Ringing ears...

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guillaume1086

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Hey guys,

Once again I'm not sure to post in the right section, but I guess here should be fine to discuss ringing ears... I'm sure it's a matter everyone feels concerned with, but what made me start this thread is that I'm slowly and surely having more and more ringing ears (I'm not sure that's how you say it) (I'm french) (you get the idea). I'm 27 and I want a life of sound ahead of me but I'm afraid my ears won't feel the same way... it really would be a tragedy if I had to stop music and it's something I'm really worried about and that I feel coming. I have a hard time mixing not so loud and take breaks. I know I have too. I feel like my earing is not affected though I still hear properly but the ringing is getting more and more intense especially during projects where I am in the studio everyday, and I feel like I'm getting more sensitive too... Am I the only one? Any older ones who were worried the same way at my age and ended up being ok? Sadly we're not equals on that subject and I guess I got unlicky in terms of genetics... haha!
 
If you already have ringing at 27...you should have that checked out now, as you may have the opportunity to treat it, unless of course you were exposed to a lot of very loud sounds even at that age, and the damage is permanent. It also could be something unrelated to loud sounds...some type of medical issue that is showing up as ringing in your ears.
Some meds will even cause that...but whatever it is...the longer you let it go, the more chance it will become permanent.
 
I've had those for 2 years now, I had it checked up but noone knows what to do about it. I was playing shows (drums) at an early age and didn't protect my ears for like 2 years before I got protections, because I couls feel I had sensitive ears, and tried to protect my ears the best I could since then. I always was way more careful with protecting my ears than most of my friends I played with and I feel like I'm the only one having issues :/ I heard it was genetic and my grandmother has serious earing issues, I guess I'm just unlucky... The audible permanent ringing appeared around 2 years ago and has gotten slowly and regularly louder because I didn't stop the intense music making since. It's starting to be annoying but I can't stop making music it's my job and all my life. I don't hear the ringing when I work but I can feel I'm more and more sensitive and at night it's getting me very worried for the future... am i the only one?? aaaahhh
 
There are several things that can cause the ringing to be worse. Besides damage due to high volume noise, high blood pressure, sinus infections and certain drugs can also cause tinnitus.

Its very common as we age, but 27 seems much too young to be experiencing the problem. You should talk with an Ear Nose and Throat specialist.
 
I’ve had horrible loud ringing in my ears about 6 years now along with hearing loss.
It’s horrible, it’s hard to carry on a conversation with ppl, I have trouble sleeping and have to run a fan or some other noise to cover the ringing. I usually have old radio shows playing thru the night close to my head, it distracts me from the ringing. If I end up focused on the ringing I’m done I might go days without sleep and yes I mean DAYS!!! Not a few hours of sleep per day but actually NO sleep. That just creates other health issues.

I can’t afford to see a specialist and friends with same issue that have gone got no relief.
I used hearing protection but sometimes I was exposed to loud sounds for too long.

If there’s a positive, it’s I can’t hear my wife half the time and where I could hear the smallest sound that didn’t belong on recording or a bass player with sloppy technique pulling down on strings when depressing ending up a 16th of a tone off or even tape hiss, I no longer hear those things and have a much better attitude recording bands.

It’s a bad situation for ppl like us. Like a photographer losing sight, it’s horrible for musicians engineers etc to have hearing issues especially at 27!!! I’m 60 and figure if I can get another 10 years it’ll be a blessing.
If I was 27, I’d def get to a specialist and see if they can help. I actually still hear sloppy stick hits by drummers, ppl slightly flat etc Tape hiss is actually a lot quieter than it used to be so I figure the ringing is up around there if it’s masking the hiss.

So, at 27, yep, better go seek some help with that, too young for ringing and it started even younger. I wish you the best with it and hope dr can help.
 
