I Miss Music and TV

I've been doing pretty good with my tinnitus, not letting it bother me and having it go down quite a bit lately. But I really miss listening to music and to a lesser extent watching TV. For some reason, my ears get really tired really fast whenever I try to do this. It doesn't even matter if it's at really quiet levels, it just is tiring and can easily cause an increase in tinnitus. I can handle listening to in person conversations at higher levels, and masking sounds like rain and fire are ok for long periods of time, but for some reason music and tv are no good. Even people talking on the tv is not pleasant compared to people in real life talking. Another issue is to watch TV or listen to music I typically turn off my masking sounds, so I don't have them helping hide the tinnitus, plus trying to focus on the music or tv, it just gets tiring so fast. If I leave the masking sounds on, then I just end up turning the volume of the music/tv up and that's even more tiring and potentially spike inducing.

I really miss music a lot, so I hope this improves along with my other symptoms. In the past I had really bad tinnitus which lasted a while but it never stopped me from listening to music or watching tv

 

You might want to try experimenting with different speakers, or different audio settings (i.e., reduce "bass" or "treble")...

 

Yeah I did try cutting out the top end while watching TV the other day and it helped somewhat, though by the end of the two hour show my tinnitus was really loud and it just felt fatiguing to keep watching. Cutting out the high end means there's nothing to mask the tinnitus at all either

 

You can try watch tv with the subtitles on. Maybe in combination with some headphones on or earplugs if you can not control how loud it is, or if you feel like you need it regardless. That often helps.

 

Yeah I've been using subtitles and just watching with now sound, or the sound super duper low. but even super low it becomes fatiguing quickly. And obviously this doesn't work for music.

 

Thankfully I have been able to watch TV again.. I found the key was not so much reducing the high end but making sure the bass was removed. At home I cut everything below 200hz and reduce the sound above 10khz as well. This allows me to watch TV for hours without feeling fatigued or increasing my tinnitus. I also play my masking sounds (typically rain noise at low level) while I watch as well, and also keep the volume low with subtitles on. I can play the volume loud enough to understand without subtitles, but they still help a lot and improve the experience. If there are lots of sound effects, music, etc I will keep the volume lower. I've even had some success watching other people's TVs as long as it's just people talking and not a lot of bass or sound effects... for example the olympics have been ok to watch at quiet levels.

Unfortunately being able to enjoy music is still very elusive ... removing everything below 200hz gets rid of entire instruments, and if you play masking sounds then it's really hard to enjoy. Genres like electronic music with lots of bass are still really unpleasant, same with electric guitars, though I was able to listen to a quiet jazz album all the way though without any spikes. Unfortunately any kind of critical listening is still hampered by the damn tinnitus, even if it's relatively low that day, it still is there any impossible to ignore and really ruins the enjoyment. I used to love listening to music so much, I miss it still even though listening to it turned up is probably at least half the reason I'm in this mess. At least I can watch TV though which has helped pass the time and reduce the boredom of being stuck at home

 

We had to disconnect our TV/music surround sound system because my brain/tinnitus was so bothered by it. Speakers can bring about their own problems - sometimes.

 

The loss of music in that first two years set me on the path of slow suicide by depression.

 

@PaulBe why did you give up music in your first few years?

Music therapy is the only method that kept/keeps me sane. And I use the bose headset with music that I find soothes something in my brain and use it for one hour each morning.

 

It sounded so awful, and I was overcome with fear.

 

@PaulBe I understand that. Did reading things here reinforce that fear?

I remember not being able to even move. I would hide in our closet to avoid all sounds. It is a hard time to talk about.
I read about your recent battle you are facing and know that a lot of people will be pulling for you. I just got here and I am.

 

I experience the exact same phenomena. It sucks.

 

How do you reduce the frequencies for the television?

 

Would also like to know this. TV has become frustratingly unpredictable for me.

 

Actually, no. I didn't really get started here until two years after. I don't know how I would have viewed things had I started here earlier though. I was pretty vulnerable in that first year.

 

@PaulBe I often wonder what would have happened if back in 2002 I did not use the internet support board. I think it took me about three months back then to search the computer for help. I had been carried into different doctors offices and treated terribly. I mean, like you I was very vulnerable and easily brainwashed.

It didn't help that there was this tinnitus king war going on and people had to choose sides. I was so mentally distraught and house bound for about a year. Being drawn into what was going on did not help.

Thanks for answering.