do you have tinnitus ?

doctor reckons, and i hope, that my recent noise upturn is related to recent / ongoing cold / sore throat / etc. and that antibiotics will clear it all up.

it's still there, still as loud, but it now sounds like it's more to the left than it was.

doctor reckons, and i hope, that my recent noise upturn is related to recent / ongoing cold / sore throat / etc. and that antibiotics will clear it all up.

every time i get a lurgy, the inner ear buzz increases.
hopefully once you are clear it will subside to a more acceptable level.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/may/05/inspiral-carpets-drummer-craig-gill-inquest-tinnitus

"Inspiral Carpets drummer killed himself after 20 years of 'unbearable' tinnitus"

That's awful. Stories like this used to keep me awake way more than the actual tinnitus when it first set in. Then I would look at people like Neil Young, who must have it as bad as anybody, and he gets by. Made me think there was a way to make peace with this thing. And there is. Like Steve Martin (another sufferer) said, "you just get used to it."

Ha, after one failed attempt I got an ENT appointment in the post this morning. April 2018, 11 days short of the day it started.

https://gizmodo.com/this-small-device-could-silence-the-maddening-symptoms-1821739320

Tested on an actual Guinea pig...

so, 11 months after this kicked up a notch i got to see an audiologist (nhs sent me to a private hospital as they had no appointments until july (it was put back 3 months))

he said there was hearing loss at certain frequencies, but didn't seem to consider that the ringing was drowning out the tones, making them hard to spot, rather than not hearing them exactly. (the audio equiv of being dazzled by the sun, say). he generally didn't look too happy about the situation.

MRI booked as well, but i worry that all the metal in my teeth will rule that out.

i also realised that i've lost my earplugs. haven't used them this year. will buy some more but the ones i like are a penny below the amazon free postage limit.

(he also singled out Brixton Academy as a dangerously loud venue)

My brother, my sister and my mother all wear hearing aids now - how I've escaped God knows, it's murder on my throat having to shout all the time, let me tell you.

My ears are pretty bad at the moment. I don't have a history of tinnitus beyond gig-related episodes but I'm starting to wonder. Current symptoms are ringing (no way!), what feels like swollen drums, mild hearing loss and a physical reaction to certain frequencies. I have a history of wax build-up but this doesn't feel like that. I'm a teacher, so you can imagine what it's like in the classroom at the moment. Oof.

Anyway, this would maybe fit better on the ilxors in their 40s thread.

A few years ago I was getting a faint whistle, and I thought oh well. But it went away after 6 months or so.

I have super sensitive hearing, and am also super careful about it (to the point of annoying family members) – partly b/c "everyday" sounds can be painful, but also b/c I'm hung up on not damaging my hearing (no doubt in part because I'm so aware of how sensitive it is).

Recently, I was at a work dinner, and made three trips to the restroom... the music was v loud in there, but not in a way that seemed bad or troublesome. On my third visit, though, it seemed louder than ever – like "huh, this is too loud." As I took a leak, I used my watch to check the decibel level... it was hovering around 78 or 79. Not too bad, I thought; but then I quickly washed my hands right underneath the speaker before exiting, where it was obv louder (I didn't check the db's again there).

Even though the experience freaked me out a little / pissed me off, I didn't expect it to actually do harm... but I've had a low hissing that has persisted, almost two weeks later. Not something to really complain about, considering what others deal with (my wife lost all hearing in one year, years back); and it does seem to maybe be slowly getting better. But it has thrown me for a bit of a loop.

I've had a low-level ringing in the ears for about 10 years now. The ENT said it's just damage to the "hairs" in the ear and it won't go away. What I worry about is it getting worse--I know at least one person who has it so bad that he can't really hear much beyond the noise in his ears. Apparently, it drives some people to suicide.

I've had the ringing in my ears for about 15 years now and presume it is tinnitus but haven't talked to a GP about it. It's at it worst when I'm surrounded by silence or stressed. I put the radio on at low volume when I go to bed, usually bbc ws or r3 and it doesn't interrupt my sleep. The damage is all from a period when I didn't wear ear defenders at work, by the time I did start using them it was already too late.

I think Daniel Ash is the one who finally pushed me over the edge.

kind of amazed how much we just tolerate this. outside of Sufjan Stevens every single concert I've been to has been way too fucking loud. I was at my company Christmas party this weekend and the band was so loud my Apple Watch was telling me to get away from them despite being like 400 feet away. We did go and dance when they did "Superstition" but my ears were ringing for two days after. so like, what about all the people who were watching the band for an hour? it's wild.

What?

We had a mariachi band play in our backyard last weekend, for my wife's bday (they were great) – I came outside wearing these bulky black ear protectors, like you'd wear trackside at a NASCAR race. I know I looked silly... but they were loud! Like 95 db or more, for an hour.

