Give Up the Music? Need Answers :(

[welhamc]

I've been having some problems with my hearing lately, and don't really know who to turn to about this. A bit of background, Im a twenty year old male student who has a history of anxiety, and everyone I talk to about this, including the GP says its down to that. The hearing problems I've had have been getting so bad that theyre all I can think and I've been really depressed as a consequence. Music is my passion ever since I was young and the thought of going deaf makes me incredibly low. I spend a lot of my time involved in music: I'm in a band, DJing and produce my own electronic music

The problems started at around Christmas time when I was mixing a new song, which involved spending many hours in front of speakers tweaking and changing things repeatitively over days. I've been doing this for over a year without any problems before. The volume itself was never uncomfortably loud, and I could easily talk to someone sat next to me but I'm starting to expect that the extended exposure has caused some problems.

It started with tinnitus, which I had had before. From my own experience the best way to deal with it from before was to try and ignore it, so that is what I did. However the tinnitus got worse whenever I listen to music (never through headphones) and I would get a sensation of fullness in my ears and muffled hearing accompanied with an extreme sensitivity to noise. After this had lasted for about a week and a half I decided to go the GP about it who told me it was probably viral and would go away on its own


Whilst admittedly it did get a bit better over the course of about 3 months, mainly from taking it incredibly easy in terms of noise exposure (earplugs whenever i felt they were necessary) I've also noticed that whenver background noise is high I find it hard to hear detail in things (for example in the supermarket, or on a busy street Ill find the sound of cars quieter than usual or not hear my footsteps etc almost if what Im hearing is being blended) Right now it is at an all time high and I really don't know what to do about it. The tinnitus is louder than a few years ago and I find it very hard to tolerate noise, my ears are really full and whenever I blow into them i get a loud squeak. Ive also noticed a sort of morse code sounding tinnitus in my left ear. As I said it improved somewhat but I had a bit of a relapse when making a track the other day and now feel incredinly guiltyi and angry with my self. Admittedly I did turn it up louder than usual, but I guess this is testament that my ears had improved by this point. The fullness, tinnitus and pain has come back.


I had a hearing test last week at an opticians but was told my hearing was fine and not to worry about it, but I've been reading a lot about hidden hearing loss that is common in people my situation. I went back to a different GP the other day who was very nderstanding and has referred me to an audiologist (but I cant be seen until end of April). As someone who has suffered from depression in the past music was always my escape and something that managed to keep my mind occupied, the thought of having to give it up makes me incredibly low, but equally what im experiencing right now is making me very depressed and I guess im just hoping for some answers

 

[PaulBe]

You've pretty much answered your own question. Time to turn it down, as I think your ears are trying to say. Putting it down to anxiety is a red-herring. Its an acute sound injury that sounds very similar to what has happened to me. That you have pre-existing anxiety is neither here nor there, but it could make this much harder to deal with depending on the utility of the coping skills you have learned over your time with anxiety. For most of us our hearing as measured with the standard test is "fine" but the test doesn't in any way address quality of hearing. What you consider comfortable volume is not necessarily what your hearing apparatus considers comfortable. Anxiety forms an inevitable part of the disease complex, but it is in no way all merely "down to anxiety" and any professional who puts it like that shouldn't be paid for an opinion they don't possess.

That loud squeak is just awful isn't it.

 

[squeek]

It takes me 12 times longer to mix a song since I've been hit with this condition. These days I now pass on the production/mixing to others, except for what I can do through rote experience/muscle memory.

I've shifted focus to the compositional aspects of writing music. This doesn't require intense listening. If you can get good at composition you can almost get to the stage of writing music without listening to it at all.

So yeah, you can still stay in the music realm but you might have to change your focus to something that's more compatible with your condition.

 

[welhamc]

Have either of you felt that your condition has eased up since it started? Am I wrong in hoping that I can recover to how I was before? The uncertainty of this condition makes it so much harder to deal with

 

[PaulBe]

I didn't produce, I only played in bands so giving up music wasn't all that hard, and I suspect I'm quite a bit older than you so I've had a good run you could say. As to your question above, sorry to say but after three and a half years I'd have to say no, it hasn't really improved meaningfully, only that I've largely improved around it and that is patchy at times.

 

[Michael Leigh]

You've pretty much answered your own question. Time to turn it down, as I think your ears are trying to say. Putting it down to anxiety is a red-herring. Its an acute sound injury that sounds very similar to what has happened to me.

