# What's the Severity of your Tinnitus/Buzzing?



## theheresy (Dec 10, 2009)

Hey guys, thought this might be interesting to ask. How many of you have tinnitus/buzzing in your ear from a lifelong career of working in the music field and being blasted by nearfield monitors and some of you who work with real orchetras, getting blasted with the real thing and tubas and such. Any of you have it so that it's so noticeable as to be annoying, crippling, etc? I mostly hear it at night when I go to sleep when it's real quiet and sometimes it's so loud it really aggravates me.


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## Patrick de Caumette (Dec 10, 2009)

I am a member o the Tinnitus club.I was working on some RMX tracks under headphones late at night three years ago and the whole thing went berzerk and produced this mega sound wave that caused nerve damage (I still use RMX but I am weary of working under headphones when editing VSTIs)

Got thi constant buzz in the left ear, but luckily its at 17kHz so it isn't too difficult to get used to.
Issue is that I am left with a very sensitive ear and loud sounds hurt.
When I manage to stay away from loud sources for long period of times, the hiss gets softer.
But it is pretty hard to stay away from loudness these days...


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## Ed (Dec 10, 2009)

Im 25 and I have slight tinnitus, sometimes I notice it. Its worse after Ive been working all day on a loud cue or something. I find that if I try and notice I do but otherwise my mind decides its not real so I end up disregarding it so I dont notice, if that makes sense.

I hope it doesnt get to the point where its so bad that my mind cant fool itself anymore.


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## José Herring (Dec 10, 2009)

I've had slight buzzing around 11khz in my left ear since I was about 18. It comes and goes which leads me to believe that it's mostly psychosomatic. It gets worse when I'm stressed and it practically goes away when I'm not too stressed. 

I've learned to live with the buzzing and with the fact that I have a slight dip in hearing perception around 11khz to 13 or so.


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## theheresy (Dec 10, 2009)

Patrick de Caumette @ Thu Dec 10 said:


> I am a member o the Tinnitus club.I was working on some RMX tracks under headphones late at night three years ago and the whole thing went berzerk and produced this mega sound wave that caused nerve damage (I still use RMX but I am weary of working under headphones when editing VSTs)
> 
> Got thi constant buzz in the left ear, but luckily its at 17kHz so it isn't too difficult to get used to.
> Issue is that I am left with a very sensitive ear and loud sounds hurt.
> ...



Patrick...DAMN man..I know exactly what you're talking about that happened MANY times to me with various sound libraries. I don't even use RMX and I know exactly what you mean but luckily that explosion has never happened when I was under headphones otherwise I'd probably be deaf. But several times I've had other libraries do that strange explosion that literally almost paralyzed me, it was just a shockwave of immense sound that's why I usually try not to mix under too high of a volume level.
Like I said it just happened recently and I noticed it happens more when my project is stacked and my CPU is struggling to play the stuff so when you've got a lot of tracks loaded etc careful cus it has some sort of corruption and then blaow it blows your lid off. 

Ed, don't feel bad, it appears it's common and is the norm in this industry and for most people for that matter. As long as it doesn't get too bad. I know guys that spent a career playing in bands like Danny Elfman I read strictly stays away from concerts or ever performing now because I hear he has really bad tinnitus and he's afraid of losing his hearing so he tries to preserve it now as best he can.


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## theheresy (Dec 10, 2009)

josejherring @ Thu Dec 10 said:


> I've had slight buzzing around 11khz in my left ear since I was about 18. It comes and goes which leads me to believe that it's mostly psychosomatic. It gets worse when I'm stressed and it practically goes away when I'm not too stressed.
> 
> I've learned to live with the buzzing and with the fact that I have a slight dip in hearing perception around 11khz to 13 or so.



The thing that sucks is I noticed when listening to tones above 10k like 15k or 20k tones, for example I once tried to listen to a tone to identify what frequency my buzzing is at just like you know yours to be around 11khz. Well I heard some 15k-20k tones via headphones because that's what the website suggested to use, and they weren't even loud I made sure to keep the volume relatively low but afterwards I had bad buzzing for the rest of the day. It's as if those tones really harmonized with whatever internal buzzing I had and gave me bad tinnitus for the rest of the day and possibly even the next day or two after that. 
So lesson for folks...don't listen to high pitched 10khz+ tones.


