Just Been Told This Is Going to Be My Life...

My passions have been music playing in bands for years. I’m an audiophile. My life centers around music. I calibrate audio systems.

I thought I had wax build up like always. I went to the ENT and they said there is no wax build up. They did an audiogram test and said I’ve lost a good chunk of my mid and high frequencies in one ear. I made them stick a needle in my ear and inject steroids because it sounds like that's all they can do... the doctor doubted it would help.

There is a static high pitch frequency that is constant in my left ear. The ear feels pressure like when you're on an airplane. It sounds muffled and around some frequencies there is some crackling noise. My own voice is sorta trapped in my head when I talk.

So far I’m drinking a bunch of teas, using essential oils. I don't think any of it will work but I’m trying it anyway. I have a big gig in January that I’m trying to do with a band.

This is life changing and defiantly not for the better. I’m pretty crushed.

 

Welcome here. Though no one of us wishes we ever had to join these forums (no one wants tinnitus), this is a good place to gather up and talk about it. You did well to join. When did your symptoms start?

I recall that dreaded moment that my ENT told me I'd have to live with my tinnitus as well, roughly half a year ago. I can tell you this though: it may feel horrid right now, but life slowly gets better again if you manage to let it be. Don't surrender to tinnitus, but don't let it control you either

For now, hold on to the hope that it could still go away on its own. And even if it does not, your mind has outstanding capabilities to learn to tame this beast. Furthermore, of all the moments to get tinnitus, this might be one of the best (or least worst): real scientifically based cures/treatments might be arising on the horizon, albeit slowly.

You can handle this. Learn to control and get rid of the fear first, and read some success stories if you need a hope boost. There is plenty of tips around if you need them, make sure to explore the subforums a bit.

 

Sounds like you’ve lost a good bit of hearing take good care of yourself and try not to let it get you down. You can still live your life being an audiophile and all with tinnitus, you’ll just have to make some modifications. Have you considered hearing aids?

 

Maybe you should reconsider the gig in January? You don't want to make things worse.

 

I’m not doing well. This is taking away everything that I find enjoyment in.

 

Many of us hear are in the same boat, it sucks

What you have to do is to think long and hard about if playing gigs is worth a potential worsening of your T. If you decide to, invest in the best musicians' earplugs you can find.

Any specific event that preceded your T?

 

@London

HI London,

Since you have been playing music in bands for years and your life centres around it, then most likely the onset of your tinnitus is noise induced or exposure to loud sounds - if you are a user of headphones, this has probably contributed to the tinnitus onset, as many people listen to music through them at too high a volume without realizing it.

Being an Audiophile as I am should not stop you enjoying listening to your audio system at home, although you may have change your listening habits for a while, depending on how loud and intrusive the tinnitus is and whether you also have hyperacusis, which is oversensitivity to sound?

Regarding playing music in bands and calibrating sound systems for gigs, concerts and clubs etc. You will need to be careful, as exposure to loud sounds at these venues are inevitable by the very nature of what is involved. Therefore, the risks of making your tinnitus worse will increase. Even if you wear the best type of earplugs, there is no guarantee such environments will be safe and prevent the tinnitus spiking and potentially increasing to a higher permanent level. The reason for this is due to external sound. If it is loud enough it will pass through your head and be transferred to the inner ear by bone conduction and irritate the cochlea. Sorry to sound so sobering but loud sounds and tinnitus do not go well together.

Some people carry on regardless and think the tinnitus will not get worse and often pay a heavy price for having such a cavalier attitude. Tinnitus is not a joke when it becomes severe and intrusive so please be careful. Please click on the links below and read my posts on tinnitus that you might find helpful. Please try to read them thoroughly and not skim through them.

All the best
Michael

PS: I advise you not to listen to audio through headphones even at low volume. More about this is explained in the posts below.

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/new-to-tinnitus-what-to-do.12558/
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/tinnitus-a-personal-view.18668/
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/hyperacusis-as-i-see-it.19174/
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/acquiring-a-positive-mindset.23969/
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/tinnitus-and-the-negative-mindset.23705/
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/the-habituation-process.20767/
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/is-positivity-important.23150/