Tinnitus

[ted]

By tinnitus, I do not mean temporary tinnitus consequent to noise or illness. I mean ongoing noises in one or both ears. Their exact nature doesn't matter for the purposes of this poll.

[whynot]

I've had it off and on since I was a child.  Now I pretty much have some ringing or noise all the time.  Not many people know this about me!  I try not to think about it, because it could make me crazy. 

[pianonut]

i don't have tinnitus, but if you lean over and listen to my ear you'll hear the ocean.  in actuality, it is the wind.  from so many miles of bicycling and the wind rushing in and out.

ted and  whynot - are you swimmers?  did you swim a lot in your youth.  or, did you have any trauma in one or both ears.  did you parents box your ears?  it must be really irritating to have tinnitus.  there are many afflictions each one of us has.  probably each composer had their share of physical maladies, too.  since beethoven was particularly afflicted with this, you have comfort that you are not alone.

my affliction is my eyesight.  i probably should have gone on the bifocal thread, but am too embarrased to.  i know i need glasses soon, but have been putting it off and off. my eyes water alot if i practice and look too much at the music.  so, i like to play in dimly lit rooms from memory. 

[mound]

I have it, and while I try to ignore it, it is hard at times.. It's a constant ringing in both ears.  I tend to forget about it when there is background noise, but when it's quiet, it's very clear.  Just the other day I was listening to my teacher play Bach on the piano, he wasn't "quiet" but it wasn't crashing either -and as I listened, I distinctly thought to myself "this ringing in my ears really detracts from enjoying this"..

[ted]

I have had a continuous high frequency in my left ear since a severe flu-like illness in 1995. I have no reason to suppose that anything else would have started it. I have never been seriously bothered by it. I have my hearing tested regularly and it's very good for my age. Many people say that alcohol and coffee exacerbate it. For me alcohol does, although only slightly, and coffee has no effect at all. I think I have more or less trained myself out of being aware of it.

[janice]

I have tinnitus and it is SOOOOO loud!!  It's in both ears--actually, it's kind of in the middle, just sort of in my head.  I've learned to not let it bother me, but it's loud enough to drive someone crazy!  Mine sounds like a window air conditioner, roaring full-blast 24/7.  Those of you with tinnitus, what does yours sound like?  I know another musician who says that his sounds like crickets!  Man, what I would give for some peace and quiet!!  But really, I've just learned to block it out.

[Tash]

i discovered that i have it last year when someone i can't remember brought this up here and i was like hey i have ringing in my ears is that not normal?! and apparently it isn't and i told my mum and she freaked and was like why didn't you tell me?? and i was like well i've had it since at least yr2 and i thought it was an electricity buzz or something. but no it's just me haha. so i'm pretty used to it. i'm assuming it's the result of getting my skull fractured when i was 6 how nice does that sound. but it doesn't bother me unless i start thinking about it when i'm trying to sleep and then i get paranoid about it and it gets really loud. but i can kind of control its dynamics so it's bearable. occassionally if i feel dizzy or unbalanced i'll hear some kind of wind/roaring wave sound which is exciting haha

it'll be interesting to see if i ever manage to get it fixed what it'd be like with just silence...

[whynot]

In answer to pianonut, no, I haven't spent much time swimming at all, nor had physical trauma to the ears (like hitting).  I have exposed my ears to too much loud noise over the years.   Not rock concerts, just instruments I've played, but I had the ringing before those activities too.  It's different notes, most commonly a very high A, although today I have a pronounced high Eb, ugh.  Usually there are overtones, sometimes a very loud in-tune major third; occasionally it's a half-step, which I don't enjoy.  It's exacerbated by loud high noises, like sopranos reading music over my shoulder.   Like the others, I'm pretty good at not thinking about it, but at night it is LOUD.  Sometimes it's loud enough to wake me up, it's shrieking and I think, what does quiet sound like?   

[pseudopianist]

I don't and I åplan to keep it that way. I always take care of my ears because I couldn't live with having tinnitus

[janice]

I don't and I åplan to keep it that way. I always take care of my ears because I couldn't live with having tinnitus

Ummm....sometimes tinnitus is a result of trauma to the brain, a brain tumor, a side effect of certain medications, or some other physical problem.  The ears themselves, might be perfectly fine, but the problem originates in the brain.  I'm glad that you take care of your ears, but alot of people with tinnitus have it as a result of a physical problem.

[whynot]

pseudopianist, I sincerely hope you never have this problem, and I'm happy about any musician taking care of his/her ears.  But your post sounds a little like people bring this on themselves by not taking proper precautions, and that isn't the case with me or many others who posted about this.  (However, I really do wish you and your ears the best!)

