Don’t Expect Pro Musicians to “Raise Awareness” of Tinnitus

[GregCA]

If a musician is totally deaf, they should be able to hear themselves play from the bone conduction in their head.

This is incorrect. If they have sensorineural hearing loss (the most likely problem for musicians), bone conduction isn't going to help: it will bring the vibration to the cochlea where it is not going to be picked up. Bone conduction only helps with conductive losses (such as when you suffer from "pure" otosclerosis).

 

[HeavyMantra]

About Beethoven:

http://www.beethoven.ws/loss_of_hearing.html

One thing's for certain though, the large proportion of musicians, people exposed through their work to loud noises, corroborates the theory that tinnitus is not tied a "genetics" or a "different brain" or "maladapation" and everything to do with induced damage to the cochlea (such as peripheral cochlear neuropathy, synaptopathy or the loss of stereocilia).

Spoke to my musician friend he's over 50 now. Has enjoyed a life as a touring singer, not one show with earplugs. Says he thinks music sounds best when it's loud enough to hurt. Uses headphones all day every day.

Does he have tinnitus? No.

 

[MRItechssuck]

Spoke to my musician friend he's over 50 now. Has enjoyed a life as a touring singer, not one show with earplugs. Says he thinks music sounds best when it's loud enough to hurt. Uses headphones all day every day.

Does he have tinnitus? No.

My personal thought is some musicians have different brains and they may be more prone to tinnitus. Has anyone ever found someone with perfect pitch have tinnitus?

I NEVER wore headphones, NEVER was in loud environments without earplugs. Yet I sat in with a friends band once next to a loud drummer without earplugs to play by ear and follow along... ONE TIME and got tinnitus 20 years ago.

My tinnitus then basically disappeared for over a decade, and I still always used earplugs... then had an MRI without earplugs in October... and yep... terrible tinnitus.

Everyone is different.

 

[MRItechssuck]

This is incorrect. If they have sensorineural hearing loss (the most likely problem for musicians), bone conduction isn't going to help: it will bring the vibration to the cochlea where it is not going to be picked up. Bone conduction only helps with conductive losses (such as when you suffer from "pure" otosclerosis).

A musician can still play while deaf was the main point. I was thinking about my own playing on electric bass with earplugs in and unplugged and being able to hear through conduction... but true, I had ear that worked, they were just plugged.

 

[GregCA]

A musician can still play while deaf was the main point.

It was? In that same post, you said:

While there are many visual cues, the musicians still need to hear even a little bit.

That made sense to me, but now you're stating the opposite, so I admit you've confused me a bit.

Not that it matters too much - I only reacted to your statement about hearing via bone conduction, because I like people to have a good understanding of the difference between conductive and sensorineural losses, as it is key to understanding T. I meant no offense.

 

[MRItechssuck]

This goes back to Juan's post which I was replying to.

"Could a musician continue working just playing the score even if he or she does not hear at all, or hears very little?"

Context... in the one case I was speaking to a musician playing in an orchestra to remain in tune with everyone else, but could follow along with "visual cues."

A deaf musician can play, press the keys, etc. and play with an orchestra if intonation was not a concern... like a beginner band.

 

[TheDanishGirl]

Spoke to my musician friend he's over 50 now. Has enjoyed a life as a touring singer, not one show with earplugs. Says he thinks music sounds best when it's loud enough to hurt. Uses headphones all day every day.

Does he have tinnitus? No.

Well some just win the genetic jackpot. Lucky bastards.

 

[Ed209]

Well some just win the genetic jackpot. Lucky bastards.

Ain't that the truth. A close friend of mine who has been a bass player in many bands I've been in has been exposed to possibly more noise than anyone on the planet and he has no tinnitus at all! He's in his 40's now. Maybe it'll catch up with him later down the line. Who knows?

 

[Shaz1]

Gotta assume body chemistry has something to do with it too, because... I prob had mild noise exposure related hearing loss and likely tinnitus I didn't notice (but when younger definitely had day after concert ringing)..
But then what set it off was medication, but there are lots of people who take the same medications without having tinnitus (though lots do get it, it's still a small minority - wish I knew about the risk before)

So you gotta imagine there's something about how your body chemistry and genetics reacts to the compounds that makes you more susceptible

(Just like how I have always had low alcohol tolerance / easy hangovers and my body can't do spicy food anymore - largely genetic)

 

[Dirtworks]

I have absolutely nothing but admiration for musicians, especially those whose music I enjoy. But, when I think of the hours spent practicing and performing it would seem likely that they should all suffer from tinnitus and deafness into middle age. I'm surprised the old ones aren't writing songs about it.