Hearing aids definitely help, although cost is an issue. The Canadian government covers some of it, and my insurance covered some more; still had to pay $3,200 out of pocket. If the tinnitus bothers me, I put them in and it goes away; also the tinnitus is less frequent when they're not in. And, uh, they help you hear better.

Is that a hearing aid, or solely Tinnitus Noiser?

It's always been bewildering me why so many concerts are this loud. It's definitely far louder than it was in the '60s, something I've asked engineers who worked in rock and pop music at that time. Like I get that rock music is typically played louder than anything else, but the gulf has become ridiculous. When I went to see Superchunk this summer, I had good ear plugs in and it still sounded REALLY loud. A friend who was with me had no hearing protection, and his ears were ringing badly the next day. (His hearing was already damaged from years of shows, but having early on-set of tinnitus doesn't somehow shield your hearing from further damage.) I went to see Kurt Elling last week and sat in the very front row. Didn't need any hearing protection at all - volume was perfect. I imagine it's possible that Superchunk needed it louder for themselves - a middle-aged rock band that's toured regularly for decades probably doesn't hear that well at this point - but a jazz vocalist for a variety reasons probably has good hearing into middle-age and probably never has anything amplified to the point where it starts to overwhelm their own voice.

also wanna point out this isn't just a "getting old" thing, I have always felt this way. my first "real" concert was the Moody Blues at the age of 18 (lol) and the main thing I remember was some of those guitar solos just searing into my head. it was actually physically painful, and it sounded like garbage because it just drowned out everything else. it was a good show otherwise though!

It's always been bewildering me why so many concerts are this loud. It's definitely far louder than it was in the '60s, something I've asked engineers who worked in rock and pop music at that time.

The Who show I saw in 1989 was one of the loudest I've ever seen (based on the minute or so when I had to change out my earplugs). But later Who shows -- 2006 and 2022, specifically -- felt like I almost didn't need earplugs at all. So maybe it depends on the act.

A problem I run into a lot, though, is when drums are miked in small rooms. They're drums. We can fucking hear them.

voted "yes - a lot, but i accept it for the life i have lived .."

a stupidly loud Gary Numan show a year or so back has created even more permanent damage in my left ear, a more low-pitched fluttery sound, not like the typical tinnitus whine.

― sleeve, Thursday, June 18, 2015 5:14 PM (seven years ago)

this has improved significantly but I still get it sometimes

re: excessive volume, I read a great David Mancuso quote recently where he said something like "if you can hear the system and not the music, either it's too loud or you need a better system"

we were going to see mclusky this month but the show was canceled because of the lead singer's tinnitis/hyperacusis. really hope he gets better, what he's dealing with sounds really horrific.

an announcement x pic.twitter.com/FUYFl4qvlA

— falcotronic (@shit_rock) November 25, 2022

yeah ears are weird, in high school I had tinnitus in my right ear which was odd because I hadn't been anywhere particularly loud. but it really did affect me, my head was cocked a lot because otherwise the uneven sound would annoy me. it bothered me enough that I had to sleep with a fan or some ambient noise at least up until my first year of college. and then I just one day noticed it either wasn't there anymore, or my brain had adjusted to the point where I dont think about it anymore

Is that a hearing aid, or solely Tinnitus Noiser?

I'd never heard of the second thing till your post; I think they're just hearing aids (?).

Also: movie theaters! I now take my musician's ear plugs whenever I see a film, because they are all so loud. And I don't even mean action films--even non-explodey stuff like Bones and All or The Menu were uncomfortable at the two theaters I saw them at. In fact, I think my hearing troubles started when I saw the Grateful Dead documentary in the cinema a few years ago; in addition to to the volume, the treble was really cranked up and I left the place with my ears ringing. I regret staying with my hands over my ears rather than simply leaving.

i measured the db level with my iphone during a trailer last time i was in a theater - think it reached high 80s / low 90s briefly during explosions.

Anyone have any (musician’s) earplug recommendations? I damaged my hearing practicing waaaaay too loud with a headphone amp and a Sunn O))) distortion pedal. Go figure. Ever since it’s been a persistent 8kHz whine.

It got so bad I even joined the Columbia ketamine tinnitus study! Which was pretty wild as experienced go — imagine getting medical grade ketamine intravenously while in an MRI machine — but also, sadly, didn’t make any difference at all.

etymotics is the go-to for earplugs, imo.

Also: movie theaters! I now take my musician's ear plugs whenever I see a film, because they are all so loud. And I don't even mean action films--even non-explodey stuff like Bones and All or The Menu were uncomfortable at the two theaters I saw them at. In fact, I think my hearing troubles started when I saw the Grateful Dead documentary in the cinema a few years ago; in addition to to the volume, the treble was really cranked up and I left the place with my ears ringing. I regret staying with my hands over my ears rather than simply leaving.

