Have had tinnitis for years...loud music and living at the end of military jet flightlines.

Just decided to live with it!


Russ

I've had tinitus for 50 years, which resulted from being a first-loader on a 3-inch 50-mm anti-aircraft gun. As first loader you're standing between a pair of guns, both firing 30 rounds a minute and your job is to slam the shells into a hopper as fast as the gun is being fired. Back then there was no hearing protection and after just a one-hour firing exercise you were nearly deaf. Your hearing came back, but tinitus came with it and never left. And, Graham is right--you'll have to live with it. Some claim miracle treatments and pills, but most, if not all, do not work--at least the ones I've tried.

Cheers,

Gary

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Travlin' Easy

Hold on now everyone and especially you Gary. Lucky2Bhere has only experienced this episode of ringing just recently so I would be hesitant to tell him to just live with it and/or he'll have it for the rest of his life and to get use to it. Hummm.. Give him some hope along with all of your "help" okay guys?

If you have only been experiencing this ringing in your ears since the time you played for 5 hours a day at loud volume levels then the ringing should most likely subside and resolve itself over a relatively short period of time. The key here is to not subject yourself (your hearing) to these overly loud episodes again anytime soon if ever. This will give your ears i.e. (your hearing) the necessary time to recover on their own if you don't continue to expose them to excessive noise levels in the mean time. In other words Lucky2Bhere, take a break from any loud keyboard or any other kinds of loud noise level exposures to your hearing (ears) until the ringing stops and then when it does stop be careful not to expose your hearing to those loud noise levels again, and especially not to expose them to overly loud noise levels for long periods at a time if you do.

The human body is a marvelous thing. If you listen to what it is trying to tell you and heed the advice it has a marvelous way of correcting and healing itself in the process, over a given period of time. That goes for your hearing, for the nourishment of your body, and ultimately what is at stake is your bodies continued well being over the course of your life. Treat your body right and it will thank you, and you will thank it too.

Best,
Mike

I, like Gary, have experienced tinnitis for many years. I often thought that the musicians earplugs available would prevent losing any more of my hearing and help keep the tinnitis from getting worse. Has anyone tried the specialty earplugs? Is there a brand or type that is better than others?
Ciao,
Jerry

Thanks to everyone who contributed here and hopefully will continue to toss this subject around. I’ve been all out of ideas so I’m grateful I’m able to bounce this off of you fellows. Also my sympathies to those who are living with Tinnitus.

Diki pointed me to the Wikipedia description of Tinnitus. Reading this I’ve learned a lot more about this condition. I can see I DO have some form of Tinnitus. But I also noted here that “Tinnitus is not itself a disease but a symptom resulting from a range of underlying causes.”

My doctor (who has known me for 25 years) said it’s nerves and stress that is doing it. I could also look into losing some weight and think to see if anything I’m taking internally is causing it.

Al Giordano wrote: “I sometimes become very sensitive to low frequencies such as those found in sub-woofers.”

Me: I’m wondering still if the low frequencies on the piano caused this despite the doctors denying it.

Korg4god…thanks. I found the Roy Hughes contact info on his MySpace site.

Kbrkr: Can you tell me what you meant by: “I attribute this to diet?” I’m a firm believer in cleansing your diet when you have a medical problem.

Mike…I’m inclined to go a lot with what you said here. My intuition is telling me it IS from the low frequency piano sounds. Not only that, but the piano is out of tune and I’m wondering if that also upset some kind of balance in there?

I DID try NOT playing for 2 weeks but no change in the condition. Then I tried using headphones and ear plugs but they were no help.

Yes, I would like to allow my body to heal itself. But my situation is I’ve only ever known playing music all my life and for me to stop would be a disaster for me. Still...if I have to I will to stop the condition from getting worse, but I’d have to think long and hard to be sure that’s what I need. Mike, for now I WILL give it another temporary rest while I digest what everyone has written here so far.

I had a friend many years ago who stepped in front of a loudspeaker just as there was “feedback” from the microphone. He did so much damage to both his ears that he had to completely block and seal them up for two years to allow healing. Lived in a world of silence for those two years. So there’s something to what Mike said here. I’d just hate to do something like that (hopefully for a shorter period) and discover the condition still there.

