OT: Tinnitus! AAAAGGHH!

[adouglas]

I've got a real-deal case of tinnitus, at about 8kHz. Both ears.

Just got back from the audiologist, and the good news is that my hearing is normal...just with this annoying tone going on all.....the.....time. It might even go away on its own. I sure hope it does, because it's really getting on my one remaining nerve. There is no longer any such thing as silence for me.

No wonder so many old folks are grumpy, if they have to put up with crap like this all the time.

So why am I posting about this?

To remind all you whippersnappers out there to WEAR YOUR EARPLUGS, DAMMIT!

If it's too loud, you're not too old. It's just too loud!

beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee............

 

[Martuk]

Yup.I got this.
Crap sound man whle playing in a 'Brit pop' band (turned out he was nearly deaf) was the culprit.
Just wait til you can't hold a conversation in a pub with any noise in the background....

 

[oldbluebassman]

You have my sympathy. I've had it for about 20 years ever since surgery to replace a bone in my left ear.

I find that it is linked to stress and concentration levels. If I'm doing something I like and working hard at it, like playing music, then I hardly notice it. If I'm sat in a meeting or doing something I don't like it rears up at me. I find meetings and such like are physically very tiring because the brain is working twice as hard to hear what is being said through the tinitus.

I really hope that yours eventually goes away.

 

[Psycho Ward]

I have it too, Ginko Biloba helps me quite a bit, but you're right WEAR EAR PLUGS!!!

 

[adouglas]

I have it too, Ginko Biloba helps me quite a bit,

The doc mentioned that but didn't go into detail.

How much do you take, and in what form?

 

[maddog]

I've found relaxation meditation works. I'll develop a ringing by the end of the day. I'll usually sit for 5-10 minutes and simply concentrate on relaxing. It will slowly dissipate and hearing is back to normal. Not sure why it works but seems to.

 

[bassmonkey]

The doc mentioned that but didn't go into detail.

How much do you take, and in what form?

There have been several studies on GB. The results have been conflicting, muddied by the fact that many of the scientific methodologies have been rather poor. I would say the evidence for it is anecdotal at best. None of the studies ever really established an optimal dose.

Google: Tinnitus, Ginko Biloba, review. That should give you a little more information.

 

[Dees]

That's highly annoying, I often have it myself, but luckily never for long.

 

[koogie2k]

adouglas...take care of those ears bro! Do what the doc says and nice advice to pass along to the young ones out there. Hope it doesn't get worse for you.

 

[JB1]

WEAR EAR PLUGS!!!

No need to shout Psycho, I could get tinnitus man.......

Seriously, my old man's got it ain't it drives him crazy. He can't shake it.

I hope yours goes buddy.

 

[drgroovenstein]

I'm only 31 and I've had it for years and years. I blame listening to loud metal music in my sony walkman back in the day. Ring ring ring, it just doesn't stop. Eventually you'll learn to ignore it. Now, I have some hearing loss in my right ear due to a not-so-nice drummer "playing a joke on me" and really cracking his snare drum just has I bent down to pick up some stuff next to his kit. Instant pop in my ear, and I have never heard the same since...

I can really only hear the ringing if I concentrate on it, or if the room is dead quiet, like I am trying to sleep at night. Otherwise, it's covered by background noise. My ringing is pretty high pitched, almost like that ringing you can hear from turning on a TV.

That being said, many things can cause tinnitus including stress and poor diet. Get healthy, if you are not already so, and you might find that it will go away or at least not be as noticable. Also, I've noticed mine is worse if I don't get enough sleep..

 

[BOOST]

goes shopping for ear plugs

 

[BigStrings]

The bad news is that once the nerve is damaged it never heals or repairs itself. Usually the ringing is permanent. The good news is that sooner or later you adjust and learn to live with it. The doctor told me it's like living next to an airport, sooner or later you don't hear the airplanes takeoff or land anymore, you just kind of tune it out.

Leonard Nimoy and William Shatner were being interviewed and both admitted they at one time had contemplated suicide when their ringing started. Apparently they were filming on the set of Star Trek and a 'made for TV' type of explosion went off before it was supposed to and caused both of them inner ear nerve damage.

If your an aging musician like me (58), and you've played rock and roll of one sort or another for 40 plus years, your bound to have some sort of nerve damage. Small, cramped, club stage areas that put the drummer's crash cymbol about 18" from my right ear is what did it to me.

 

[tkarter]

I have it too. All the time. I live with it by pretending it is the wife nagging at me.

I did not get it from loud music. Factory did it to me.

I wear earplugs when I play. Even though we don't play so loud anyone really needs ear plugs.

The band I was listening to last night. Ear plugs weren't enough. Had to leave.

Who can play music without hearing?

tk

 

[JB1]

"I have it too. All the time. I live with it by pretending it is the wife nagging at me".

Absolutely brilliant. Made my morning that quote did.

 

[Steve Dude Barr]

No need to shout Psycho, I could get tinnitus man.......

*golf clap*

 

[adouglas]

I have it too. All the time. I live with it by pretending it is the wife nagging at me.

My wife nags me. All the time. I live with it by pretending it's tinnitus.

 

[Psycho Ward]

Well, this is nothing to brag about, but I have moderate to severe tinnitus, six separate tones, plus a very high pitch hiss…. at all times. I was diagnosed with hearing loss and tinnitus in 1992 and have worn hearing aids ever since. I’ve worn ear plugs in any loud environment since then too. I’ve managed to not worsen my condition pretty well since.

The biggest thing I had to do to save my hearing was to give up playing sax. I’m a sax player since the fourth grade, all my music studies revolved around the sax, keyboards came later and bass guitar much later in life. But giving up the sax was the most difficult thing I’ve ever had to do; my total self-worth was based on my skills as a saxophonist. I’m only a half assed bass player and probably will never achieve the skill I had on sax.

I truly hope none of you guys ever have to hear what I’m hearing right now, it sometimes is maddening. The hearing loss is nothing compared to the tinnitus.

I don’t mean to preach, but really folks, wear the plugs, get used to them. They have saved what hearing I have left.

 

[tkarter]

I totally agree with you Chuck. It is absolutely no fun to put up with the severe tinnitus and the hearing loss. Trouble is we as youngsters don't believe it will happen to us.

I know several that have had to give up the sax too. That instrument must really be in your head all the time. Sucks that it is that way because it sure is one beautiful instrument to have in your band. Especially when you have a killer player.

Hang in there on the bass bro. You will get there.

tk

 

[SteveB]

This is an honest question. Why couldn't you continue to play the sax while wearing ear protection?

Wow. 6 tones.. that would be hard to ignore.