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## IvanP (Dec 10, 2009)

same here as Jose...really slight that makes me think it's also psichosomatich...I only hear if I focus on it but it's just as a television would be turned on nearby, not sure what frequency that is... 

I clubbed quite a bit a few years ago, I was left with a tinnitus which lasted around 6 or 7 hours the day after...as soon as I was dedicating my life to music, I stopped clubbing (and thus stopped meeting chicks )... who said that being a musician made you get laid? :mrgreen:

Patrick, I also got a few surprises myself...I never use headphones when I'm using synths, too risky!


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## rJames (Dec 10, 2009)

Loud, loud, loud and constant. But when I'm working I don't think about it and don't hear it. 

When I got my first set of powered speakers, I came out of outputs that had no gain control on them. (that's no what caused my tinnitus) It was really loud but I can't imagine doing it with headphones. That must have been painful, Patrick. Wow.


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## dinerdog (Dec 10, 2009)

I had it many, many years ago. When it was quiet (especially sleeping) it sounded like seagulls way off in the distance. A doctor gave me steroids to make it go away. I took them for a week, then said f#$%-it. Not taking steroids for life. I took Ginko Biloba for a while and it went away and never really came back except for the odd ringing/feedback here and there.


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## theheresy (Dec 10, 2009)

dinerdog @ Thu Dec 10 said:


> I had it many, many years ago. When it was quiet (especially sleeping) it sounded like seagulls way off in the distance. A doctor gave me steroids to make it go away. I took them for a week, then said f#$%-it. Not taking steroids for life. I took Ginko Biloba for a while and it went away and never really came back except for the odd ringing/feedback here and there.


Interesting. Where did you get this ginkgo biloba stuff?


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## dinerdog (Dec 10, 2009)

It's a very well known herbal remedy for lots of things. This from Wikipedia:

In other symptoms
Out of the many conflicting research results, Ginkgo extract may have three effects on the human body: improvement in blood flow (including microcirculation in small capillaries) to most tissues and organs; protection against oxidative cell damage from free radicals; and blockage of many of the effects of platelet-activating factor (platelet aggregation, blood clotting)[34] that have been related to the development of a number of cardiovascular, renal, respiratory and central nervous system disorders. Ginkgo can be used for intermittent claudication.

"Some studies suggest a link between ginkgo and the easing of the symptoms of tinnitus.[35]"

You can get it at most health stores. I was kind of amazed and happy that it helped.


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## Ed (Dec 10, 2009)

Patrick de Caumette @ Thu Dec 10 said:


> I was working on some RMX tracks under headphones late at night three years ago and the whole thing went berzerk and produced this mega sound wave that caused nerve damage (I still use RMX but I am weary of working under headphones when editing VSTIs)
> .



I get the same thing! Not in RMX but with Gigastudio, it sometimes makes a loud BANG sound. Scares the s h i t out me. Sometimes it creeps up in volume so I have a chance to turn the sound down or remove my headphones but its very annoying.


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## Ed (Dec 10, 2009)

theheresy @ Thu Dec 10 said:


> Interesting. Where did you get this ginkgo biloba stuff?



Google it its pretty common.


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## TARI (Dec 10, 2009)

I have a quite severe buzz in both ears since 10 years. Depending on the moments I hear it louder. I had a very bad moment a couple of years ago, I could hear it even with the TV... :(
Now it is constant but lower and I have learned to live with it. The doctor told me that I haven't lost any audition, which are good news. I check it every year.
I NEVER use headphones to mix although I would like sometimes.

I think my tinnitus was caused for my years in live concerts...

I would change this for some problem in my legs...


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## Nick Batzdorf (Dec 10, 2009)

Not all the time - in fact not most of the time - and very mild, in fact I don't even notice it. It's a light hiss at about 12k, triggered by loud broadband noise, for example a crowded restaurant with lots of hard surfaces.

