27-Year-Old Musician with Minor Tinnitus from Forklift Incident

Hello everyone. My name is Brandon Williams and I am 27 years old and reside in Lincoln Nebraska.

I have very minor tinnitus compared to others. I was driving a forklift outside one day at work and hit a bump in the road. This caused the forks to rattle and my left ear has been ringing (slightly) ever since. This is especially noticeable when trying to fall asleep. I also have noticed that I am sensitive to HARSH FREQUENCIES. Think of two forks hitting one another. This has lead to migraines that have resulted in vomiting.

After all this, biggest fear is my love for music. I compose and engineer my own stuff but I'm afraid this interferes my ability to use headphones which are very important during the engineering process. Normal speakers are expensive and so is room treatment (acoustic panels).

I read one time that a gentleman had committed suicide due to his sever tinnitus which wasn't comforting in the least.

Please feel free to reach out. I believe my messages pop up in my Gmail which is also no my phone. Thank you all.

 

Hi Brandon, welcome, and sorry you're here. Have you been an ENT yet?

"This has lead to migraines that have resulted in vomiting."

Worth searching the forum for this to see if others have had the same.

 

Welcome to the forum. Yes it has happened that people did feel suicidal and few did commit to do the unthinkable. But it is still relatively a rare event. Considering that people committed suicide for many other reasons, such as financial challenge, depression, for breaking up, students for failing exams, being fired from job, being bullied or whatever reasons out there, then we shouldn't think that just because someone committed suicide after having tinnitus is all because of tinnitus. Perhaps it is a combination of events that contributed to the suicides and that having tinnitus is just a nail in the coffin and not completely because of having tinnitus.

Over the years living with tinnitus and having posted in tinnitus forums, I have met people whose tinnitus can be so loud that they couldn't hear what others were saying to them. That is tough and yet quite a few friends I know have this condition. Yet they seem to live a normal life. So having tinnitus is not an end game. It all depends on how you react to this new challenge in life. So try to be positive that your condition will improve over time and that you will be able to enjoy your music again. Try to read the success stories so you can feel more hopeful that all will be well like others. Good luck. God bless.

 

Your answer is in your writing. Protect your hearing at all costs. My tinnitus started low. I did the ENT thing and all sorts of tests. No issues found. It was just one of those things. Not one ENT said the cause could be exposure to loud noise. I went to weddings, other events, never a concert. I listened to music through my headphones. Not one doctor said to keep away from loud noise and if you are exposed to such noise, to wear ear plugs and/or muffs. Brandon as shallow as this sounds, the choice is yours. What I have had for 30 years, I'd pick 'PROTECT MY HEARING".

 

Hey guys. I have only really "dipped my toes," into this website and support forum and have just a couple brief questions. I have tinnitus in my left ear that can only be heard when I am trying to go to bed. I am unable to hear it during the day. Is mine that serious compared to the broad spectrum of tinnitus sufferers out there? It is a very high pitch and I believe if it was any higher up in frequency, it wouldn't be audible.

Is it safe to still make music at a low volume with this condition? I am done using headphones for the rest of my life due to fear of it worsening. Thoughts? Suggestions?

It does give my ear a minor "fullness" when I focus on it in silence. It also makes my eardrum flutter when I focus on it when trying to fall asleep. I believe this is because it's a "harsh frequency" and such high up.

Thanks.

 

Yeah it should be totally safe to make music at low volume with this condition as long as you aren't using headphones. It may help to limit the time and take frequent breaks while doing so to minimize any risk associated with it.

 

Hi Brandon. Your tinnitus volume sounds very mild. It can unfortunately get much, much louder. Best to take a conservative approach and protect your ears.

I’m slowly getting back into my music and mostly play guitar / banjo (dabble in other instruments too). Many people will tell you to stop the music. However, that’s a lot of power to give tinnitus over your life. Tinnitus is unfortunately a common outcome for musicians - see Metallica, Coldplay, Fleetwood Mac, Eric Clapton, Pink Floyd, AC/DC... Make an appointment to get custom moulded earplugs if you haven’t already. They’ll cost a few hundred dollars a pair, but well worth it in my opinion. You can always replace an instrument... not so with your ears and hearing. My current strategy is to focus on acoustic instruments and only practicing solo. There’s no risk of other band members turning up the volume and I’m not standing near a drummer.

It may seem tough at the moment, but honestly I think you’re lucky. You’ve become aware of tinnitus while it’s very mild and have the opportunity to protect yourself. If you love music then please carry on, but be kind to yourself and respect your hearing. Let us know how you go.

 

Hello! Thank you for the thoughtful response. It's great to get a response from a fellow musician!

I am currently building acoustic panels for my bedroom and investing into some higher end studio monitors. My belief is; the better the room is treated, and the better the studio monitors, the quieter the volume will be that I can accurately produce and mix on. No live musicians. Just me and my laptop in my bedroom. Hope that clarifies some things. Thank you!