When does tinnitus stop being cool and start being sad?

[Manurack]

Back in 2015/2016 I used to have low rumbling in both of my ear drums and as a musician? I was scared that I was going to go deaf... Like I couldn't fucking fall asleep because it sounded like somebody pounding on the low big Tom drums of a drum kit in my ears! Then it went away on its own and I've heard fine ever since.

 

[ElRay]

When it no longer matches the 1st string, 24th fret E and you actually have to buy a tuner?

 

[Bevo]

I have had mine forever, reminds me of the ringing you hear after a loud concert.
‘Sadly I’m used to it and my hearing was ok, now not great.

Get tested, some health issues can cause it as well as some drugs, prescription or other..

 

[crushingpetal]

pretty much immediately

earplugs are cool

I fuk'n vacuum with earplugs in. That's how mudderfuking hardcore I am. (True story.)

 

[AwakenTheSkies]

I'm pretty defeated about my tinnitus & some other things. It has been 4 months now, it has improved but sometimes it also gets worse depending on the sleep I get. I really can't see myself living like this for the rest of my life.

 

[Emperoff]

I'm pretty defeated about my tinnitus & some other things. It has been 4 months now, it has improved but sometimes it also gets worse depending on the sleep I get. I really can't see myself living like this for the rest of my life.

I was on a festival last week and the volume was insane. I had the earplugs on the whole weekend yet still came with my left ear damaged and worsened tinnitus.

It definetely sucks, but you'll get used to it. For me the hardest is when trying to sleep. Anxiety makes it worse, and your reaction to it increases anxiety. You need to accept it and try to be relaxed.

 

[AwakenTheSkies]

I was on a festival last week and the volume was insane. I had the earplugs on the whole weekend yet still came with my left ear damaged and worsened tinnitus.

It definetely sucks, but you'll get used to it. For me the hardest is when trying to sleep. Anxiety makes it worse, and your reaction to it increases anxiety. You need to accept it and try to be relaxed.

That's brave, going to a festival already having tinnitus!
I don't know that I will get used to it though, now it has improved but at the beginning for more than a month when I went to sleep it felt like my ear was being drilled. It was torture. And this was supposed to be mild!
Some people are built to last and are tough like that, take it one day at a time and find pleasure in the little things. But I'm not like that.

 

[Emperoff]

That's brave, going to a festival already having tinnitus!

To be honest I've got tinnitus for as long as I can remember. It has gotten worse in the latest years due to me playing live more than ever, and having my share of live shows and festivals as well. It's too late for me to cut ties to music I guess, so I just wear my earplugs anywhere sound is loud and hope for it to not get worse.

It is very disheartening, I know, but I'm sure pretty much every pro musician has it. It's just something not openly talked about. There's actually plenty of songs that mention it that you might have never realized.

I wouldn't know what to do without live music, so I'd rather take a sleeping pill every night if needed than bid farewell to it.

 

[AwakenTheSkies]

To be honest I've got tinnitus for as long as I can remember. It has gotten worse in the latest years due to me playing live more than ever, and having my share of live shows and festivals as well. It's too late for me to cut ties to music I guess, so I just wear my earplugs anywhere sound is loud and hope for it to not get worse.

It is very disheartening, I know, but I'm sure pretty much every pro musician has it. It's just something not openly talked about. There's actually plenty of songs that mention it that you might have never realized.

I wouldn't know what to do without live music, so I'd rather take a sleeping pill every night if needed than bid farewell to it.

Sure, I've had the very high pitched tinnitus forever as well. I just thought that was the sound of silence. But this one is different, it's like a dissonant chord playing in my right ear. I made a sound clip recreating it to show to the doctors but I probably don't need to post it, I'm sure you can imagine how it is.

It's not the live music for me, we're supposed to avoid loud noises but they are impossible to avoid. And then there all the other factors that affect it like food, drugs and sleep. I don't want to live like a grampa at 25 I guess the only reason I'm still here is because it has been getting better and it's still "early". I've read stories where it goes away after 6 months, 1 year, year and a half and so on..

And the ENTs I've been to all said they thought it would go away. But then one "miracle healer" I went to out of desperation said they couldn't help and they didn't think that it would go away...

 

[gabito]

We can’t hear you.

 

[crushingpetal]

I'm pretty defeated about my tinnitus & some other things. It has been 4 months now, it has improved but sometimes it also gets worse depending on the sleep I get. I really can't see myself living like this for the rest of my life.

I'm really sorry to read this. I hope you can find some therapy or solution.

I also hope threads like this remind people to take care of their hearing (when possible).

 

[AwakenTheSkies]

I'm really sorry to read this. I hope you can find some therapy or solution.

I also hope threads like this remind people to take care of their hearing (when possible).

Thanks . Yeah if anything good comes from these posts is that maybe someone reading or googling will consider taking better care of their hearing.