I first became aware of it about seven years ago and went to an ENT to have it checked out; I chalk it up to having played drums. Interestingly my hearing is still very good - slight dip at 4k, but that's normal for my age and nothing that affects me. The hearing tests only go up to 8k but I can still hear a 20k tone - although my hearing above about 13k isn't even.

I've always had very lightly calibrated ears, though, for example I'm usually very uncomfortable if I don't wear earplugs when I see movies - which are actually screaming loud, but they don't bother anyone else (other than my daughter, who's the same way).


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## theheresy (Dec 10, 2009)

Interesting. I guess it's true most everyone in this industry has some form of it.


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## midphase (Dec 10, 2009)

"I was working on some RMX tracks under headphones late at night three years ago and the whole thing went berzerk and produced this mega sound wave that caused nerve damage "

Wow...sounds like the perfect recipe for a lawsuit...better go talk to Lionel Hutz!


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## Nick Batzdorf (Dec 10, 2009)

theheresy, I'm not sure whether it's just musicians.


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## david robinson (Dec 10, 2009)

nick, it's called "industrial deafness" in Australia.
JR.


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## david robinson (Dec 10, 2009)

Ed @ Thu Dec 10 said:


> Im 25 and I have slight tinnitus, sometimes I notice it. Its worse after Ive been working all day on a loud cue or something. I find that if I try and notice I do but otherwise my mind decides its not real so I end up disregarding it so I dont notice, if that makes sense.
> 
> I hope it doesnt get to the point where its so bad that my mind cant fool itself anymore.


Ed, you're a young bloke.
you have time to correct this.
learn this lesson well - it's a warning, at your age, of worse things to come.
research your problem.
JR.


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## david robinson (Dec 10, 2009)

TARI @ Thu Dec 10 said:


> I have a quite severe buzz in both ears since 10 years. Depending on the moments I hear it louder. I had a very bad moment a couple of years ago, I could hear it even with the TV... :(
> Now it is constant but lower and I have learned to live with it. The doctor told me that I haven't lost any audition, which are good news. I check it every year.
> I NEVER use headphones to mix although I would like sometimes.
> 
> ...



hi,
i've got right leg problems.
believe me, i'd rather tinnitus.
JR.


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## david robinson (Dec 10, 2009)

Patrick de Caumette @ Thu Dec 10 said:


> I am a member o the Tinnitus club.I was working on some RMX tracks under headphones late at night three years ago and the whole thing went berzerk and produced this mega sound wave that caused nerve damage (I still use RMX but I am weary of working under headphones when editing VSTIs)
> 
> Got thi constant buzz in the left ear, but luckily its at 17kHz so it isn't too difficult to get used to.
> Issue is that I am left with a very sensitive ear and loud sounds hurt.
> ...



hi Pat,
Merry Xmas,
similar with right ear, but mine is a sinus problem.
If you use air-con., this problem WILL effect you big time, after a while.
bacteria in the the air-con.
JR.
am looking at a much improved ventilation system for my studio.
JR.


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## theheresy (Dec 10, 2009)

david robinson @ Thu Dec 10 said:


> Patrick de Caumette @ Thu Dec 10 said:
> 
> 
> > I am a member o the Tinnitus club.I was working on some RMX tracks under headphones late at night three years ago and the whole thing went berzerk and produced this mega sound wave that caused nerve damage (I still use RMX but I am weary of working under headphones when editing VSTIs)
> ...



that's interesting because I suspect that some of my tinnitus problems are from sinus also because I've always had bad sinuses and always allergic to stuff and when it flares up I get bad buzzing, I'm always sniffling etc. It's like the canals and/or eustachion tubes get swollen or constrict and the ear therefore maybe hears some of the wind squeaking by..at least that's my theory.


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## david robinson (Dec 10, 2009)

theheresy @ Thu Dec 10 said:


> david robinson @ Thu Dec 10 said:
> 
> 
> > Patrick de Caumette @ Thu Dec 10 said:
> ...



your theory is valid, my dear.
hot summer, warm winds, ventilation = reduced symptoms.
that's, at least, here in Sydney, which is very polluted.
JR.
Merry Xmas.


