Members scolfax Posted February 8, 2009 Members Share Posted February 8, 2009 I have tinnitus and had my ears checked a couple of months ago - no hearing loss outside the spectrum of "normal" hearing. I wear musician's earplugs at rehearsal and my ears don't ring more than normal on those nights anymore. I assume this level or tinnitus is pretty much the norm for lots of folks here. But lately I've noticed that I can get my ears to ring with only a moderate amount of volume. I practice at home with a HRD, 4 feet from my head, with the volume almost as low as it will go, with a dirt pedal up front, and 10 minutes into it whichever ear is closest to the amp is starting to ring. Anyone else have this problem? It seems like a weird thing to do, but do you practice at home with earplugs? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Invader.CC Posted February 8, 2009 Members Share Posted February 8, 2009 I had the same problem when i practiced using earphones i wonder if it has something to do more with the pitch or tone being closer to the ears then actual volume.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Karma1 Posted February 8, 2009 Members Share Posted February 8, 2009 About five years ago I left a loud rock concert with my ears ringing, and it's never stopped since. It's really horrible, but I've learned to live with it, however being a full time music producer and recording artist it's sometimes quite a liability. I also play with a few different groups (although not very loud). All of these activities make the ringing worse at the time, but I think if I had to give up doing what I love the most because of it, I'd be suicidal. I don't practice at home with earplugs, but do use them with one of the bands I play in. The worst part is when I'm recording and editing music in the studio and spend hours listening to tracks. I'd like to wear earplugs sometimes, but it's not practical for that purpose. I just deal with it, and try to not focus on it, and when it gets me down, I think of all the other things I have to be grateful for in my life. The thing I want to share with fellow musicians is to really be careful -ONE exposure to very loud music can push your hearing over the edge and ruin it forever. I never had any problems with my hearing before I went to that concert, and now it's like living in a room with a tea kettle whistling 24 hours a day. It's just not worth it - Tinnitus is no joke. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members keithcar Posted February 8, 2009 Members Share Posted February 8, 2009 im really {censored}ing scared of this happening to me. Im 23 years old and have dick loud amps and love to play them loud! My ears have a slight ring in them. Its not really bad, but i notice as well it doesnt take much to get them ringing..most subsides with in a day or so. I wear earplugs alot lately when i turn it up. I work in a shop with compressed air, we usually use it to blow off parts after cleaning them. there are some extremely painful high pitched whistles that can occur doing this. Its makes my ears ring instantly. i always wear ear-pro when im doing it..but other people who work in the shop around me dont care if if in the same room with them without ear-pro and i get a ear-full of that noise. My ears are extremely sensitive sounds in the freq range..everyone else doesnt seem to care as much. Im willing to bet thats where the most of my tinnitus has come from..not the loud guitar playing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members scolfax Posted February 8, 2009 Author Members Share Posted February 8, 2009 I never had big problems with it until I started playing with a band. Playing with them is incredibly fun, and a fulfillment of lifelong dream in a sense, but I guess I'll always have to wonder if it was worth it. Seems like a deal with the devil. I've just read that Xanax, which can only be prescribed for panic attacks, can help reduce the volume of tinnitus, or at least make it so that it doesn't bother you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members WildWill Posted February 8, 2009 Members Share Posted February 8, 2009 Years of shooting and flying RC (with ear protection) along with motorcycles, working in auto shops, and loud rock-n-roll (no protection, in the audience) has left me with ringing in my ears 24/7. Left ear more than right. I tried ear drops that are supposed to help or stop the ringing. Messy and so far no help. Best of luck man. Use ear protection! I only hope to not get any worse now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members wagdog Posted February 8, 2009 Members Share Posted February 8, 2009 I wear my ear plugs when we play. I find that it makes the music sound woofy/bassy (I'm using "hearos"). I don't know if a better/more expensive plug would make the music less bassy. I am happy that I can hear just find after gigs now though. And knock on wood, no ringing. That sucks man. