Improving from Noise-Induced Tinnitus & Hyperacusis Twice! Back to Conducting

[Conductor]

Dear all

This is the succes story from a young conductor(I'm only 23) who is slowly improving for the SECOND TIME after major Acoustic injuries as a result of being a musician.

In 2011 (aged 17) I got H and mild T (heard in quiet places only) after playing a long series of concerts as a Horn player in symphonic orchestras in front of RAMBO-percussionists. Despite the T and painful H I stubbornly continued to play for the next 7 months(with custom earplugs) to reduce anxiety and although the hyperacusis pained me during high frequencies and the usual knives on plate, my ears quickly learned to adjust to extreme loudness in volume. After 3-4 months high frequencies also seemed to bother me less than before although my brother's piccolo practice still kills me now hahaha.

Anyway fast forward, H resolved/faded after 5months and so did T after 7-8months to my great delight!!!
I decided to put all my effort into becoming a conductor, after a STRESSful period at university as it caused me to reduce french horn practice due to tendonitis in the schoulder-neck area!!
As I had experienced before, Stress is a huge contributor to tinitus and even more so for hyperacusis so I decided to take care not to get it again.

After six years of non-earplug musicianship and conducting, happy times, I overdid it again by going to a jazz concert without plugs. After several years of enormous exposure to orchestras, AMPLIFIED JAZZ was what got me!!! DAMN IT NOT AGAIN!

I spent two weeks in total agony, my H went through the roof(my own voice hurts) and moderate T was preventing me to sleep, think, conduct, play music and even be positive at all. Anxiety and stress forced me to take relaxing drugs and also Magnesium and gingko which I believe prevented complete breakdown at the time.

What I did from day one is worry. What I also did was improvise on the piano and get a lot of physical activity! WEEK 3: french horn playing still makes my ear spasm, but I don't give a shit, I WILL PLAY!
Two upper octaves on piano still provoke ear spasm but I still have plenty of octaves "left"
Last week I even conducted my string ensemble with earplugs and only minor pain, best moment so far!

Now 5weeks in the tinnitus has gone to a hiss instead of a ring, nevertheless there is no real reduction in loudness. My hyperacusis is very slowly starting to clear up, but it is a day to day process with setbacks all the time. I STILL FEEL BAD BUT

-I SLEEP well thanks to swimming and red wine and sex - anxiety reduction!
-Doing what I LOVE (despite the pain)
-EATING FRUIT AND VEGETABLES
-MASSAGE, and I also intend to take accupuncture soon
-LAUGHING for no reason(this really took the stress out of my jaw!!)
-RESTING EARS-RETRAINING EARS(volume build up, painful frequencies at milder volume, avoid silence)
-I am a great believer in CBT/TRT but do not intend to take it(expensive) unless shit really hits the fan in the next 6months!

I BELIEVE IT WILL GO, AS IT DID BEFORE! + I'm more aware of the body-mind connection

Any questions, feel free to respond!
Best wishes

 

[Jenni8619]

Thank you for sharing your experience with t & h! I needed to read a positive post this morning, so thank you again

 

[linearb]

if there's anything that can't be somewhat alleviated by a combination of red wine and sex, I haven't found it yet

 

[VRZ78]

Great story

 

[Flamingo]

Thank you for sharing your positive story! A lot of doom and gloom on this forum. I'm 5 months in with noise induced T, and I'm making improvements every month!

Edit: The thing you mention about resting-retraining is very important! This truly works for me. I no longer have any sound sensitivity, and my T has improved. Listening to music with a wide frequency spectrum (I don't know if that is the word for it) has helped me tremendously.

 

[Conductor]

@Flamingo You're welcome! What do you mean by wide frequency spectrum music? I listen to Mozart all the time because it's easy on the ears and quite therapeutic study music

 

[Flamingo]

@Flamingo You're welcome! What do you mean by wide frequency spectrum music? I listen to Mozart all the time because it's easy on the ears and quite therapeutic study music

I think I totally used the wrong term for it, haha. But what I mean is music pieces with a lot of variations in the different frequency ranges (retraining the ears). Classical music is good! I also listen to music that I really like because I've read that it's therapeutic and good for your ears. I would never listen to white noise etc. It's too harsh for the auditory system in my opinion.

 

[Irish]

@Flamingo thanks for your story and good to hear you're recovering!
can you give some examples of classical music pieces with this kind of wide frequency spectrum you refer to?