I've had a solid and loud ringing in both ears since around 1993. Sometime earlier this year, I can't pinpoint when, the ringing in my right ear ceased. I've managed to subconciously ignore the ringing in both ears for some time, which may explain why I didn't pick up on this earlier. Now I'm holding out hope for my left ear's ringing to suddenly disappear one day.
 
hey guys,

thanks for sharing your experience! i already saw a specialist but it was a pretty laxist one like "oh your ears ring? it will pass...". the problem evolved and increased since then, it was around 2 years ago so i'm gonna go again (for free, vive la france...) and insist for a serious look into it. i don't have any hope about the ringing disapearing, actually i don't mind it i really can ignore it, i just live in permanent fear that it will one day be so intense that it will make me have to stop to so music. it already increased much in two years... i'm in the studio everyday, i love to work sometimes at important volumes, even if i try to restrain myself more now... i dont mind the ringing when going back home or in the morning when waking up, i don't hear it the rest of the day, i'm just scared that each day of work = one more step towards having to stop working. i'm not sure if i'm ruining my earing or if i should just accept the ringing but still can work normally (in the case ringing/earing is not related). honnestly if my ears ring during the day (my days are rarely quiet days so i dont even pay intention to it) but i know i can work for a lot more years to come i really don't mind. as long as i can work. but the more i work the more i feel my ears getting tired... with that buzz/vibration sound in my ears. but in the studio i feel like i still hear everything i even think i'm doing a good job, at least people with normal earing say so so i guess it's a good sign. [MENTION=174503]spantini[/MENTION] you said you had ringing for 27 years? since i was born! how was a life of working with ringing ears? could you manage? was it ever an obstacle for your projects/your workflow? do you feel it slowed you down or could you still work normally? cheeeerrrrrrzzzzzzzzzZZzZ
 
I've had tinnitus for years now, it comes and goes as too intensity. There doesn't seem to be any cure, just lots of pop-up ads for various 'natural' treatments.
You need to give your ears a rest when working in the studio, or playing music live, going to concerts, or any other situation with loud volumes. Don't sit there for hours with headphones on, or your monitors cranked. Learn to mix at lower levels, and only turn up the volume to listen for those elusive 'noises' in the mix.
 
guillaume1086 said:
...[MENTION=174503]spantini[/MENTION] you said you had ringing for 27 years? since i was born! how was a life of working with ringing ears? could you manage? was it ever an obstacle for your projects/your workflow? do you feel it slowed you down or could you still work normally? cheeeerrrrrrzzzzzzzzzZZzZ
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Well, I had the "normal" ringing from attending concerts - that would go away in a day or two. Then when I began playing in bands it began to last longer - several days - but went away with no obvious problems. Then when I got into home recording, I began using headphones at loud volumes and that's when noticeable damage became apparent. After one solid year of extra loud headphone volumes I noticed the ringing hadn't gone away.

During the working day it was virtually unnoticeable. After work, in the winding down of the late afternoon and early evening, it crept in again. Listening to TV or music or in conversation it would fade into the background only to return in what seemed an extra loud volume when I turned everything off and went to sleep. Leaving the TV on at bedtime helped - waking in the night, I could turn the TV off and easily fall back asleep as I was groggy enough to ignore the ringing.

As far as I can tell, this has not interfered with my life other than to restrict the range of frequencies I can hear today as I record and mix music. I can still hear a pin drop in the next room, or someone whispering nearby. Daily conversation is not a problem.
 
spantini said:
As far as I can tell, this has not interfered with my life other than to restrict the range of frequencies I can hear today as I record and mix music. I can still hear a pin drop in the next room, or someone whispering nearby. Daily conversation is not a problem.
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And does the fact that you only hear restricted frequencies seem like an obstacle to the good rendering of your work? Is that a cause of limitations? That's what I'm truly concerned about. Honnestly I don't mind not hearing a pin drop, but I mind not being able to mix anymore... As I'm building my own studio and am trying to become a sound engineer/producer. Also at what age did you start hearing tinnitus? I've had them for 2 years now (since I'm 25), they're not too severe but I can feel that they're slowly growing, if they keep on evolving like they do I'll be only hearing them in no time! haha. Actually I feel like it's by phase too like you [MENTION=39487]mjbphotos[/MENTION] but I haven't had enough time yet to really analyse how much it can come and go, so when it's really here like those days (I've been mixing and producing an album pretty intesely for a month now) it's getting me really worried :guitar:

yeah I'm trying to do low volumes and breaks but sometimes when you're so implied in a mix you forget everything and it's hard to be reasonable... but yeah! breaks and low volumes...