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members thunder100 Posted February 8, 2009 Members Share Posted February 8, 2009 Hi In one of my other jobs I was motorcacle racing team manager.Do you know that a Moto GP transmitts 120 dB(A)? What the riders do about it is that they use active earplogs which are kind of small loudspeakers(noise cancelling by the negative wave(Bose!)).And I have seen so musicians with it too.Its expensive but will preserve your ears and it will give you a natural but more silent sound Pete Townshed is completely deaf,what comes if you play a (good !!) life in front of the drums and the amps and play loud that the hair wave forward My 2 cents Roland Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members handen Posted February 8, 2009 Members Share Posted February 8, 2009 I left the Eagles of Death Metal concert in Vancouver with ringing in my ears in November and it hasn't stopped since. Not to mention I operate a saw at work that cuts through aluminum... I don't even think my -25dB attenuators help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members seblo_15 Posted February 8, 2009 Members Share Posted February 8, 2009 I got my Tinnitus after a Wolfmother concert I went to and recently it got a little worse after a loud jam session. I wish I would have taken it more seriously cause now it is really bothersome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members scolfax Posted February 8, 2009 Author Members Share Posted February 8, 2009 I wear my ear plugs when we play. I find that it makes the music sound woofy/bassy (I'm using "hearos"). I don't know if a better/more expensive plug would make the music less bassy. I had the same issues with foam plugs and even the ones with the little channel running through them. The etymotic musicians earplugs solved that problem for me. I have inserts for 30, 25, and 15db noise reduction. For me, 15 works best for rehearsals (and probably our next gig), and 30 for listening to concerts. They were expensive at $150, which is not as much as my most expensive pedal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members keithcar Posted February 8, 2009 Members Share Posted February 8, 2009 I wear my ear plugs when we play. I find that it makes the music sound woofy/bassy (I'm using "hearos"). I don't know if a better/more expensive plug would make the music less bassy.I am happy that I can hear just find after gigs now though. And knock on wood, no ringing. That sucks man. yeah i use cheap-o rubber ear plugs (same ones i use at the shooting range) ITs a bit decieving. definately makes the bass notes louder, wolfier and less defined. when i practice by myself I usually adjust the EQ to suite what i hear with the plugs in. The 2204 is a natrually bright ass amp, the top 3 strings sound killer with tones of sparkle and treble shimmer when i have the plugs in. without the plugs its painfully shrill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ProGuitarShop Posted February 8, 2009 Members Share Posted February 8, 2009 OK, everyone....earplugs, ok? Earplugs. Please do this for yourself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members HKR Posted February 8, 2009 Members Share Posted February 8, 2009 I'm 66 and mostly def I cant understand what people are saying without a hearing aid, and the ringing never stops. I worked in a factory for 35 years, but never listened to loud music. I hated ear plugs so I didn't wear them for the first 15 years but by then it was too late. My doctor tells me I still need to ware ear plugs when around loud noise even if it doesn't sound loud to me.Hearing aids are no fun, they make your ears sore and the sound isn't quite natural. You also loose your sense of direction so you don't quite know where the sound is coming from. hearing aids also make your ears sore and are bothersome to say the least. I no longer like big group events or going to a restaurant because I cant understand whats being said and feel stupid.Go buy yourself some good quality ear plugs and wear them, you will be glad you did, its gets embarrassing always saying HUH! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members A Happy Crowd Posted February 9, 2009 Members Share Posted February 9, 2009 I bought a pair of musician's attenuators about a year or two ago and it was quite possibly the best $200 I ever spent. I seriously wish I'd bought them ten years earlier, since I know my hearing is not what it used to be. But now, I wear them whenever I go to a show and especially whenever I play with my band, and my ears no longer ring afterward. I recommend them to everyone now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Professor Tom Posted February 9, 2009 Members Share Posted February 9, 2009 Google Ray Ennis of The Swinging Blue Jeans and you will find a link to a cure for tinitus that works. It is based on the premise that it is in fact a nervous disorder. If you are suffering from this terrible affliction check this out, what have you got to lose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members RockNote Posted February 9, 2009 Members Share Posted February 9, 2009 Google Ray Ennis of The Swinging Blue Jeans and you will find a link to a cure for tinitus that works. It is based on the premise that it is in fact a nervous disorder. If you are suffering from this terrible affliction check this out, what have you got to lose. Gives me this page: http://acapella.harmony-central.