Having a Tough Time

Hi Everyone,

I'm new to the forums but have been suffering in silence and wanted to speak to somebody. I've noticed a ringing in my left ear since April of this year (2017). I was coming down with a severe fever when I noticed it, but I am also exposed to loud sound as I am a professional musician and DJ. So the cause is unknown, and part of me hopes it was the fever so that maybe it will go away eventually.

Basically, It's been hard to know which direction to go in, with regards to life, happiness and making a living.

Are there other musicians on here? Have you quit, do you still make music?

I find that it doesn't affect my ability to hear and play notes but that sometimes, it interrupts the musical ideas in my head and they slip out of my grasp before I can make them. Outside of music, I've mostly done labor work which is often very loud as well.

Unsure if I should be continuing in my career, surviving and watching my ears or if I should take a new path so that it doesn't get worse? At the moment I believe I can usually manage in life with brief periods of depression and anxiety.

I also suffer from bipolar disorder so I am trying to be very level-headed and not allow myself to slip into a bad place. My fear is that it could get worse and I will be unable to do anything, let alone music.

 

Welcome to Tinnitus Talk,
Loud music and loud sound can cause tinnitus and a virus in your system also and could be one or both of them.
Doing what you love is something that helps your mood with bopolar as it can fluctuate and either high or low and hard to find middle ground.
Its going to be a case of wearing good ear protection and trial and error but now you have tinnitus your ears will be extra sensitive to loud sounds and music.Maybe cutting down might be enough for now but its got to be your choice on future plans if cutting down for now to see how you go doesnt work.
If its down to the virus it can take a few weeks for your tinnitus settle after the virus has gone.
love glynis

 

Hello @mirvish - Welcome to this forum.. you have come to the right place for there are members here who are musicians with tinnitus. You don't mention how long you have been subjected to loud noise and although prolonged loud noise exposure may possibly be the cause for your tinnitus, you also mention you also had a fever at the time so it may be difficult to know exactly what the contributing factor is. I suggest you consult your GP and then your ENT so they can give you medical guidance. Hopefully the tinnitus will pass but if it shouldn't, please do not panic and become anxiety-ridden since this can be successfully managed as most members here will attest as they had habituated to it. Try your best to remain calm since, as we all know, stress and anxiety can exacerbate any condition, no matter what it is.

There are many posts which I think will be of interest to you. If you search on the Forum's search bar for "musicians" and "musicians with tinnitus" as I did before, you will see many posts relating to this subject which will enlighten you. Since every person's tinnitus is subjective as is their method of dealing with it, you will have to judge for yourself what would best suit you.

Is it possible for you to take a little break so you can rest your ears since this would be desirable? If not, it is important now to protect your ears so I suggest you wear good ear protection while performing. Before you consider making a career-change decision see what the ENT has to say and also see if you realize any improvement since this is possible.

Take care @mirvish and please keep us posted. You are not alone and we are here to offer understanding and support.

Sending best wishes,
Barbara