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## Patrick de Caumette (Dec 10, 2009)

Not to sound overly dramatic, but what really got me down after contracting tinnitus is the fact that my right ear is totally damaged since birth and my good ear is the one that suffered from the spike (since the other one wasn't good enough to hear the frequencies burst enough to be affected) So I feel that I am on parole, with the possibility that the tinnitus gets worse and the ear damage increases over the years (which is from what I understand one possibility when you contract tinnitus) I don't know about you, but I definitely can say that due to tinnitus, my hearing is less than 100%.

I went to see this ear specialist in Philly and besides the fact that he was a total prick (he's 2 hours late for my appointment, doesn't apologize and starts bragging about being a member of the Choral Society and the fact that he was just in Paris...etc) he prescribes this drug that after taking for two days starts triggering symptoms of tinnitus in my other (bad) ear!!
It also made me feel like I was gonna die.
I stopped taking that stuff (one bottle cost $400)

So the story isn't quite over yet.
The good doctor wants me to have a special blood test that determines if the tinnitus triggered an infection in my inner ear.
At the time, I was paying $1100 a month for health coverage for my wife, my two kids and myself.
I go to the clinic that he recommends to get the blood drawn out of me.
The whole operation takes about 15 minutes in and out.

A month later I get a $4000 bill for the blood work (that didn't reveal anything) It turns out that this doctor had offices at the clinic that he recommended 
My insurance company, that had been collecting $1100 a month for two years and a half, tells me that they won't pay for the bill 'cause it went above the threshold of what such a blood test generally costs.
I am on my own.
I contacted the doctor's office, the clinic, the USA Doctors association, the Better Business Bureau, some lawyers, to no avail.
Luckily, due to a mistake, I received a bill from a local university for the actual itemized blood tests, since the clinic was sub-contracting the university to do the tests.
The itemized list was at roughly $350, less than 10% of the price the clinic was charging me.
I now had some incriminating evidence and contacted the attorney general of Pennsylvania and sure enough, they got the clinic to drop its claims.
This whole thing took almost a year to get resolved.
I just love the health establishment in this country...
But no, our health system is not in need of reform.
Obama is an idiot that shouldn't touch a thing.
He's a communist!!

Funny thing is, since my good ear is not as good anymore, I get more of a sense of stereo, since both ears are a little closer in term of perception...

Sorry about the rant...


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## Ed (Dec 10, 2009)

Wow that sucks Patrick, cant believe how much you were charged for that medicine!


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## Patrick de Caumette (Dec 10, 2009)

Dinerdog,

thanks for the Ginko Biloba tip.
I'll give it a try...

Ron, thanks for the kind word

Kays, good idea. I'll mak a deal with Eric Persing: free Spectrasonics libraries for the rest of my life and I promise I won't sue...

JR, Merry Christmas to you as well!

The heresy: thanks for startnig the thread, it allowed me to unload...


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## david robinson (Dec 11, 2009)

Patrick de Caumette @ Thu Dec 10 said:


> Dinerdog,
> 
> thanks for the Ginko Biloba tip.
> I'll give it a try...
> ...



Pat,
hasn't seemed to have stopped you writing some pretty darn good music.
as i said it's my right ear.
and, when symptomatic, i feel it as a physical blockage as well. when this "blockage goes away, so does my tinnitus.
btw, i worked in rock bands between age 15-27 at 110db spl+, that has NOT done as much to cause havoc as my sinus now does.
John R.


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## Patrick de Caumette (Dec 11, 2009)

Ed, thanks. That's what happens when a country doesn't honestly regulate its health care system. Right now, the pharmaceutical and health insurance industry are throwing all of their weight to try to stop Obama from changing anything.
Nobody touches the goose that lays golden eggs...

JR: thanks so much for the kind words man!


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## Ned Bouhalassa (Dec 11, 2009)

Really sorry to hear Patrick! That sucks big time.

