The Beginning of a Nightmare, or Will It Be?

[HeavyGroovist]

Hello.
I decided to make this thread right now, just one day after I got the ringing sound in my left ear, because I'm a pessimistic person and I'm assuming it's going to keep on going for quite a while. If the problem stops - hey, we can always move the thread to the success stories board.

I'm 18, rather lost in life, music being a substitute for it. I wanted to be an audio engineer and I'm in a band, but life is a...
I've experienced riging in my ears due to high volume noise a few times, but always for a few hours at most. This time I feel like it's going to be permanent, because it's been there for over 24 hours and not gotten better at all since.
I got it after a band practice, which was about 3 hours of ~100dB sounds, from 60 hz to 22 000 hz. I wore ear protection only on the "drummer side" (I play bass in the band) and my left ear is now propably damaged to some extent.

The interesting thing about it is, when I went to sleep last night, I noticed that whenever I got in that first sleeping phase when I'm pretty much dreaming but conscious, I didn't hear the tinnitus noise. Is that a sign of something?

Right now the noise has gone from a subtle hum to a higher pitched hiss. Before, I could barely hear it when being around my computer, as it's fans were louder than the noise, now it's slowly turning the other way around.

Keep track of the thread to see a young man's dreams crash yet again.

 

[Michael Leigh]

@HeavyGroovist
As you know the cause of your tinnitus is exposure to loud noise. I know you play in a band and as musician obviously love playing your music. However, loud music and tinnitus don't go well together. If you persist on being around loud sounds there's every possibility that you tinnitus will become much worse. Believe me, I know and I'm sure that's something that you don't want. Even when wearing noise reducing earplugs, if the external sound is loud enough, particularly in the low Bass frequencies, the sound waves can pass through the back of the ear, through the Mastoid bond- this is the hard piece of bone behind the ear. It has air pocket within it.

The sounds waves can be transferred to the inner ear and damage the cochlear and hair cells further making the tinnitus worse. Sorry to sound so sobering. You need to stay away from loud music for a while and perhaps permanently. In my opinion never listen to audio through headphones even at low volume as you could be stacking up more trouble for yourself. Once someone has loud intrusive tinnitus they need to be extra careful of their auditory system.

See your Dr if things don't calm down and get a referral to ENT

Michael

 

[HeavyGroovist]

Doctors in my area are worthless. I'm going to go to a doctor with this problem, but I doubt he'll be any help.
I've noticed that the noise sometimes pulsates. Might just be my heart racing.

Also:
1. Define "loud"
2. The problem is my left ear. Couldn't I at least "one ear" my way through?

 

[Michael Leigh]

Doctors in my area are worthless. I'm going to go to a doctor with this problem, but I doubt he'll be any help.
I've noticed that the noise sometimes pulsates. Might just be my heart racing.

By all means go see a Dr. If there is no other medical condition causing the tinnitus I know exactly what they'll tell you after you've been examined at ENT:

The cause is exposure to loud noise. Keep away from loud sounds. Leave things for a while which is good advice and hopefully it will settle down. Click on the link below as you might find the posts helpful. Use low level non intrusive music playing by your bedside at night. Try not to set the level above your tinnitus. There is more information in the link below
Best of luck
Michael
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/search/member?user_id=3134&content=thread

 

[HeavyGroovist]

Is the music supposed to help me sleep or actually help with tinnitus itself? I didn't have a problem falling asleep the first night, so I might not be too bad off without it, though I've had sleeping problems all on their own.
Is the level of noise I experience any kind of guideline? I've seen stories of people having problems having conversations, which seems a bit extreme in comparison to my case.

Also, should I skip school in the next two days (it's the winter break after that anyway) to save myself the noise of the loud enviroment?