[Etude]

/

[Etude]

.

[pianojems]

I've been having ringing in my ears since 3rd week of april so that would be less then two months. I had an ear infection and pressure in my ears and now the noise has remained. I am afraid that it will be permanent.
     Sleeping with it is very hard especially since it gets really loud sometimes and I could hear different dissonant pitches at the same time. GGrrrrrrrr. Also when I watch tv it exaccerbates my situation because its makes similar type ringing sound ( you know what I mean).
     The idea of having this forever freaks me out because it distracts me like 100 times a day

[mound]

I described mine once to somebody as "crickets" as well. You  know when you're out camping, and at night there is a constant high pitch in the air that is the crickets all sounding together? I have that sound, more or less, in my ears at all times. When enough is going on around me, I tend to forget about it, but if I stop to "listen" - it is very much there. It's very noticeable while listening to music. There are some frequencies in fact that seem to "clash" with the ringing, and it almost makes the tones sound distorted, which can be quite frustrating. I just hope it doesn't get worse.

I think the cause was 10 years playing bass with ringing cymbols right next to me I only started wearing those custom moulded musicians earplugs in the last year or two of being a performing bass player. The damage was likely already done. I wear those plugs now whenever I go to live music.

-Paul

[ranakor]

i agree there are many causes to it & just "taking care of your ears" only fix the main one(traumatic tinitus wich happens when you hear too loud & has to be treated very fast" i freaked out because i have tinnitus since... yesterday evening & called the doctor this morning the good news is it's not traumatic tinnitus & it'll leave as soon as the cause of it leaves... the bad news is the cause is hypertention =(

but all that to say there are prolly a lot of people in this thread who have it & always took care of their ears anyway

pianojeme did you consult a doctor about it? if it's traumatic it won't go & if it isn't it won't leave before you treat the cause so odds are if you "just wait" it's gonna stay

[pianojems]

Well I keep going to the doctor because ever since my ear infection my ears are still popping since they have a little pressure still in them. I also told him about my tinnitus several times, and they checked to see If I was loosing hearing. It turns out that my hearing is perfect but I still have slight pressure in my ears.
     They still don't know the cause still and its driving me crazy. If I don't know the cause then how do I treat it you know.
     By the way ranakor how did they test the result of your tinnitus and figured that it was hypertension? I really want to know. Did you go to an ENT for that?

[Tash]

can you actually go deaf from having tinnitus? cos if it is i should really go get mine checked out. so if i went to an ear doctor would they be able to do anything about it or tell me how to deal with or something? cos i've only spent like the last 13 years of my life without having it checked out but maybe i should...

[ted]

From what I have have read, tinnitus can occur simultaneously with hearing loss, can be a symptom of it, but is not necessarily the cause per se. Neither does the existence of tinnitus imply the existence of hearing loss. The whole thing appears to be extremely complicated, with tinnitus having many possible causes, and there are still many unanswered questions.

I continue to be amazed at how common it is. Even on our forum almost half the people answering the poll have it. Talking to people around the place I tend to think the same proportion is likely in the general population.

[Bouter Boogie]

Umm.. Maybe this is a very stupid question, but can anyone explain what Tinnitus is?  I've never heard of it..

[mound]

TINNITUS ti-NIGHT-us or TIN-i-tus: the perception of sound in the ears or head where no external source is present. Both pronunciations are correct; the American Tinnitus Association uses ti-NIGHT-us. The word comes from Latin and means "to tinkle or to ring like a bell."

In almost all cases, tinnitus is a subjective noise, meaning that only the person who has tinnitus can hear it. Someone with tinnitus often describes it as "ringing in the ears," but people report hearing all kinds of sounds: crickets, whooshing, pulsing, ocean waves, buzzing, even music.

Many people will experience it temporarily or intermittently. Most of the people we help here at the American Tinnitus Association experience this "ringing in the ears" 24 hours a day, seven days a week.


from https://www.ata.org/about_tinnitus/

[BoliverAllmon]

I hadn't even heard of tinnitus until today. I would hate to having a ringing in my ears.

boliver

[Jacey1973]

It's strange, i was just thinking about tinnitus the other day because i'm not really sure whether i have it or not. I get a mild ringing in my ears (which i think has got slightly worse recently)- i tend to notice more at night when it's quiet. I've been to a few loud concerts/clubs in my time and i listen to my walkman everyday (ive been doing this for about 6 years). Is it quite common for pianists to get tinnitus? I'm convinced i'm going to get it - if i haven't already.