I have a constant high-ringing in both ears. I think it's from decades of composing, rock concerts, raves, electroacoustic concerts. I can live with it... for now. :wink:


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## Nick Batzdorf (Dec 11, 2009)

Weird that he wanted to do blood work to see if you had an infection, Patrick. My doctor simply put me on Prednisone (steroids - anti-inflammatory) for a short time to see whether that would get rid of it. No luck in my case - it's cochlear damage - but it seems a lot more direct than doing a whole hit-and-miss blood work-up for $4000.

DR, what I'm wondering is whether musicians have more tinnitus than normal people by any given age. Rockers are going to get it earlier, but the "industrial" part of "industrial deafness" applies to everyone who lives in a city these days. "Deafness" is not always part of it, of course.

I've always chalked it up to having played drums, but now that I think about it, I wonder.


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## Nick Batzdorf (Dec 11, 2009)

By the way, there are lots of things that can cause tinnitus, from something as simple as earwax build-up to high blood pressure to cochlear damage.

Not drinking coffee helps some people - not me, however; I tried stopping it the same time I went on the Prednisone. Old wives' remedies like Ginko may or may not help. Probably not, but of course it doesn't hurt to try.

For severe cases there are other things like reverse noise-cancelling devices. There's generally no magic anti-tinnitus drug, though.


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## germancomponist (Dec 11, 2009)

I have had one many years ago on my right ear. I was in a Hospital for 2 weeks where they gave me a special drug into the blood. But helped not. 

But 3 month later the whistling in my ear went away by itself.


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## DKeenum (Dec 12, 2009)

I don't have Tinnitus or ringing, but my left ear doesn't work as well because of a stage monitor/ sound guy incident. I now wear ear plugs on stage. I went to an audiologist to get them. I even wear the ear plugs at some public events, because my ears have gotten more sensitive to loud noises as I've gotten older.


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## david robinson (Dec 12, 2009)

Ned Bouhalassa @ Fri Dec 11 said:


> Really sorry to hear Patrick! That sucks big time.
> 
> I have a constant high-ringing in both ears. I think it's from decades of composing, rock concerts, raves, electroacoustic concerts. I can live with it... for now. :wink:



Hi Ned,
Merry (White?) Xmas.
if you've got it in both ears, it must be of differing characteristics/spectrum.
if it were identical in both it would sound like it's in the middle of your head.!!
or, more likely it would cancel out - a good thing.
as i type this, i can feel my usual blockage a little - right ear - and the audio symptom is
hi freq pink noise, but my fingers typing on the Mac keys are louder.
btw, i was informed that ear plugs won't help.
this symptom IS connected to my days in bands as i used to stand on the (stage) right.
i'm glad i didn't stay in bands as i'd be a hell of a lot worse now.
i worry about you, as at 47, i cannot remember having this at all.(now almost 61).
i'll say more in answer to Nick B.
best,
David R.


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## david robinson (Dec 12, 2009)

Nick Batzdorf @ Fri Dec 11 said:


> Weird that he wanted to do blood work to see if you had an infection, Patrick. My doctor simply put me on Prednisone (steroids - anti-inflammatory) for a short time to see whether that would get rid of it. No luck in my case - it's cochlear damage - but it seems a lot more direct than doing a whole hit-and-miss blood work-up for $4000.
> 
> DR, what I'm wondering is whether musicians have more tinnitus than normal people by any given age. Rockers are going to get it earlier, but the "industrial" part of "industrial deafness" applies to everyone who lives in a city these days. "Deafness" is not always part of it, of course.
> 
> I've always chalked it up to having played drums, but now that I think about it, I wonder.



Hi Nick.
Merry Xmas.
i've got relatives, by marriage, that work in factories and have this thing really badly at 40yrs. they come home and immediately put a radio on, or TV and turn the sound up, until the tinnitus is masked. they go tho bed like this, with the sound on all night!
this got me thinking.
my symptom is only around five years old.
so, i started to think of things that i'm doing differently now, than before.
due to a very busy schedule i was sleeping in my control room on the couch most nights - directly in the path of an air con. duct!!!! and on the left side (right ear up)
i tried anti-biotics and they worked, until i slept in the control room again.
symptom came back. more anti-bi's.
working, mixing, was horrendous - lopsided image.
my brain DID compensate little.
upshot: i re-trained myself to listen at lower levels. (~70-75db spl).
it was mentally very stressful to do this an i didn't re-eq the Tannoy's to compensate either. after some months i found the i could hear low level detail really well and didn't need to turn up the monitors. (and i stopping sleeping under the duct)
it was evident that, over the years my ears and brain had gotten lazy and liked things @ 90db spl.
then, went to an audiologist and my hearing was even with a little loss in the right ear above 10k. but no "old age" hearing loss!!! (1k-4k).