 

[Michael Leigh]

@HeavyGroovist
The music isn't to make you sleep it for "sound enrichment". Please click on the link that I sent you above and read the post "Sound Machines" and read "Intrusive tinnitus" . It works while you are in deep sleep more information is in the post. Buy yourself some noise reducing earplugs if you find sounds to high but try not to get too used to them. No need to stay away from school. The important thing is stay away from loud sounds and playing music in the band, otherwise you could make your tinnitus a lot worse. Sorry but that is the only treatment to give yourself the best chance of getting better, in my opinion.
Michael

 

[ceauses97]

Most likely your tinnitus will go away. I have been hearing ringing in my ears for two weeks now, and I'm at the same age as you. I feel depressed and alone, and I didn't sleep for a whole week (no joking) before I got my sleeping pills. My cause may also be loud music, and my doctors have told me that it takes times to heal the body. Your tinnitus will proably go away within a week, and if it doesnt, don't get frustrated. Tinntus after 3 months is considered permanent. Even I, after two weeks, still have hope that my tinnitus will fade away soon. You would be suprised knowing how advanced our brain is, and how our body can heal. Just keep your ears away from loud music, stay home, watch TV. And wait for it to fade away. And drink a lot of water.

 

[HeavyGroovist]

I'm supposed to play 3 gigs during the next 2 months. Is there ear protection sturdy enough to protect my left ear on stage?
It's extremely important to me. If my tinnitus turns out to be temporary or at least not invasive to a point where I have to ditch music altogether, this could change my life. This is the only thing I have lived for for a long time and I've put a lot of money and time into it.

 

[Michael Leigh]

@HeavyGroovist The choice is yours whatever you want to do as I can't advise on whether you should go to those gigs. If I were you, I would put my health first. I can only give you the benefit of my experience with tinnitus. When it is mild or moderate a person can easily cope with it. When it is severe which is what I have got, I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. It is up to you.
All the best
Michael

 

[Asvalian]

I'm also new to this T thing (8 weeks), and I also love music, however, I would advice to rethink about what consequences you might have to face if you expose yourself to such loud music. In this case it's about "risk-reward" sort to speak situation.

 

[carlover]

I wouldnt bother going to any Dr or ENT ,complete and utter waste of time.

Put some music on just loud enough to mask the T and enjoy the time you would have wasted

 

[linearb]

Decide what's more important; playing in some shows now, or not having severe hearing problems later in life.

I'm sorry if that's harsh, but, your body is giving you a strong sign that you have already pushed it too hard. There are genetic factors to this, and it may be that your band mates just have better genes in this regard, and can expose themselves to sound that will be permanently disabling to you. Or, they may be setting themselves up for hearing loss and tinnitus, as well.

I'm in my 30s. Most of the people I know who spent a lot of time playing in bands or going to concerts, have some degree of hearing loss or tinnitus. Earplugs help, but they don't really keep you safe.

 

[Andersson]

There are many musicians with tinnitus that perform, but correct ear protection is important for those type of events.
Molded Musician plugs for example.

Ayumi Hamasaki is my rolemodel for T:
http://ayumihamasaki.wikia.com/wiki/Partial_Deafness

If they don't give up and continue to fight for what they love then why should I.

But the usual advice is, avoid loud noises at an onset of T. If it disapears after that great, but either way I would not give up your dream / what you live for.

 

[glynis]

Well might surprise you but I love Ozzy and he keeps going with tinnitus.
It is a hard decision if you love music in a band.
For me ,my tinnitus if through Menieres and sever 24/7 and does drive me mad but my hearing aids take the edge off and im not effected by loud music or earphones .

My only advice is .....
could you cope with the unwanted emotions and tinnitus if got worse and are you prepared take the chance.
Also I am totally into what makes you happy and how would you feel too with out it ?
Its a tough choice but it has to be your choice and know one else's. .lots of love glynis

 

[HeavyGroovist]

Yeah, I pretty much made up my mind before the discussion even began and the counterarguments were not enough to change it after I read up on tinnitus in music. I'll hopefully figure out a good way to protect my ears (my earplugs are only -15 dB on most frequencies, and propably not even that in practical use) before the gigs.