[pianojems]

it seems that many musicians get it from exposure to loud noise. Pianists can get ig by practicing many hours a day a week a year.

[Bouter Boogie]

TINNITUS ti-NIGHT-us or TIN-i-tus: the perception of sound in the ears or head where no external source is present. Both pronunciations are correct; the American Tinnitus Association uses ti-NIGHT-us. The word comes from Latin and means "to tinkle or to ring like a bell."

In almost all cases, tinnitus is a subjective noise, meaning that only the person who has tinnitus can hear it. Someone with tinnitus often describes it as "ringing in the ears," but people report hearing all kinds of sounds: crickets, whooshing, pulsing, ocean waves, buzzing, even music.

Many people will experience it temporarily or intermittently. Most of the people we help here at the American Tinnitus Association experience this "ringing in the ears" 24 hours a day, seven days a week.


from https://www.ata.org/about_tinnitus/

Thnx for your explanation  Now I get it  I don't have Tinnitus though..

[c18cont]

Mine is from a blown eardrum in a diving accident, age 34.
(Never think you are safe as a diver....)

John

[pianojems]

ouch that must really suck

[pianojems]

I have a question did any of you ever take any kind of herbal supplements/medicines for it and did it work. I have tried this stuff called clear tinnitus but too early to tell if it helps. I also just saw on tv some kind of lipoflavonoid, available at walgreens and online.They say it helps tinnitus but its close to 100 bucks a bottle

[Etude]

If it is called "clear tinnitus" then it must be crap, trust me.  Nothing can be taken SPECIFICALLY for it.  These people are taking advantage of the desperation of some sufferers, to make them buy their rubbish.  They are just after your money.  Currently, there is no known way to cure it, but a variety of treatments are available, to help to REDUCE but not completely remove the symptom.  Improvement may also be made by improving your lifestyle, by reducing intake of salt, caffeine, increasing excercise, distracting activities etc.

The condition has been known to spontaneously disappear but this is rare.  Substantial Reduction of the intensity is very likely to occur in most cases as time passes, so I've read.  Psychological reduction is usually very possible. 

It's ending/avoiding the cycle: 
tinnitus = anxiety and stress = focusing more on tinnitus = more anxiety and stress ,
that is tricky but seemingly effective for the majority of sufferers.

[yamagal]

I have it in both ears, worse in left ear.  I think my tinnitus is due to exposure to various loud noises.  It only bothers me at night when I am trying to go to sleep.  I really need to take better care of my hearing.  My dad was plagued w/ tinnitus for years, and this coincided with gradual onset deafness.  It runs in our family;  my paternal grandmother is deaf in one ear.  My dad is quite deaf in both ears.   

[pianojems]

Im very much aware that there is no cure and all that but I was trying to find something that will reduce the noise or alliveate it somewhat. Also I hear that drinking makes it feel worse then smoking. Also some people I know say that taking magnesium, calcium, and gingko biloba all together help somewhat. Some people also say that antidepressants help because the noise has to do with electrical messages in the brain. I want to know if anyone effectively treated it?

[soderlund]

Hi all

I realise this is an old thread, but I'd rather write here than posting a new one.

I have tinnitus, I got it a few months ago I think. There is no specific reason why I have it, and I don't remember any occasion when I got it. It was simply there. I have one bad ear, my right one, but I think the left one is also ringing, and sometimes I think it's inside the head. I think it varies in tone. I don't have perfect pitch, sadly so I can't be absolutely sure, but it tends to take on a different shape now and then.

For some time now, I've been okay with it. Today and yesterday though, I have had a mental collapse due to this. I don't know what to do with myself, and then my tinnitus is not very loud. I could imagine how it would be for those that have so loud tinnitus so you can barely hear other things.

Now, I'm really worried about this. Usually when I play the piano, I forget about it completely, so it does not disturb me. Today and yesterday it became worse though, or at least I think it did. This is not due to loud noises, I haven't exposed myself to higher noises than normal (actually, I never expose myself to louder noises than playing on a grand piano, I never listen to music in  a headset or something like that). So, now it has disturbed me when playing. I am 16 years old, and have taken lessons for 3 months now, and I played for about one year before that. Now, my piano teacher has great plans for me, and if I want to and really work hard I can become a concert pianist, for sure, or at least that's what she says. Is there any chance this might really stand in the way for me? I know this might be very hard for someone else to answer, but is there any professional pianists with tinnitus out there?

I am convinced it will become better, I will learn to live with it - if it doesn't become even louder. This is the difficult period I think, I am really sick of the noise, but I haven't adapted yet.

