Ear ringing

[Rick Schmidlin]

I have been playing mandolin for three and half years and loving every minute of it. I play up to three hours a day and my MF5 has traveled the world with me. Back in the mid 70's some jerk punched my left ear and and it puntured my ear drum. #When I play my guitar I have no trouble,but #with the mandolin I get a ringing that seems to stay untill bedtime. Also I have noticed after playing that I speak louder and have a slight problem hearing correctly. Is it time to hang up the mandolin or should I play with ear plugs and never hear the true tone?

http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/sad.gif

[Bob A]

First step is to get examined by a competent sudiologist. Why not take steps to preserve what you have left, and perhaps improve?

[Chris Biorkman]

I would play with ear plugs. Lots of rock guitarist do.

[Chris Biorkman]

Or maybe buy a quieter mandolin.

[Kevin Briggs]

Ringing in ears is called tinitus. I have it too. It is irreversable, but you can do preventative maintenance. It will not go away, but you can do things like run a fan while you try to go to sleep, or watch TV, or whatever.

[Rick Schmidlin]

First step is to get examined by a competent sudiologist. Why not take steps to preserve what you have left, and perhaps improve?
I checked into this ago before playing the mandolin and they said there was nothing I could do. Working all those years with punk rock did not help matters.

[mandroid]

A Tonitis sufferer for many years, I'd say, on your own at home, there should not be too much concern.

? 3 hours a day? non stop?

a 'dead' room with drapes, carpet, and furnishings, would help, I guess.

over amplified shows are a problem,

"too soon old, too late smart" ,

probably applies http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/sleepy.gif .

{probably for some audience situations, too,
the box of earplugs should be on offer at the door.}

[Ken Sager]

Earplugs. Protect what is left of your hearing.

I have hearing loss in my left ear from playing in punk bands years ago. I wear earplugs when I travel on airplanes, busses, trains. I wear them during a lot of gigs, loud movies, and whenever things are uncomfortably loud. It never hurts to be overprotective of your hearing.

Buy in bulk and use them. That, or get custom fitted ones that last years. Talk to an audiologist.

Best,
Ken

[Tom C]

Try closing your ear with your finger for a minute. Sometimes the "feedback" will suddenly dissipate. This will not work with ringing from loud music.

[Hans]

I've had tinitus for many years...it's pretty bad. As a young buck working in cabinet shops I didn't need ear protectors, but wish I had used them. I used to be so tired by the end of the week that it took all weekend just to get back to square one. Finally figured out that I wasn't sleeping when one day I realized the ringing didn't go away. Was pretty frightening and took a long time to get used to it.
The Doc prescribed Trazodone, an anti-depressant that puts me out within 10 minutes and gives me 6+ hour a nite. It leaves you a little woozy in the morning, but is non narcotic.

[Slim Pickins]

I too have Tinitus. Have had it for many years. When I sit in a quiet room it is noticeable. But don't fret (Fret) it is a very common problem. Just have to live with it.

2002 Weber Bitteroot Custom

1975 Guild Guitar D55

[KanMando]

I've been dealing with tinnitus for several years now. I can't say for sure that all my years of playing in rock bands is the cause - I haven't played in a band since 1991, but it probably didn't help. I've done a few things to decrease and sometimes eliminate the ringing in my right ear.

Here are my observations:

The ringing is much worse if I've been under a lot of stress (mainly job related). Playing the mandolin or acoustic guitar actually helps with this. B vitamins can also help. I've noticed that the ringing often disappears when I'm out canoeing or hiking.

Getting a good night's sleep helps.

Taking a supplement called vinpocetine seems to help - available at health food stores. It's supposed to promote brain matabolism, but there's anectdotal evidence that it relieves tinnitus.

Cut down on alcohol consumption. A tough choice.

Good luck.

Bob J.

[Dalton Maples]

Tinnitus is ringing in the ears. Many things can cause it including age, working around loud noise, Meniere's disease, punctured tympanic membranes (your ear drum) and many more issues. Usually tinnitus is not fixable, but not always. Yours does not sound like it is permanent since it only occurs after playing the mandolin.

Yours sounds mostly like situational from noises from a certain decibel range without having a eardrum to decrease the sound. I used to get ringing in my ears from motorcycle riding long distances without a helmet, I started riding with earplugs and no more ringing.

You may want to see a Ear, Nose and Throat physician (ENT or Otolaryngologist). If your eardrum has not healed it may be fixable (tympanoplasty). In the mean time at least wear a compressable foam earplug in the affected ear.

Don't give up your mandolin, it probably provides more for your health than you will ever know.

Dalton[I][U][I]

[Ira Chavis]

I also have tinnitus, it was exacerbated sitting first row at a electric hot tuna concert at the fur peace ranch 2 years ago. It probably started when seeing led zeppelin first row in 1974. It started 2 weeks after the tuna concert and comes and goes. Your brain will probably retrain it self and you wont really notice after a while. But not to restate a lot of advise, go see the top dog ENT doctor in your area and get a good pair of ear plugs. You will cope. It always seems to be worse when stuff is quiet. Mine is no worse weather i play music or just sit in front of the TV. good luck to you!