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2097914&page=2 But the page you link to is now removed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members RockNote Posted February 9, 2009 Members Share Posted February 9, 2009 I went to see the ear doctor about two weeks ago. While I feel that my hearing is really good and sharp in my left ear, it is less so in my right. It has been like this for a couple of years, and I have been saddened by the thought that maybe the loud music of my youth had finally caught up with me. However, I then hit upon the idea that what is affecting my right ear may derive from my allergies. I speculated that just as my breathing gets obstructed due to an excess of mucus in the lungs, perhaps my right ear was suffering from some kind of congested and stale mucus. This idea was what gave me the courage to see the doctor. I am pleased to say that he confirmed that indeed this may be so. However, he couldn't prescribe anything for me, but suggested that I "equalize the pressure" by, you know, holding my nose so as so block the passage of air while blowing. I had already attempted this on previous occasions, but I am now doing it with more fervor. I usually inhale some Olbas Oil prior to this, again an idea of my own invention. I have done this for several hours by now, and I think things may be slowly changing for the better. While my hearing in my left ear is really acute, I do however have some kind of permanent ringing in it. It began when I was 30. I am now 40. If it is also due to an excess sensitivity of the mucous membrane I don't know. I was concerned about it when it began, fearing it may be tinnitus, but as I say my hearing is very good in my left ear, so I no longer worry much about it. I have, however, become very conscious of taking care my hearing, as you can see. The doctor measured my hearing as being about the same in both ears, and quite good for my age group. However, when I took the test the sounds were seemingly louder and more distinct in my left year. I notice a substantial difference between my left and right ear when I play guitar, the left side seemingly very much louder and with screaming treble. I hope to be able to bring my right ear up to par with my left. I shall be very, very happy and relieved when it happens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members RaVenCAD Posted February 9, 2009 Members Share Posted February 9, 2009 Not all tinnitus is bad.. Mine rings at a nearly perfect A.. I can tune by it.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members shammond Posted February 9, 2009 Members Share Posted February 9, 2009 My ears have been ringing for 20 years. It seemed to get worse during my band gigging years. I still play but have to be very carefull about exposure to all kinds of loud noise. I now play all the time with molded ear plugs (etonic). Also wear protection when I drive tractors (I farm), lawnmowers, power tools, etc. It all adds up. If you are a musician - it is in your own best interest to protect your hearing. When I was young I didn't want to listen to anyone about this - but now I wish I had. The ringing never goes away - no matter what anyone wants to tell you or sell you. The only thing that seems to lessen it - is distraction from it and a positive attitude. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members JC777 Posted February 9, 2009 Members Share Posted February 9, 2009 Mine comes and goes but I'm glad it's only occasional. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Cliff Fiscal Posted February 9, 2009 Members Share Posted February 9, 2009 I wear ear plugs all of the time....especially at loud concerts. It took getting nicer plugs for rehearsal and shows though.....otherwise with regular industrial type earplugs, I would get frustrated and take them out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members scolfax Posted February 14, 2009 Author Members Share Posted February 14, 2009 My T has been bugging me all week. This morning I listened to a white noise mp3 on and off for about 30 minutes and it went down from a 4 out of 10 down to a 1. It's been like this all day - I'm pretty stoked! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bubbluz Posted February 14, 2009 Members Share Posted February 14, 2009 I've had constant tinnitus for at least 25 years,seems to be in both ears equally.Combination of factory work,music hobby probably the cause,but to be honest ,it seems to have started when I was much younger.I've just learned to put up with it,when I find a good ear doctor I'' go see him maybe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members David E H Posted February 14, 2009 Members Share Posted February 14, 2009 My T has been bugging me all week. This morning I listened to a white noise mp3 on and off for about 30 minutes and it went down from a 4 out of 10 down to a 1. It's been like this all day - I'm pretty stoked! Wow, that's cool that that actually works for you! I don't have nearly enough to say I have tinnitus, I can only hear it when I listen for it in quiet, but I get ringing and such after church and rehearsals and such.... I've found that if it's bothering me, I turn my amp down really, really, low...about the same volume as the natural noise of my guitar, and I play clean for about 15 minutes.... it seems like it refocuses my ear's hearing, and gets rid of a lot of the noise... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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