It started with tinnitus, which I had had before. From my own experience the best way to deal with it from before was to try and ignore it,

HI @welhamc
I am sorry to hear of the difficulty that you've been having with tinnitus. I believe PaulBe has explained the cause of your symptoms very well, and I strongly advise that you to take his advice: Turn it down. Your situation sounds similar to mine many years ago when I suffered noise trauma due to headphone use. Although you don't use headphones now, I suspect that you used to and probably at high volume levels without realizing it. It happens so easily.

You mentioned having tinnitus in the passed and the best way you found to deal with it was to ignore it and you carried on regardless. Unfortunately, that wasn't a good idea. Tinnitus caused by exposure to loud noise, is a warning that your ears are in distress and for you to "turn the volume down". Try and give the music listening a rest and get some treatment through a Hearing Therapist or Audiologist versed in treating tinnitus and hyperaucusis.

Hope things improve for you.
All the best
Michael

 

[Michael Leigh]

Have either of you felt that your condition has eased up since it started? Am I wrong in hoping that I can recover to how I was before? The uncertainty of this condition makes it so much harder to deal with

The only way I believe a person can improve whose tinnitus was caused by loud sounds, is to stop or reduce what they are doing. If it's headphone use or near-field speaker use then it's a good idea to give your ears a rest from these sound sources and leave it to time to heal and eventually you will recover. However, you will have to change your lifestyle and not subject your ears and auditory system to the long hours of listening to music; otherwise your condition could get a lot worse.
Sorry to sound so sobering but tinnitus is not something to take lightly.

Michael

 

[squeek]

However, you will have to change your lifestyle and not subject your ears and auditory system to the long hours of listening to music; otherwise your condition could get a lot worse.
Sorry to sound so sobering but tinnitus is not something to take lightly.

Michael

Like Michael says, you will need to change your lifestyle. That's the reality of this condition.

In answering your earlier question, I'm 6 years into this condition and it hasn't improved a jot. Neither has my tolerance. The only thing that's improved is my fear towards it.

 

[VRZ78]

The only way I believe a person can improve whose tinnitus was caused by loud sounds, is to stop or reduce what they are doing. If it's headphone use or near-field speaker use then it's a good idea to give your ears a rest from these sound sources and leave it to time to heal and eventually you will recover. However, you will have to change your lifestyle and not subject your ears and auditory system to the long hours of listening to music; otherwise your condition could get a lot worse.
Sorry to sound so sobering but tinnitus is not something to take lightly.

Michael

Are monitoring speakers as bad as headphones ?

 

[Michael Leigh]

Are monitoring speakers as bad as headphones ?

I don't think monitoring (near field) speakers are as bad as headphones. However, it all depends how sensitive a person is to sound. In Walhamc case he has suffered noise trauma and this will need time to heal that's why I advise he reduces his listening to music for a while using near field speakers.

Providing someone has habituated and they don't have any hyperacusis there is nothing wrong in using monitoring speakers at normal listeing levels. Last year I went into a venue where the sound level was 100 decibels and stayed there for 30mins. I had no problems with my tinnitus and no signs of hyperaucusis and didn't use any ear protection. I done this as a test but still had my noise reducing ear-plugs just incase the sound levels got uncomfortable which they didn't. The next day I was fine. My tinnitus was silent and no signs of hyperacusis.
Michael

 

[bekker]

Hey welham c i recognize your story. I now have tinnitus and hyperacusis for about 1,5 year maybe longer. In this time i attended a a few party's and flew with a plane 4 times. All with my 33 decibel custom earplugs. Because of this and my anxiety the hyperacusis has gotten worse. Its on a level that sometimes voices hurts and my tinnitus and hyperacusis is louder and stronger when i had a busy day with Many people. The good thing is that at this moment its going good because It has been 2 months ago that i was in loud music or a loud bar or something. Hyperacusis gets a little better But voices hurt. My anxiety is away and my mind is not on the hyperacusis right now. This helps also. Im planning to dont go to loud places for a long while and start with the TRT training and Dry needle therapy. These things and the hope that it gets better takes my anxiety away. I heard good things about the trt (hyperacusis Will Gett less in Some cases). Maybe these things Will help also for you. I now your feeling But dont throw the hope away that its gets better with your t and h.