so, i learned something. you CAN retrain your brain in my circumstance.
this might not apply to those with physical ear malfunctions.
thanks for reading this.
best,
David R.


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## theheresy (Dec 12, 2009)

david robinson @ Sat Dec 12 said:


> Nick Batzdorf @ Fri Dec 11 said:
> 
> 
> > Weird that he wanted to do blood work to see if you had an infection, Patrick. My doctor simply put me on Prednisone (steroids - anti-inflammatory) for a short time to see whether that would get rid of it. No luck in my case - it's cochlear damage - but it seems a lot more direct than doing a whole hit-and-miss blood work-up for $4000.
> ...



very interesting stuff...thanks for the input


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## Patrick de Caumette (Dec 12, 2009)

Ned Bouhalassa @ Fri Dec 11 said:


> Really sorry to hear Patrick! That sucks big time.
> I have a constant high-ringing in both ears. I think it's from decades of composing, rock concerts, raves, electroacoustic concerts. I can live with it... for now. :wink:



Thanks Ned. I know that you have your share of physical ailments as well...

Keep on rocking! =o


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## Patrick de Caumette (Dec 12, 2009)

Nick Batzdorf @ Fri Dec 11 said:


> Weird that he wanted to do blood work to see if you had an infection, Patrick.



From what I gathered, there is the risk, when contracting Tennitus, that a viral component attacks your inner ear, resulting in ear loss...

But then, this good doctor had offices in the clinic that he recommended.
I wouldn't be surprised if he was getting a cut on the high price that the clinic was charging for the test.
While waiting for two hours to see the man, I did notice that a lot of other patients were prescribed the same test...


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## Nick Batzdorf (Dec 12, 2009)

Well, you would see patients being prescribed the same test in a clinic, of course.  But is there any risk to taking whatever anti-viral drug he'd treat the virus with whether or not you need it? Otherwise why do the test.

That assumes you can treat the virus, because if you can't then what's the point.

Comments to David:

1. If an antibiotic helps, you have a bacterial infection...to state the bleeding obvious.

2. People in noisy factories are definitely going to have problems. What I wonder is how much more common this is in musicians than in the general public.

3. I can't imagine that Tinnitus would cancel out the way sound waves do. What I do know is that there are devices that put out noise to mask the effects for people with severe tinnitus.

And I'm very glad I don't have anything like that. It wouldn't be any fun at all.


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## Lunatique (Jan 3, 2010)

Mine only bugs me when it's extremely quiet. It's never kept me up at night or anything, but it's definitely not subtle either. 

BTW, here's something related. I don't know if others have this problem, but my tolerance for high frequency seems to change from day to day. On some days, I don't find the HF fatiguing at all and can listen for hours, and on other days, I can't even bear 5 seconds of the exact same song, same monitors, same volume level, in the same room and listening position. Anyone else have this problem? Does it have anything to do with what you eat or drink that day, or if you got enough sleep?


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## Reegs (Jan 3, 2010)

Mine isn't too bad. Left-ear only. A ringing that will come and go in under a minute.

I mostly blame the lead trumpet player who was directly to my left and liked to play into the stand for two years. I really wish I'd gotten ear plugs, but if you've ever tried to play a brass instrument while wearing them you know why it was always a losing argument.

Lunatique, I've never observed myself with that phenomenon, but now that you mention it I'm sure I'll experience it


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## snowleopard (Mar 2, 2010)

I hope it's okay I'm bringing this thread back. 