But I also understand how some people will not listen until it happens to them. Hell, I'm like that. It's "some guy on the Internet" who got tinnitus, or "a rockstar who was obviously abusing their ears with years of touring" or someone who had an accident. It doesn't seem to happen to you or those around you, so you don't think much of it. Maybe you think it's an old people problem or just unlucky. But once it happens you're fucked, there is no turning back.
Many places warn you of hearing loss which might not seem that scary to a "tough guy", but they don't warn you that you might end up hearing a roar in your ears for the rest of your life.

 

[USMarine75]

I'm pretty defeated about my tinnitus & some other things. It has been 4 months now, it has improved but sometimes it also gets worse depending on the sleep I get. I really can't see myself living like this for the rest of my life.

Check out Widex Moment hearing aids, specifically the 330 and 440 models. They have anti-tinnitus programs that work for me. They’re game changers IMO. I’m not “deaf” per se, but they can be programmed like mine to help with slight to moderate hearing loss and auditory processing disorder.

They’re like $2000-4000 but insurance may pay for them depending on you diagnosis.

 

[crushingpetal]

Thanks . Yeah if anything good comes from these posts is that maybe someone reading or googling will consider taking better care of their hearing.

But I also understand how some people will not listen until it happens to them. Hell, I'm like that. It's "some guy on the Internet" who got tinnitus, or "a rockstar who was obviously abusing their ears with years of touring" or someone who had an accident. It doesn't seem to happen to you or those around you, so you don't think much of it. Maybe you think it's an old people problem or just unlucky. But once it happens you're fucked, there is no turning back.
Many places warn you of hearing loss which might not seem that scary to a "tough guy", but they don't warn you that you might end up hearing a roar in your ears for the rest of your life.

I know this isn't a typical metal or punk sentiment, but I think venues should do more. Minimally, there should be free earplugs at the doors of every venue.

Again, probably not a typical metal or punk sentiment, but I also think bands should do more. Though it kinda' kills the menacing ramp up to the performance, but a "hey, we're fucking loud---grab some free earplugs at the front" is actually quite cool to the audience.

I know we've all been to shows that have just been ridiculously, unreasonably loud.

 

[Strobe]

I have worn hearing protection at nearly every gig I have played. I always wear it at practice and at concerts. I try to control the volume, as really loud is just uncomfortable for most people. My hearing is still decent! No ringing. I know a lot of folks are less cautious, but it has always seemed strange to me.

 

[ThePIGI King]

I’m kind of surprised by the amount of people that don’t have tinnitus. I told by a flight doc that driving with the windows down on a car for enough years will damage your hearing.

Pretty much everything in everyday life will damage it. My ringing is only bad when it’s quiet - but my hearing is only bad when there’s background noise. My wife hates it

 

[Bevo]

It sucks, even now with headphones on watching a motorcycle race at low volume it’s almost louder than tv. The quiet is the worst almost deafening.
‘It’s like coming out of a loud concert but never goes away.

Thankfully I’m used to it and does not bother me but always there. I have to wear hearing aids now which really helps not just my hearing but the noise. It boosts the sounds around me and ringing goes away. In standard guitar strings, my hearing is 50% or more gone from D to high E.

Its no joke, I can see people taking drastic action to stop it.

Couple tips, I like to drink but alcohol really amplifies it also diet, junk food and salt makes it worse. Good news is weed even a little big helps, couple tokes at relax time quiets it Down.

Cheers!

 

[PuckishGuitar]

I know this isn't a typical metal or punk sentiment, but I think venues should do more. Minimally, there should be free earplugs at the doors of every venue.

Again, probably not a typical metal or punk sentiment, but I also think bands should do more. Though it kinda' kills the menacing ramp up to the performance, but a "hey, we're fucking loud---grab some free earplugs at the front" is actually quite cool to the audience.

I know we've all been to shows that have just been ridiculously, unreasonably loud.

I've been to a few metal shows in the past couple of years where some basic foam plugs are either available for free or for a nominal charge, $1 or thereabouts. I try to bring a handful with me in case someone asks also. It's been good to see venues and merch tables help step up like that. Honestly I find live shows more pleasant with good earplugs, cuts the harshness of the high end and boominess of the low, and doesn't tire my ears out.

I've got the usual degradation of hearing due to age with a bit of tinnitus, "fortunately" I worked at plenty of heavy machinery sites and they push hearing protection that carried over to my concert-going early on in adulthood. I think most of my hearing loss is from playing stuff too loud in my headphones and car - another place we should watch out! White noise generator on my phone or having a fan running seems to help me a lot nowadays.

 

[profwoot]

I think a lot of venues are more aware of auditory health now too. All 3 shows I went to this year maxed out right at 85 dB (as measured by the app on my phone ), which is right where you want it to avoid hearing damage over the length of the average concert. The Metallica show I went to in 1997 was probably more like 100+.