Tinitus?

[Sonomabob]

I seem to be developing tinitus. I notice it more after daily practice. It seems to be related to the frequencies produced by the mando.

Hope this is not the cause. I have taken to using an earplug in the right ear when I practice. Anyone else notice this?

[dcoventry]

What's that? Speak up, man! I can't hear you!

No joke, the ringing in my ears from 200+ GD shows, another 300+ assorted concerts AND touring with a rock n' roll band has taken no little amount of toll.

I don't find the mando being irritating, specifically. I suppose a bit of the volume from the f-holes are focused away from me.

[Jim Ferguson]

Heh there sonomabob.........you say you are "developing" tinnitus..........while this is most commonly due to exposure to loud/intense noises.........there can be other causes that warrant you getting this checked out. Better safe than sorry, eh!!!! I wouldn't simply chalk it up to loud noise exposure.........you might want to have it worked up. Just sayin'......:)
Peace,

[sunburst]

I have a little bit from my rock-n-roll drummer days I suppose, but I can still hear way better than I probably deserve to after all those nights pounding drums and crashing cymbals while sitting in front of the guitar player's Marshal stack. I consider myself lucky with just a little bit of tinnitus.

[Keith Newell]

Is it concert pitch 440? That may be handy....
Sorry I couldn't resist.

[Jim]

Yep, guns, guitars & motorcycles left me with more or less full time ringing. I'll second Jims suggestion that you get it checked out to be sure it isn't a sign of a tumor or aneurysm. Also neck/spine abnormalities can cause ringing and can often be treated successfully. However if it's like mine you learn to live with it. The fire alarm test at work is sure to set mine ringing for days. If it is just driving you crazy, background noise, headphones playing music or the radio can help distract you from it

[Johnny60]

Years of playing loud rock'n'roll and rockabilly (especially in my younger days) have taken their toll on my ears, and I now have permanent tinnitus. When gigging with the band (or going to see a loud band) I now wear musicians earplugs (Elacin ER 15's).

I started playing mando in January of this year and have never noticed any ill effects on my ears. (Just those of my family!)

[Willie Poole]

I have a slight ringing in my ears most of the time, if it is real quiet like when in bed so I turn on the radio and keep it turned way down just enough to off set the ringing....I also have a problem with certain notes being played on the mandolin, the A string mostly, I don`t hear high notes as well as I would like to...But I put up with it and have to get my wife to repeat herself everytime she calls me, her voice is right in that range...lucky me....

Willie

[JH Murray]

I've had tinnitis since childhood. It has a variety of causes so well worth having it checked out. I find playing the mandolin quite soothing, as long as I don't get too loud. Which is why I play the mandolin and not the bagpipes.

[Jack Roberts]

I've got it bad in my left ear, which it getting quite deaf as well. It makes it hard to play at jams, as the sounds of other instruments are muddy when we are sitting in a circle. I can still play with the band because our pieces are rehearsed and I stand to everybody's left so I can hear. I have to keep reminding my wife (who sings in our band) that if she wants me to hear her, she has to stand on my right.

Protect your hearing. I'm here to tell you that losing your hearing is no fun at all.

[Jack Roberts]

Has any body tried those herbal remedies

[mandroid]

Running a Grinder in the shipyard is effective too..

Has any body tried those herbal remedies

the ones at the Concerts?

[rb3868]

I've got news for you -- EVERYONE who can hear has tinnitus to some extent. Most of the time we don't notice it. Sometimes, after doing something which creates a lot of sound, we get used to the extra sound so that when it stops, we notice the tinnitus.

Tinnitus can be made worse by sinus infections, allergies, etc. I had a severe middle ear infection - to the point where I couldn't hear in my left ear for a couple of days and had no sense of balance. The tinnitus got VERY loud during the infection and was very pronounced for weeks afterward. all the information I just gave came straight from my ear-nose-throat doc.

And no, the "herbal" remedies do nothing (I have a friend who is an herbalist and insisted I try it) "sweet oil" (really low grade olive oil they sell for $8/ounce. cheaper to just use extra virgin) seemed to help a little, but that could be the placebo effect.