Do any of you know where I can get medical information or find a medical doctor that I can explore what Mike has written above?

Mike: where did YOU come up with this? Did you go through the same thing?

Jerry T asked for info about ear plugs. Anyone using the ones that trim the frequency range at all points (even across the board). Or anyone using “noiseless” headphones to shield their ears?

I find loud music from sub woofers most disturbing to the extent of feeling sick.

I also suffer fatigue if I overdo listening to music and have to give it away for a period.

I do not suffer lasting effects.

The condition you could be suffering from I understand can be brought on by an infection in the ears such as from a bad cold.

My wife,son and daughter are suffers and this is their experience.

Cousin Ken

Persistent Tinnitus, in most instances, results from repeated exposure to high-intensity sound levels. Yes, minor ear infections, URI (upper respiratory infections) and some medication side effects can cause tempory forms of tinnitus to flare up, but they usually go away within days of stopping the medication or when the infection has resolved.

Sound levels above 85-db are now considered damaging to hearing. In the real world, we're all exposed to sound levels that high on a daily basis. Loud truck engines, aircraft engines, construction equipment, and just yesterday I was hit with a ear-piercing 120-db blast from a wheel-chair-belt alarm. Yep, that tiny, battery-powered alarm that lets the nurse know if the patient opens the safety belt on the wheel chair is deafening to say the least.

I worked with some of the top ENT doctors in the nation for many years, and a few of them sail and fish with me on a regular basis. I posed the question to them about my particular condition while working at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland USA. Their response was pretty much the same "There's nothing we can do--it's something you'll just have to live with."

BTW: Some forms of Tinnitus are caused by childhood diseases, with mumps being the first that comes to mind. If I recall correctly, that was one of the first questions the doctors asked me when I inquired about a remedy.

The other thing I learned, which I sincerely believe is accurate, is that while you cannot cure or even improve persistent Tinnitus, you can prevent it from becoming worse by avoiding additional exposure to loud noises. There are times, of course, when this is not possible, but I now wear hearing protectors while mowing the lawn with the tractor, using the weed eater, and performing similar tasks. This might not sound like much, but it's better than taking no precaution at all.

One final thought. Persistent Tinnitus can also be the result of hypertension (high blood pressure). It's a good idea to purchase an inexpensive blood pressure measuring device and take your blood pressure daily. Hypertension is also known as the "Silent Killer" because there are essentially no outward symptoms that this is taking place. That $50 blood-pressure measuring device could save your life.

Good Luck,

Gary

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Travlin' Easy

My recent worsening of my tinnitus coincided with my annual sight test. The optician advised me to see a doctor soon because she had seen an irregularity in the arteries in my eyes.
I had a blood pressure taken at the doc's and it was sky high....82/190.
I was immediately prescribed tablets (amlodipine) and within a week the BP was down to 68/142 which he said was normal for my age (75).However, unfortunately the tinnitus has not improved.
I thought of purchasing my own BP machine and the doctor said that was OK but sometimes the readings on the 'cheap' testers are not accurate but a general indication of the BP is all I need.
cheers
Eddie Johnson



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Eddie from Rotherham
Skype:eddiefromrotherham
www.yamahakeyboards.info

Eddie,
I have bought (from a Dixons-style shop), a semi-cheap (40€) Braun blood pressure thingy for my parents, who are 80 years old. It says in the manual that the indicated BP may differ as much as 5% up or down to the actual BP.

Even if the error is actually 10%, if you follow a pre-determined check routine (say 10am and 8pm each day, it takes 10-15 seconds only, the doctor shall tell you when to check) and write down the results, you will easily be able to see a pattern in the readings.

If the pattern starts to change, then you can consult your doctor for further action, but you will have the advantage of "catching it in the start".

BEST 40€ É spent for my parents. Absolutely recommended, as also Gary pointed out.

Thanks for your suggestions
I will look into the fuller range of available BP testers now , thanks to yourself and Gary
cheers
Eddie Johnson

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Eddie from Rotherham
Skype:eddiefromrotherham
www.yamahakeyboards.info



[This message has been edited by eddiefromrotherham (edited 04-17-2008).]