 

[HeavyGroovist]

The ring was not bothersome while I was in school and outside. I think my computer makes a bit worse.
As I was typing this, I noticed the ring kinda fainted. It's still there if I block my ears off, but I don't notice it otherwise. I don't know if I just learned to ignore it or if it's better. My ears have been hurting all day, so I guess this might have some coleration to the noise, which would explain why it happened after something I had already done before.

 

[Nucleo]

It's extremely important to me. If my tinnitus turns out to be temporary or at least not invasive to a point where I have to ditch music altogether, this could change my life. This is the only thing I have lived for for a long time and I've put a lot of money and time into it.

If you keep playing gigs it will likely not be a temporary thing.

Look in the AM-101 clinical trial. You seem like a prime candidate. 18 years old, noise induced.

www.tinnitus-study.info

 

[HeavyGroovist]

There is still a fair amount of noise, but it's only hearable at night for me now, it's gotten a little better physically and I forced it out a bit mentally, so only it's very easy for me to forget about it normally now. I played the gig and it was just fine, my ears didn't even hurt, which was a dramatic change from rehearsals.
I think I'm done with the topic for now.

 

[Sailboardman]

@HeavyGroovist,

If you continue your life in music, we'll see you again! Probably more frequently though. Roll the bones brother.

 

[HeavyGroovist]

I don't know, I think I feel like writing this to organise what I have on my mind, it seems like it should help.
So I was ill two weeks ago and my tinnitus got slightly worse, I found blood when cleaning my T-ear a day before I broke down because of the virus I caught.
About two days ago my T has gotten pretty bad in comparison to what it was before. It turned from a hum\electrical noise to a full on ring. Part of the volume increase is anxiety for sure, but it's now noticeable over what would normally mask it pretty well. I'm stressed out, it wasn't too bad before but my pessimism and overall negativity made it bad and stressful enough for me already.
I'm pretty young and I just cannot imagine living another 40 years with this. It's such bizarre thought.
So I followed the tinnitus hub facebook page (how in the world they found me - I was actually invited to it - I don't know) and saw a video explaining some self-training method involving making marks when you hear your T and making mental notes about the emotion you feel when you do.
It seems very impractical in everyday life, but I might keep at it, because I've started using it today. Making marks is pretty hard to do each time you hear tinnitus if you hear it non-stop, but I've been trying. There was maybe 2 instances today when I couldn't hear my T. The method is weird, since I can't determine my own emotion most of the time. It's there and I notice it, I'm not particularly angry, sad or anything most of the time. It's just there bothering me, there's little to feel about it in a specific moment I think.
I've yet to have any difficulties falling asleep, so that's lucky.
The most annying this is that I think my loud computer (in front of which I spend most of my time) makes the sound worse. It sounds like aside from the regular noise I keep hearing sounds that I was hearing for a long time earlier, so if I spent more time in front of the screen I can kinda hear the noise the PC makes.
The interesting thing is when I use a dryer, it occupies the same frequencies as my T I guess and the sounds cancel each other out partially, making this really weird, intense sound.
It's funny, when I actually played those shows I talked about, my tinnitus got better for some reason. Maybe I was just enjoying myself for once and that helped me forget?
Anyway, I really wasn't thinking about the noise too much until lately, at one point I even completely forgot I had the problem for almost a full day.
I'm slightly shaky from the stress but I'm going back to my everyday life routine tomorrow, since easter's passed. The T definetely gets way more noticeable when I'm staying home and possibly worse because of the computer I spend more time with when I have the days off.

So, should I be worried about the blood? It was a one time thing after all, and I was ill when\right after it happened... Should I contact a doctor, since it's been 4 months and they shouldn't be able to pass it off as temporary? People seem to mention some kind of medicine on the forum (which is contrary to everything I read about tinnitus earlier, but I guess it's for a reason that they do), so I've found one reason to do so.

I wouldn't have thought I'd say this, but... I want the hum back. The ring is way worse.