you feeling like you have just survived Gunfight at the Ok Corral.. Quinine is also a bad one that can leave your hearing impaired for life.

I think that is the reason my left ear seems more susceptible , as i have an obsession about playing on the right hand side of a stage (from stage looking to audience..). i have never played on the other side nor would i dare!
So always had that goddamn ride cymbal clanking violently in close proximity to my gesig!