Tinnitus

[david_pri]

Hello everybody

I am David from Spain and I suffer tinnitus since January. I am 31 and I play guitars in metal bands since I was 16. After a rehearse, I went to bed with my ears ringing and nowadays, my ears are still ringing.

This is definitely a serious illness. Doctors can not help you, there is no cure. It is very easy to fall into depression. Try to imagine hearing noises that are only in your head and do not never stop.

Please, if you play in a band, be aware of your location within the rehearsal room, have you got a PA speaker close to your ears? Be aware of the amount of sound you handle in a band. And, please, protect your ears. Isolation headphones are better than in-ear protection. If you break a string you can buy a new set but if you damage your ears, there are no spare parts.

Please, protect your ears, I wish nobody have to go through this.

 

[TedEH]

If you're lucky, it might get a bit better with time, but you're right - I think people don't take it seriously enough until it's too late. I started wearing earplugs a couple of years ago, and should have started much sooner. Nothing you can do about it.

 

[chopeth]

Ánimo, compi. Salgo algún día del ensayo con ese pitido... pero no soporto los tapones.

 

[mpexus]

The more stressed you are the more they will ring...at least it happens to me.

 

[G_3_3_k_]

I've had it since childhood. I had chronic ear infections until my parents put tubes in my ears. There's never been a time that I remember not having.

 

[spudmunkey]

"Will sombody answer that damn phone?!"

But in all seriousness, yes yes yes protect your hearing while you can!!

I've been playing guitar since I was 9, and into loud music starting at around 7. Add to that, my dad's professions and hobbies were all loud, and as kids, we'd spend some time with my dad at his factory or at the fire station (in addition to his job as a welder, he was a volunteer fireman and EMT), and on family member's farms with loud machinery. My dad also ran a saw-sharpening business in the basement, so lots of grinding and squealing of that equipment.

I'm 39 now. The moment I walk into a busy restaurant, especially with hard floors, I basically go functionally deaf. I can't make out what people are saying unless I'm facing right at them and can add context clues of their mouth movements, or if they are right next to me.

My girlfriend asks why I don't like to go with her when she hangs out with coworkers after work, or with my own...and it's because I walk in...and then basically am by myself in the crowed, smiling and pretending to laugh when others near me are smiling or laughing, just to blend in....but I have no idea what anybody said. What's super annoying (and a blessing) is that when I'm not in a crowd, I don't experience this...I'll hear things before others like rain or sirens in the distance, I can overhear conversations across the office, etc...but once I get into super saturated loud environments, I basically loose all high-end, which helps you discern specific sounds from the cacophony.

 

[chopeth]

I'm 39 now. The moment I walk into a busy restaurant, especially with hard floors, I basically go functionally deaf. I can't make out what people are saying unless I'm facing right at them and can add context clues of their mouth movements, or if they are right next to me.

My girlfriend asks why I don't like to go with her when she hangs out with coworkers after work, or with my own...and it's because I walk in...and then basically am by myself in the crowed, smiling and pretending to laugh when others near me are smiling or laughing, just to blend in....but I have no idea what anybody said. What's super annoying (and a blessing) is that when I'm not in a crowd, I don't experience this...I'll hear things before others like rain or sirens in the distance, I can overhear conversations across the office, etc...but once I get into super saturated loud environments, I basically loose all high-end, which helps you discern specific sounds from the cacophony.

You just described my life and aural proficiency exactly, plus, I'm your same age

 

[TedEH]

I'm very surprised that I haven't lost more of my hearing than I have. I can still hear pretty clearly up until around 16-17k (from my very unscientific guessing) but I do have a really low constant ringing right around that point, or maybe a bit higher. For being 30, it's not as bad as it could be. But it's bad enough that I'm paranoid of making it worse.

 

[lewis]

Ive been taking the idea of losing my hearing really seriously. So much so ive been only ever wearing ear plugs to band practices, gigs (audience and playing) since i was like 20.
(30 this year)

I dont have ringing or any of these issues so I guess Ive done a good job.

I would hate this problem so Im glad I have.