[mandobassman]

I had mild tinnitus in both ears for a few years that was eventually diagnosed as Menieres Desiese. I eventually had a few years of, not only tinnitus, but severe vertigo. No medical or natural remedies worked. When the vertigo got to be every few days, my wife and I started researching alternative treatments. We found relief through a combination of specific enzyme supplements, combined with adjustments from a wonderful upper cervical chiropractor. Since I started both of those I haven't had either tinnitus or vertigo AT ALL in the last 3 years. Do get it checked out. When I first started going to a ENT, he was testing me to rule out Menieres as a cause, but that was what it turned out to be.

[Elliot Luber]

I have a doctor friend, and he tells me there are medicines to treat this today. Get it checked out.

[sachmo63]

I just got checked out for tinitus and there is NO cure. You can waste your money if that'll make you feel better but it wont help. They also told me the sound is always there and only hidden by the external everyday sounds you hear throughout the day. I too thought mine was mostly at night while watching tv however it exists all the time not just when its quiet.

You can try white noise if it becomes annoying but just try to deal with it.

I may try some herbal stuff in the future, maybe that'll work. Who knows.

[sunburst]

I had mild tinnitus in both ears for a few years that was eventually diagnosed as Menieres Desiese.

My father had, and my sister has Meniere's disease. It took a long time for my father to get a diagnosis, but having seen it before my sister knew what to ask about (she's a medical professional) so her's was diagnosed more quickly. Their symptoms were/are far beyond mild tinnitus, both had/have severe hearing loss. There is medication to help control the vertigo. If I had symptoms like theirs, I would definitely have it checked out, but my mild (and long standing) ringing is nothing for me to spend any of my $5000 deductible on!

[Andrew DeMarco]

Go see an audiologist. There is no cure for tinnitus (we're just starting to understand the mechanisms that cause it!), but it can be a symptom of a disease process which may cause other problems and may have a treatment/cure.

[Mandolin Mick]

I've had serious tinnitus in both ears since June 1995 when I lost most of my hearing overnight. The tinnitus is louder than all exterior noise and the volume increases with the increase of sound around me. So, if a rock band is 5 feet from me, the tinnitus is louder. I thought I'd lose my mind but eventually my mind overrode the noise in my head. I sleep with the fan from a small space heater on at night to mask the noise which sounds like a waterfall 24/7. Both Beethoven and William Shatner became suicidal over it but came to realize that you can bear it and you can become almost unaware of it. There's help through the American Tinnitus Society and books, etc. Its an annoyance that can be overcome. But, I know of no known cure. Godspeed :)

[John Flynn]

I played with a bell choir once, but had to quit because it produced an unpleasant ringing in my ears. :))

Seriously, I had that condition off and on as a kid, but the doctors kind of shrugged it off. It was pretty bad when it acted up. Despite doing everything to exacerbate it since, such as loud rock 'n roll as a teenager, flying jets in the Navy and being a competitive shooter, it just kind of went away in adulthood. Maybe I "burned it out!" Seriously, I would see a doctor about it. The mandolin has never produced any effects, though.

[KanMando]

There are a few things you can do to alleviate tinnitus. Get plenty of sleep. Cut down on the alcohol. Avoid prolonged exposure to environmental background noise - in my case cooling fans in electronic equipment. There is anecdotal evidence that an herbal product, vinpocetine, is beneficial in reducing tinnitus. It does seem to help me.

Bob

[azflyman]

Dang it I don't notice mine most of the time, not that I have read this thread....

[Ken Feil]

32 years of fire apparatus sirens have left me with moderate tinitus. Both audiologists and physicians have advised me there is no really effective cure other than to hide the sound with other sounds as some have noted. On a positive note the tinitus is only in my left ear and I have determined that the ringing is A-natural...so I use it to tune my mandolin :)

[Clockwork John]

5 years in a punk band, 14 years of punk shows, 1 1/2 years at a tire store, too many shooting trips without hearing protection...My ears ring constantly. Most of the time I don't notice. It's a high frequency noise, about the same pitch as generc guitar amp and/or PA feedback (gee, I wonder why?)... Acoustic instruments don't bother me, not even bagpipes, probably because of the damage I've already done to my hearing.