Ira

[TEE]

I have it also but all the time. When I shoot a gun my ears will ring like yours till bedtime or so. I have muted my mandolin at times with the palm of my hand at the bridge to cut out the high pitches but that may be a good way to pick up bad habits. I do that a lot at night when everybody else is asleep.
By the way I never listened to loud rock music so I cant blame it on that.
I could not imagine playing with earplugs but that might work for you.
Some of the other guys may know of a better way to mute it a little to cut out the high frequencies. You can mute a fiddle with a clothespin on the bridge- but I am not sure how to mute a mandolin-but if the earplugs dont work you could try that. Maybe cloth behind the bridge or something.

[danb]

I've got it. Virzis are your friends http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

Mom's an audiologist, and she's done me a set of "musician's plugs". These are custom fit earplugs that have a fairly flat attenuation curve on them, and come in different levels of sound reduction. Knocking off 9db seems to be the right spot for a sustained practice or jam session, and up to 20 for loud concerts.

As others say, not enough sleep, too much stress, some booze, all will effect it. Turn off your ipod too btw- a lot of mine was exacerbated by headphone use. It goes down substantially (in my experience) if you look after yourself!

[Big Joe]

I've had it for about 25 years. In many cases, it is caused by use of non steroidal anti-inflamatories. You know, Ibuprofen, aspirin, etc. If you have taken any of these for long times it may well causes Tinitus. I have gotten used to it most of the time. Still, it would be nice to just have it quiet for ten minutes! There are times when the volume does make going to sleep nearly impossible. I can turn on a cd or tv and the ringing will be masked and it will usually allow me to get tired enough to fall asleep...but not always. Those nights are quite frustrating.

It does not appear to hurt my ability to hear and distinquish tones though. I have a slight loss in high registers, but nothing that is abnormal for my age.

[56 Gibson Hoss]

Welcome to the club of tinitus.....I got mine from shotguns, chainsaws and banjo pickers.
Tell your young uns' to use sound mufflers or they will have the same thing we do now.......kinda like sunscreen. We are now paying for the non use of prevention as young uns'. The dermatologists and the audiologists have great businesses thanks to most of us boomers......speaking for myself (and the rest of you, whether you like it or not <g>)

[Andrew DeMarco]

Tinnitus is usually not "reversible" in a long persisting case like yours. The cause is often a mystery. Tinnitus is a symptom of many many things including acoustic trauma you received those years ago.

The way to receive the best treatment -- which will likely be management of the ringing -- is to seek a full audiological evaluation, as the first poster suggested.

It's wise to remember that the ear is very close to the brain and pathologies nearby can spread up the acoustic nerve, causing much bigger problems.

Symptoms like tinnitus or an associated hearing loss may be progressive -- meaning treatment might be able to "stop" or "slow down" said progressioin, depending on its nature.

[Slim Pickins]

I went to an audiolist a few years ago with the symptom. She said,"Join the club, I have it too" She said it is common with people regardless of age, and not do to loud noises. ie Banjers. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[mandolooter]

Count me in too...I always have a background noise going to distract me unless Im playing with the ringing in head. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif
Sometimes its barely there and at others its wailing along.

[Dalton Maples]

I think we should go back to the original post. He said his "ringing" is only after playing mandolin. This is not a persistent tinnitus that is not "reversible." By the post it only occurs from a specific situation. This is different from posters that describe a persistent tinnitus.

So stop the situation (playing mandolin) or alter it by means of decreasing the high frequencies. This can be done by a plug to the affected ear. By blocking the sound waves with a ear plug you give yourself a "conductive" hearing loss.

It sounds like the perforated eardrum is the root of your problems. Again, have it address along with a professional hearing test. See a ENT that has an audiology dept in the office and save your self some drive time.

Dalton

[Narayan Kersak]

Here are my observations:

The ringing is much worse if I've been under a lot of stress (mainly job related). Playing the mandolin or acoustic guitar actually helps with this. #B vitamins can also help. I've noticed that the ringing often disappears when I'm out canoeing or hiking.

Getting a good night's sleep helps.
Good points. #I played in a quite noisy rock and roll environments for a long time and frequently. #A bar or two had been known to ask us to turn it down, and the comments we got from most people who asked, what did you notice about this band...the reply would be...their too loud. #Needless to say I've had that same ringing. #So too much volume can do it. #however...my personal experience with this method...www.yuenmethod.com...made it apparently clear there were other reasons for this ringing...namely emotional or mental stress...I think the quoted comment testifies to that. (The point here, being that I don't have this problem anymore.) #I also know other people who've had ringing that mysteriously dissappears after certain stressors are relieved. #So...sure protect your hearing...but don't rule out other causes as well. #The body does some pretty interesting things and most of the things it does are not flukes.

Yes...it makes sense if the ringing is situational just adjust the situation! Don't quite playing mando...that's just silly.

[pelone]

Try removing one of the E strings which may be exacerbating the problem. The chords will still play true but with, perhaps, less irritation.

[mandroid]

Mandola to the rescue ! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif

[bradeinhorn]

does anyone not have this?

[James P]

I don't not have it. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[bradeinhorn]

what? what? what?

[Narayan Kersak]

He must not have heard me when I said I don't have it anymore. ; 0 )

[Hans]

We're not laughing. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/sad.gif

[Gutbucket]

I got mine from running a jack-hammer and trap shooting. Sometimes it's louder then the voices in my noggin.