I've had what I consider seasonal tinnitus every year for the last 5+ years. Mostly in late winter. Every year right when I start to really notice, it starts to go away. Except this year, it's bugging the heck out of me. A high-pitched dentist drill in my ear. Worst at night when it's quiet and I'm trying to sleep. Even having the fan running doesn't mask it enough. 

I have had a few MEGA BLASTs of sound wearing headphones, but not enough to cause pain over the years. I've also been very careful through the years to protect my hearing. Rarely going to loud concerts, always covering my ears when sirens went by. The flat out sucks and is driving me insane. 

Anyhoo, I'm hoping to see the doctor soon, and hopefully he isn't the same kind that Patrick had. This thread helped me a lot. I'll let you guys know what the docs say, if interested. 

(My 100th post!)


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## Nick Batzdorf (Mar 2, 2010)

Snowleopard, do you think it's the lower temperature that's causing it? Are you in Eastern Oregon?

If so, wouldn't keeping your head warm in a cap be a likely solution?

Obviously that wouldn't work if it's the humidity, but it sounds like you have a great clue to start from.


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## Peter Emanuel Roos (Mar 2, 2010)

I have tinnitus now for nearly two years after my wax-stuffed ears were cleaned by an assistent of my doctor - she just use way too much pressure. After it I immediately got a serious infection in the right ear and needed some serious drugs to kill it. Apparently my ears were already infected when I got them rinsed. It is a nasty high pitched ring that I can even hear when driving my car - but luckily it is in no way distracting me. I haven't checked the frequency yet, but I guess it's around 12 kHz. I hope I don't have a serious dip there... Otherwise my mixes will have too much air 

I have not take any action against the doctor's office (I'm too friendly for that) but sometimes I do think should have investigated the option of a claim against them.


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## snowleopard (Mar 2, 2010)

Nick - I actually live in the Portland area, and this winter has been very mild. Maybe that has something to do with it? (Mold, bacteria, etc.). I’m actually very tolerant of cold as a person (Scandinavian blooded) and often enjoy winter. I’ve had mild sinus issues my entire life, though they are often worse in early summer/hay feaver, when I usually haven no tinnitus. 

Emmanual – I actually had my ears cleaned several weeks ago. There was no pain at the time, and I never thought it could have actually contributed to the problem, but maybe it did? If you hadn’t have made your post, I never would have thought about it.


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## Svencanz (Mar 2, 2010)

Lunatique,

The level of tinnitus that I have certainly varies with "general energy levels".
I have had it for about 24 years now, and mine was caused by loud engines rather than loud music.
When I first discovered I had it I feared I'd go nuts, but then I learned that it varied with my energy: run down, having a cold -> louder ringing!
Now I have kinda learned to "ignore" it, and it does not bother me, least not psychologically.
I suspect acupunture (which balances energy generally) might be quite helpful for the severity that I have...

Anyway, yes - tinnitus levels can certainly vary depending on what you eat, think, drink and do...

S


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## snowleopard (Mar 2, 2010)

I meet with my GP next Monday to discuss. I trust this guy quite a bit, very sharp physician. Clinic says if he can't help, they'll send me to an ENT. 

Good post Svencanz. I have read about acupuncture helping some people out. I'll definitely consider that, and seeing a naturopath, if this step doesn't work.


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## ChrisAxia (Mar 3, 2010)

Worrying to see how many musicians have tinnitus. I had very mild tinnitus until I did something very stupid last year which made it worse. I used to race cars/karts and was invited for a testing session on very noisy 2-stroke karts. I forgot to take any ear-plugs and the supplied crash helmets did not offer much in the way of sound proofing. After almost an hour, I could barely hear, and what I could hear sounded like it went through a 4 way pitch shifter! No joke. It was really scary just listening to people talking!!

ANY music I listened too sounded out of tune, pitched all over the place etc, and this lasted for 2 days!!! Thankfully it settled down, but has left me a with a high frequency 'buzz' that I didn't have before. I don't notice it on a day to day basis though, except when it's very quiet, but please learn from my stupid mistake! Use earplugs if you're going to do anything with noisy engines right next to your head!!

~Chris


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## d-dmusic (Mar 3, 2010)

I'm going to recommend to all of you who suffer from Tinnitus something that really worked for me. *NAC. N-Acetyl Cystene.* Google it. You can get it from Puritan's Pride pretty cheap.