Jonathan

[ted]

Jonathan:

If it is really affecting you to the point of "mental collapse" then, especially at your age, you must seek help right now. A visit to the doctor and various other specialists is certainly justified in order to eliminate those causes of tinnitus which are actually physical and can be treated physically. If it turns out to be in the brain, as they seem to think is the case with most tinnitus, then there are therapists who can teach you ways of handling it so it does not interfere with your life.

It is important and comforting to know that that you are not alone. Indeed, tinnitus is very, very common. There exist support organisations whose members can help you handle it. Do not hesitate to contact them.

[counterpoint]

I am 16 years old, and have taken lessons for 3 months now, and I played for about one year before that. Now, my piano teacher has great plans for me, and if I want to and really work hard I can become a concert pianist, for sure, or at least that's what she says.

Hi,

I can't say much about tinnitus besides that I have tinnitus too ( a'''' , both ears), it's sometimes very annoying and loud, sometimes it's not so loud and I am able to ignore it.

The other thing with your teacher, who has "great plans" with you, seems to me quite strange. You do play piano only for a little more than 1 year, and she talks about making a "concert pianist" out of you? This can't be a serious consideration. Is she an astrologer? What pieces have you played until now?

If I were you, I would make much more thoughts whether I could trust such a teacher who seemingly wants to get control over your life and lead you in a very doubtful direction.

[soderlund]

Jonathan:

If it is really affecting you to the point of "mental collapse" then, especially at your age, you must seek help right now. A visit to the doctor and various other specialists is certainly justified in order to eliminate those causes of tinnitus which are actually physical and can be treated physically. If it turns out to be in the brain, as they seem to think is the case with most tinnitus, then there are therapists who can teach you ways of handling it so it does not interfere with your life.

It is important and comforting to know that that you are not alone. Indeed, tinnitus is very, very common. There exist support organisations whose members can help you handle it. Do not hesitate to contact them.

I am going to the school nurse this monday, and see what the cause might be, and hopefully, she'll send me to a doctor to look at it. I do feel I need to explain a little more what I meant with a "mental collapse". Perhaps they were not the best words I could have chosen.
First of all, the past three months have been quite miserable overall, I'm not going to tell you about all the problems, it's enough to say I have been feeling quite down a lot of the time. Now, wednesday and thursday I played a lot of piano, I am currently working on Bach, which I find very difficult. You see all, I am a lousy sightreader, but I am a very good memoriser, but Bach is more difficult to memorise than anything I have been playing before, and I do not enjoy playing the music very much either.
So, I had been focusing for two days in a row, first in school and then even more when playing it home. The night from wednesday to thursday I slept six or seven hours, and that is a lot less then I need. I was quite run down mentally, emotionally etc. And the tinnitus more like triggered this little collapse of mine rather then actually causing it. I think the tinnitus might have been worse by focusing so hard on the pieces. I have already recovered, and this morning after a good night sleep, the tinnitus wasn't as loud at all.

Hi,

I can't say much about tinnitus besides that I have tinnitus too ( a'''' , both ears), it's sometimes very annoying and loud, sometimes it's not so loud and I am able to ignore it.

The other thing with your teacher, who has "great plans" with you, seems to me quite strange. You do play piano only for a little more than 1 year, and she talks about making a "concert pianist" out of you? This can't be a serious consideration. Is she an astrologer? What pieces have you played until now?

If I were you, I would make much more thoughts whether I could trust such a teacher who seemingly wants to get control over your life and lead you in a very doubtful direction.

Well, I could write down my current repertoire if that is what you are meaning. These pieces are all memorised, or I am working on memorising them:

Liebesträume no.3 - Franz Liszt
Sonata pathetiqué first movement - Beethoven (working on this one)
Impromptu no 4 in Ab - Franz Schubert
Minute waltz, mazurka op.6 no 1, Military polonaise in A - Frederic Chopin
Two part inventions no.1, 13 and 14, prelude and fugue in Bb - Bach
Solfeggietto - Carl Philip Emmanuel Bach

I think that is pretty much it. I will soon start playing Chopin etudes, after christmas I think.

Now, my piano teacher is great. She had the same teacher as Zimmerman, and she knows music very good. I wouldn't have any other teacher, she really is great. It is not that she wants to take control over my life at all, like you describe, it is not true.

Thanks for your posts, ted and counterpoint. It all feels better today, and I'll tell you guys how it develops after I have went to the school nurse.