 

[Wojtek Kalka]

@Flamingo thank you for your story and your optimism but please USE your custom ear plugs for musicians always!! There are different db level version ones .. so use 15 25 35 db ... you are young and hopefully you recover completely still protecting is better then repairing .. I wish you all the best
Wojtek

 

[Bobby B]

@Conductor
you will improve fast because you are still very young
don't do those things when you are 40 or 50 its going to be much harder to heal maybe it never will

 

[Mike Allman]

hey man, I'm 26. I'm reading your post and Im on the same as you!, I'm musician and graphic designer, I was exposed to high volumes over a year or reheasing with a band and goes worst after hearing an alto sax playing without earplugs!!! I went to doctor and told me about hyperacusis, ototubaritis, t middle.
Sometimes I feel really bad but reading your comment I feel very happy that I'm doing exactly the same as you including:

-1 hour of excercie everyday with one day of rest: running on the grass, every activity that makes you sweat.!
-having the mind occupied even if some noise is hittin' your ear: drawing, doing work from home (thanks to internet), composing, going to deliver some packages, visiting friends, planning starting my own business, I stopped practising music a month ago but reading your post I'll restart.
-relaxing with some movies, classical music (I studied classical guitar), rock music (fan of progresive and 70's rock), nature, learning new things (drawing, etc.), I'm going to get a new girlfriend to prove that about sex hahaha! (after 4 years of no girlfriend)
-adapting to strong noises on home (like the laughs of my family or when dishes are on the fridge) and on the street (things falling, big cars, loud music, loud voices) (my hyperacusis is middle and the T is like yours only a hiss on quiet places),
-step by step, I'm one month with hiperacusis but I felt sometimes diminished and sometimes increases , but when increases is because: stress (because I start to worry about when this will get better). Stress is a very bad thing to deal with this so I encourage all people to follow this recomendations specially the physical activities, and if you feel very uncomfortable, wear headphones on the street with no music on it and with cotton on your earholes, it helps a lot and helps to your ear to re-adapt to the ambience.

Future plans: going back with my bandmates, (with earplugs) and rehearsing on open air, getting a girlfriend and dont stop making physical activities. God bless you all my friends.

 

[Paul10]

Thank you for sharing your story @Conductor ! These are incredibly important, I'm glad you've found resolution! Good luck and God bless!

 

[Conductor]

@Mike Allman
Hey, optimism is the right way to battle hyperacusis in all of its appearances!
You will be fine, but take some time and try not to linger too much on these forums as it will increase your focus on T and H. Im more than two months now and my hyperacusis is getting better quicker.

Goodluck

 

[Flamingo]

@Flamingo thank you for your story and your optimism but please USE your custom ear plugs for musicians always!! There are different db level version ones .. so use 15 25 35 db ... you are young and hopefully you recover completely still protecting is better then repairing .. I wish you all the best
Wojtek

You don't have to worry. I don't listen to music loud, and I'm not using earbuds. I never put myself in loud situations, so I've been resting my ears for sure. By listening to music through my hi-fi speaker system I've been able to adjust to normal sounds, which has been my goal

 

[Mike Allman]

@Conductor
yes man, there is some days when I fall down, specially by the mornings but quickly Im learning to go ahead, making excercise by the mornings helps to go with your days more softer and relaxed and your finish your day very well, the only thing is going back composing with my band, sometimes Im afraid but I think with a very good pair of earplugs and in a open area all will going fine, would like to know about your first experience about conducting with earplugs, thanks for your time answering.

 

[Conductor]

@Mike Allman
Hello Mike,
The mornings are indeed harder because the nervous system and your ears have to go from quiet night to noisy days. My routine includes some core exercises and a big breakfast w seeds, nuts, fruits and brown bread.

The first time without plugs, I conducted a string ensemble just to test my tolerance levels although the coming months I will use my custom made plugs as I did the first time because it may take months untill real improvement is stable and clear! I made a full recovery before so I know what to do don't put a time frame on it and continue to protect if it is really loud(I don't use plugs for rehearsing on my own)

Best Wishes

 

[Conductor]

@Mike Allman
I just realise I misread your question..
I conducted silent movements without plugs to retrain my ears and the faster or heavier movements with plugs not to wreck them Though this is an achievement of weeks or months, depending on the type of orchestra(brass is much louder than strings), it is possible to adapt to it and I am very sure that you too will eventually adapt to your band's sound/pitch levels!
All best

 

[Mike Allman]

@Conductor
I just remember about being with some kind of hiperacusia 3 years ago, but in minimal levels so I started to protect my ears while playing with amplified stuff, it happened too on classical guitar while rehearsing on a small room with stone walls on the low and forte tones,... but it disapeared with time, I really dont remember how much it was but I don't took it seriously and it disapeared spontaneously (it keeps on some strong noises like a baby crying, or an ambulance), or maybe my ear adapt to it, so if this has happened before it will be this time.

Thanks for the recomendation of making excercise and practicing with sound, helps a lot! Doctor told me that the best way to improve is to re adapt to sounds, rest ears when needed, eat fruit and vegetables, stay with your mind occupied, make excercise and make some excercices with the nose/mouth/breathe to educate your ear, it take time but is the way to success!

I'm going to improve step by step with my band, at diferent levels, first the lower and in one month I'll try to play normaly with frequencies with the earplugs on. Thanks for your time and answer my friend.
Would like to be in contact with you to keep the positive attitude ahead!