[Spencer]

Had it as long as I can remember, a high pitched squeal. I was told it was due to nerve damage caused by ear infections in my youth. Only thing that helps is something else to think about or listen to. Normally I don't notice it unless somebody mentions it. No fun, but there are worse things than can happen to you.

Spencer

[BradKlein]

It's kind of heartbreaking how many folks can contribute to hearing-loss threads at the Cafe with first hand experience. In NYC, where I live, it has been common for decades for folks to listen to music on the subway using headphones - often at seriously loud volumes to 'drown out' the noise of the train. I moved to noise-canceling, over=ear headphones sometime between the walkman and iPod eras.

I get the feeling that a lot of permanent irreversible damage is done when kids are young and not thinking about the future. I know that was true of me when I thought it was too uncool to wear earplugs - even at clubs I went to that were painfully loud. Sounds like an important topic to talk with your kids about. And keep a supply of foam ear plugs available.

[Bertram Henze]

Even if you have never been a regular fan of Disaster Area (http://hitchhikers.wikia.com/wiki/Disaster_Area), tinnitus can get you from inside, i.e. by working too hard and worrying too much - and then it can be an early warning of ISSHL (idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss), several of my colleagues have had it. I sit back and take a break when I hear a tweet.

Playing mandolin should not be the cause of tinnitus, but certain frequencies can trigger a sensivity prepared by other causes.

[mandobassman]

I have to dis-agree with those who claim that tinnitus has NO cure. I had tinnitus for 4 0r 5 years that eventually developed into Menieres Disease. I continued the tinnitus along with severe vertigo for another 5 years. I still have some low frequency hearing loss that is a result of the Meneires, but the vertigo and tinnitus symptoms have completely disappeared since I gave up on traditional medical "treatments" and concentrated on alternative treatments. I did some research and discovered that some chiropractors specializing in the upper cervical area had a pretty good success rate in treating Menieres. We found someone in our area and he has been a godsend for me. At the same time, I sought advice from my wife's aunt, who has a practice that specializes in alternative medical treatments. She started me on enzyme supplements that were tailored for my body chemistry. I don't really know if one or the other is more responsible for the cure, since I am not willing to stop either one. All I know is that I have been completely free of vertigo and tinnitus since I started this treatment 4 years ago. I play in two bands. Mandolin in one and bass in the other. I still have a little problem hearing pitch on bass sometimes, however, since at onetime I was thinking I would never be able to play music again, I will gladly take the trade-off of some slight low frequency hearing loss to be free of tinnitus, vertigo, and to be able to play music in a meaningful way once again.

Please do not say there is no cure!!! It may be true for some, but certainly not all.

[Mandodork]

One mandolin I had with a lot of low end sound seemed to resonate in a frequency that made my ears ring after playing. I changed mandolins and the problem pretty much went away. Perhaps a differently toned mandolin could help?

[Dobe]

One mandolin I had with a lot of low end sound seemed to resonate in a frequency that made my ears ring after playing. I changed mandolins and the problem pretty much went away. Perhaps a differently toned mandolin could help?

Fiddle sets my ears off far more than mando. Maybe tune to 432 Hz and tell everyone else they need to tune 'properly' ! :)

[sunburst]

It's kind of heartbreaking how many folks can contribute to hearing-loss threads at the Cafe with first hand experience.

It's a loud world we live in. Our ears aren't meant for cars, traffic, construction sites, rock 'n' roll, ear buds, lawn mowers, vacuum cleaners, etc., etc.,

[MikeEdgerton]

There are some past threads that discussed this here (http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/search.php?query=Tinitus&exactname=0&starteronly=0&forumchoice%5B%5D=&prefixchoice%5B%5D=&childforums=1&titleonly=0&searchdate=0&beforeafter=after&do=process). The applicable subject lines should be apparent.

[Phil Goodson]

After many years away from music, I joined a rock band in 2000. Over a couple of years, I certainly noticed the usual escalation of volume as the drummer and the lead guitarist jousted over who could be heard best.

I would get home from band practice and notice that my ears felt 'stopped up' for the rest of the night. Didn't take me too long after that to decide that acoustic, not amplified, music would be my future. A couple of years more of acoustic guitar led me to the mandolin, thank goodness.

Very happy now, for safe ears and for finding the mandolin (world's best instrument).:)
I also keep the remote and its mute button near at hand.