I'm so jealous that some people can listen to super high volumes for a lifetime and never have any problem... fate!
 
guillaume1086 said:
I'm so jealous that some people can listen to super high volumes for a lifetime and never have any problem... fate!
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Really...?...like who for instance?
I've never heard of that...and anyone claiming that their hearing is perfect after a lifetime of hearing loud volumes...is either lying or they don't realize how much they have lost.
 
guillaume1086 said:
And does the fact that you only hear restricted frequencies seem like an obstacle to the good rendering of your work? Is that a cause of limitations? That's what I'm truly concerned about....
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...Is that a cause of limitations?...
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Most definitely, but at this point I have to work with it. I hope to eventually get some good feedback here in the Clinic which will correct for that to some degree.

...Also at what age did you start hearing tinnitus?...
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The ringing became somewhat permanent at the age of 40 from loud headphone sessions.

...but sometimes when you're so implied in a mix you forget everything and it's hard to be reasonable...
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That's what got me.. I'd be "under the influence" and really getting into the mixing, just kept turning it up - then cranking it again when listening back to the CD or cassette.
 
A little late into this thread, but such is life. I've noticed a ringing in my ears, but I'm of an age it will happen, so who knows. Just to put it out there, I've had a Chiropractor tell me it can sometimes be related to your neck vertebra and connected muscles. If you have a tense neck, this could be part of the issue.
I have back issues that I will be going into physical and orthopedic therapy in a week or two, so I'm going to find out if those people agree with this. I know all professionals have their opinions on what causes things in the body. Some are quacks and it's our job as patients to weed these out for ourselves.
I'm rambling now, so I'll stop.
 
I don't think Tinnitus is an inevitable consequence of aging? I shall be 75 in a month and have mercifully been spared the affliction.

I AM clinically deaf. Had the tests. 20dB down at 2kHz on 'normal' for my age (then about 55) and then off a cliff. Most of the top string of a violin is lost to me as is the last octave and bit of a grand piano, I just hear a 'clunk'. But I can still enjoy music. I do not however make comments in forums about people's recording attempts. (well, gross errors like hums and noise spikes I do but then I can use Right Mark to illustrate them as well).

My deafness causes me little trouble save people on the phone that are either 10dB or more lower than official level, have a heavy accent (not RP IYSWIM) and or speak too fast. (company!! I have been holding now for 20 minutes! I have been listening to your crappy music and endless 'covid excuses' NOW that I have a homo sapiens on the line, do the decent thing, slow down and give at least a bit of YOUR time having wasted much of mine!)

Dave.
 
How do you sleep? How much do you sleep? If you sleep bad or too little, it could be for that. If you don't sleep well, you can take one or two melatonin tablets.
 
ecc83 said:
I don't think Tinnitus is an inevitable consequence of aging? I shall be 75 in a month and have mercifully been spared the affliction.

I AM clinically deaf. Had the tests. 20dB down at 2kHz on 'normal' for my age (then about 55) and then off a cliff. Most of the top string of a violin is lost to me as is the last octave and bit of a grand piano, I just hear a 'clunk'. But I can still enjoy music. I do not however make comments in forums about people's recording attempts. (well, gross errors like hums and noise spikes I do but then I can use Right Mark to illustrate them as well). ...
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Very interesting. I pretty much assumed loss in hearing = damage via high SPLs, tinnitus being the result. (Typically, I understand disease can be among the causes?)
 
Certainly, there are multiple causes. I recently spent 4 days in Las Vegas NV. Temperatures were 97-99F with a dew point of 14. When I left, my ears were clear with minimal to no ringing at all. I returned home to Kentucky with temps in the 75-80F range but dewpoints of 65, and a relative humidity of 80+%. After 4 days, my sinus are plugged again, and my ears are ringing. Sinus issues are very common in this part of the country.

Its worse in my right ear, which seemed to begin when I had cancer surgery and radiation treatments some 12 years ago on the right side of my face. Its something I learned to tolerate, and certainly it is preferable to the alternative!
 
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