This elderly person sat next to me at EO, the new Jerzy Skolimowski film, and when they showed all the promo stuff before the movie, she immediately said out loud "oh no...it's too soft!" which I totally did not agree with, but she went over to an usher and told them. When the movie starts, it's clearly pushed up, and unfortunately there are stretches of loud, intense music that were so fucking loud my ears started to buzz - I actually had to put my fingers over my ears.

I've asked for theater volume to be lowered once or twice. I feel like a dick when I do things like this... usually I just put a hood & hands over my ears and suffer

I've been tempted to do that at some restaurants in my neighborhood. They're all designed in that Millennial industrial style, where the ambient music just bounces around on metal ceilings or white concrete walls and it seems impossible not to sit by a ceiling speaker. If I have to raise my voice to give an order to the server, it's too loud!

I read once that some places do that on purpose, to discourage lingering so there's a higher table turnover. Cruel, IMO.

I just took 280 Y7s to a pantomime and fuck ME was it loud. Every time the performers encouraged the kids to scream, I had to cover my ears.

And yes, I am questioning my life choices.

I helped some friends shoot an amateur video almost 15 years ago. It wasn't especially loud but I remember being sick that night. The next day my ears were ringing non-stop and I was concerned / mildly depressed for three weeks. After that I was checking it periodically / getting used to it. I started taking precautions. After a year or two I wasn't sure anymore what was tinnitus and what is basically the normal sound of your body (blood circulating etc), I couldn't remember what silence was before. Right now, I can't say if it never went away, if some of it is left, if the ear cured itself. I'm just grateful it's not to the levels some people have it.

etymotics is the go-to for earplugs, imo.

I don't *think* this is tinnitus but a) wasn't sure where else to put it and b) was wondering if anyone had or does experience this...

I've always listened to lots of music and have seen well over 300 bands over the years. I wore some form of headphones/earphones every day for the best part of 20 years. So I'd be the perfect candidate for some form of tinnitus/hearing degradation I guess. My ears don't ring, as such, but I do experience a particular kind of discomfort in certain circumstances, which means I'm not really listening to much music at all.

Broadly, gigs are still fine (when I go to them) and, say, the cinema is fine. It's when I listen to music in a confined space - particularly the car, playing at home or in my classroom - or on headphones for an extended period (say, over 30 minutes) that I suffer and it feels like a kind of pressure inside the ears or a thickening of the eardrums. It's not painful, as such, but it is debilitating and I know when it occurs it'll be three days of feeling disconnected and I won't be able to listen to much of anything at all.

Anyway, I was wondering if anyone had any experience or idea of what I can do. I've had problems with wax build-up, and have this treated every year or so but this particular phenomenon can come on anywhere within that cycle. The last time I had the wax removal I had an ear test and was told my hearing was broadly fine for my age.

Post is down to all the amazing lists on ilm and the frustration at not being able to listen to any of them (certainly not with any real interest or freedom)!

Apologies if this was tmi or gauche in any way. I was hoping someone might say, 'oh, that sounds like this, here's a solution'. I should speak to a doctor/audiologist.

It doesn't sound like tinnitus--I've never felt pressure--but does sound like something brought on by hearing loss...not an expert! But you many need to look into hearing aids.

definitely talk to a doctor or hearing specialist, yes

my experience of tinnitus and mild hearing loss is that it's purely an auditory thing and quite different from wax-related issues -- but i am definitely recommended not to listen to music on headphones any more (unfortunately)

I have experience my tinnitus as pressure, early on, but I think that was because my mental health went straight into the toilet during those early months of tinnitus. see an ENT if you can!

I've had wax in ears before, about 15 years ago at least and it didn't ended up hurting a lot and all I could hear was like high pitched squealing. The nurse wouldn't syringe my ears and I had to drop almond oil in my ears several times a day for weeks until it cleared it. The nurse said that syringing ears risks permanent hearloss.

(there's also an ear wax thread: is everyone allowed their own ear wax thread? )

Thanks y'all. I've been through the wax cycle about five times by now; I'm probably due another visit and I can ask about the wider issues while I'm there.

yea that doesn't sound like tinnitus to me. it does sound like something that probably could be diagnosed but you kinda have to get lucky with the right doctor in these situations

on a similar note I'm wondering if I just have sensitive hearing because I've had times where I've been in a bar and music would be playing extremely loudly - like to the extent that you'd have to yell to talk to the person next to you - and nobody else seems to be bothered by it. after like 10 minutes I have to step outside. is it me...?