[teresa_b]

I have had tinnitus for about 25 years or more.  I blame myself for going to several loud rock concerts in college.  But I don't really know.  It sounds like a high-pitched test pattern.  Usually I can ignore it, but now and then it annoys me when it's very quiet, and I'm reading, or something.  Listening to music seems to somehow override it, so that, luckily, is OK for me.

Teresa

[invictious]

I, sadly do have tinnitus, and the ringing is bothering me, constantly

My god, and I am a synaesthetic and have perfect pitch..

I am also word-deaf (I am bad at listening to words, but I can tell you each instrumental part of a symphony)

and I am only 15

man..

[ted]

Well, that makes another three of us who have it. The proportion of forum members with it seems to have settled around a third. I tend to think this number would be the same in the general population, possibly higher among older age groups, but I am going by subjective impression; I do not have any facts. It tends to one of those complaints that nobody talks about.

Does anybody get episodes where a sudden burst of tinnitus appears in one ear and may take hours to fade ? I found when that happens, the best idea is to immediately and rapidly create pressure in the eustachean tube by repeatedly simulating a yawn. If I do that the sound usually fades in seconds. If I don't it's liable to persist for hours.

This fact leads me to conclude that I actually experience two different types of tinnitus, both producing the same aural effect. The permanent one, or at least since 1995, is a high pitched ring, as Teresa describes, and is in my left ear only. The "sudden burst" tinnitus is likely to occur in either ear without warning. I conjecture that the permanent one is in the brain and the temporary one is caused by pressure differences in the middle ear.

[jakev2.0]

Wow, I feel very sorry that so many people suffer from tinnitus.  I'm very thankful that I do not suffer from it.

I've always had sensitive hearing and try to take good care of it.  I generally keep away from loud noises. When a bus passes me on the street I find the racket unbearable and cover my ears. I generally avoid dances, parties, and loud concerts because I just can't take the loudness. 

I just hope that listening to Horowitz relatively loudly on my iPod isn't the thing to ruin my hearing, heh.

[franzliszt2]

My Left ear rings on an F# pretty much all the time. It can be awful going to sleep and stuff. It gets worse if I've been to a loud concert or pub.

[ihatepop]

Sometimes, theres a sound of lasers zapping continuesly in my right ear.

ihatepop

[franzliszt2]

My dad has this thing in his ear, which sounds like a car engine apparently

[invictious]

Actually, mine is a perfect A, 440 hertz

Wow, just because I have perfect pitch ^^

[ihatepop]

Actually, mine is a perfect A, 440 hertz

Wow, just because I have perfect pitch ^^

Hahahahaha

ihatepop

[teresa_b]

This fact leads me to conclude that I actually experience two different types of tinnitus, both producing the same aural effect. The permanent one, or at least since 1995, is a high pitched ring, as Teresa describes, and is in my left ear only. The "sudden burst" tinnitus is likely to occur in either ear without warning. I conjecture that the permanent one is in the brain and the temporary one is caused by pressure differences in the middle ear.

I'm sure you're right, Ted, particularly about the pressure-induced tinnitus that goes away.  The permanent one may be in the brain, but may well be generated by the cochlea (due to damage to the little "hair" cells that pick up high-pitched sound, so still I suppose a central nervous system cause).  You generally also have hearing loss at that frequency. 

Teresa

[rafant]

I have tinnitus since my youth, but it doesn't bother me. What is curious is that in the silence of the night, at bed, I hear several ringing tones, maybe 3, 4 or even more, each one at diferent pitch. A friend told me that every ringing tone was related to an specific organ (lung, heart, etc.). But I don´t know if such an statement does have any basis. Interesting.

[infectedmushroom]

It seems that quite a lot of people have Tinnitus, after reading all the replies...


I don't have it, when it's silent, it's completely silent for me in my ears. Of course, I can't imagine what life would be with Tinnitus, but after reading the replies from people who do have Tinnitus, I'm glad that I don't have it.

Sometimes, let's say once a month or something, I do get some kinda "bell ringing" sound in my ears. It starts very soft and get's louder.... Then after 30 seconds it's gone. 

[phil13]

Sometimes, let's say once a month or something, I do get some kinda "bell ringing" sound in my ears. It starts very soft and get's louder.... Then after 30 seconds it's gone. 

I have the same thing, only instead of a ringing or a bell, it's more like a very high-pitched frequency- kind of like when a speaker is on with the volume too high. Drives me insane, but luckily it disappears after half a minute.

Thankfully I don't have actual, chronic tinnitus as of now.

Phil

[minor9th]

I have it--too many rock concerts when I was a kid! Jimi Hendrix probably did the most damage.

[jakev2.0]

Yikes...*turns down speakers*.