It was developed by/for the American Military. Many soldiers practicing on shooting ranges were contracting tinnitus/ear damage. No surprise there. However, *NAC*, when taken in advance, was shown to dramatically reduced the affects of Tinnitus. Not only that, when taken in higher doses, it was believed that it could reverse the affects of ear damage. 

Well, I am proof positive that it works. Let me explain further.

After building my second home recording studio in the new house, I started noticing a low-frequency drone in my right ear only. It started quite low in volume, but, increased over 2 years to a point where I couldn't stand it any longer. I went to not one, but, two ENT specialists that did complete testing, including an MRI to check for any tumors. Nothing ! "You have tinnitus. Here's a sheet on how you can cope with it." The End.

I was really very depressing. It affected my work...everything. Then over on the *PSW Forum*, Bill Mueller recommended NAC. I will forever be grateful to Bill Mueller for that. 

I started taking 3 pills per day...one with each meal. The results were so gradual that I thought nothing was happening at all. It must have been 6 months later that we went away and I left the NAC at home. After about two days, I started noticing that my hearing became less and less clear with less detail and quite a bit less top end. Muffled. When I got home and started working....mixing, composing, etc...I confirmed that, yes, my hearing was noticeably less defined. So, immediately I starting taking the NAC again.

Bingo ! After 1 day ! I noticed the improvement. Top end restored and, in general much better hearing.

But, that's not the end of it. After about one year, without any real defining moment I said to my wife, "you know, I haven't noticed any drone in my ear for a while." *It was gone. The damn drone from the depths of hell was gone* :!: 

To this day, I take NAC once a day as a maintenence of my hearing and to this day I have no drone ! Once in a while after a long day working, I will have a tiny episode of the drone re-occur, but, it is quite soft and goes away quickly. I have not noticed any side effects at all. None.


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## ChrisAxia (Mar 4, 2010)

Yes, thanks for the advice D-D. I actually tried NAC a few years ago for another health issue and may even have some lying around. Thanks also for the links Snowleopard.

~C


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## snowleopard (Apr 12, 2012)

I'm back to talk about this important topic as over the last year I saw several physicians and wanted to update everyone on that, and more. 

First, after seeing my MD, they sent me to I eventually saw the ENT and went to the highly respected hearing and tinnitus centers at OHSU where I saw about three physicians, including an MD/PhD. I had a battery of tests and exams done, they asked a dozen questions and...

...said they could do nothing for me. Yes, you read that correctly. Oh I got a lot of information all right. That it's not really curable. Most studies show that placebos "work" as well as most drugs. There is hope in stem-cell research, maybe a decade or so from now. I was told about getting rest, exercise, etc. Also not to fall for every gimmick you hear about that isn't scientifically proven - they seemed big on that. I was told I could buy a pillow that has a gentle sound in it to help sleep. Having fans, fountains, etc. helped many people. I was also told to protect my hearing, and try to "find my peace" in a sense. I can't recall if they wished me good luck. 

In the months since, my "peace" has been about the same, and my tinnitus is about the same. But I did find some hope, and here are three important articles that all sufferers of tinnitus should read. First, a report from a year ago from a study at Georgetown University gives some hope: 

http://explore.georgetown.edu/news/?ID=54743&PageTemplateID=295 (http://explore.georgetown.edu/news/?ID= ... lateID=295)

Next, a new device - I presume like headphones, has been fairly successfully tested to do something scientists call Acoustic Coordinated Reset. This device was tested in various patterns of wearing/not wearing, and the results are encouraging: 

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/03 ... 61519.html

Next, the National Biomedical Research Unit in Hearing has created a device they call the CR Neuromodulator, which can be purchased now in England and Germany through private care. This device too has shown some promising results, with some people reportedly finding their tinnitus cured: 

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/20 ... 115043.htm

Hope this helps at least someone here. And if any of you find anything in your search, please share. We're all like family here when it comes to this issue.


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## TARI (Aug 10, 2012)

http://www.vi-control.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=27162


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