MemberOne of our members asked why so many of us are reluctant to mention our Tinnitus on Facebook - it's as if we are ashamed of it.
Having been on the pro jazz scene in the U.K. since 1960, I am very well known, and have hundreds of musician friends on my Facebook page.
This is a piece I posted to them yesterday.
'Breaking the Silence on Severe Tinnitus'
To all of my mates, jazzers and others,
this is a piece on tinnitus that I have been thinking about posting for some time.
I have a real responsibility to tell you about chronic Tinnitus, what it is, and how it can start.
Mild Tinnitus is not really a problem.
We know it is there of course, but it can be light and perfectly tolerable.
Mine stayed that way for twenty years.
But please be warned.
It is a precursor.
Full blown Tinnitus is a very different story.
The thing to realise is that repeated volume abuse will take its toll, and one day you may wake up, as I did, with loud, chronic, intrusive, Tinnitus, from which there is no going back, and no respite.
"The culprit is excessive volume, pure and simple.
This can result from just one particularly loud episode."
Please do not gamble with your hearing, and your silence.
Once Tinnitus becomes severe, neurones will randomly fire across synapses, continuously creating internal head noise.
Tinnitus never sleeps by the way.
Sensors fitted to the scalp show 24 hour activity.
I am not writing this piece to scaremonger, but neglecting to pass this information on would be callous and irresponsible.
Sugar coating this thing is not an option for me.
I am writing it because I care about the health of my friends.
Do not be prepared to go on tolerating the kind of volume abuse that may one day
"break the camel's back."
Use ear plugs whenever you feel it may be
necessary, and make sure you speak up if the volume you are tolerating seems excessive - it may be seriously damaging your health.
Unbelievably there are many people in our business who still do not equate hearing loss and Tinnitus with excessive volume ???!!!
Damage to the cilia, the nerve cell fibres on the cochlea, is irreversible, and exponential.
Once the nerve fibres are damaged, far more damage is likely to occur.
If you currently have mild Tinnitus, severe chronic Tinnitus may be just one loud gig away!
Of course I happen to know that a few of my mates do have a degree of tinnitus, hopefully relatively mildly, right now as we speak.
You are at risk.
Do take care of your hearing.
The responsibility is yours.
They are your lug'oles.
I have learnt the hard way.
My hearing is wrecked, my Tinnitus loud and constant.
My jazz career is over.
Having said that, I am learning to cope and to adapt as best I can.
I miss playing my jazz of course.
I miss seeing all of you lot, my jazz mates,
and hearing your musical concepts.
I now do the gardening.
But by far the biggest loss to me is not jazz, nor even music, but - silence.
More accurately - quiet.
Today's life is never quiet.
Best wishes
Take care everyone
Dave xx
Having been on the pro jazz scene in the U.K. since 1960, I am very well known, and have hundreds of musician friends on my Facebook page.
This is a piece I posted to them yesterday.
'Breaking the Silence on Severe Tinnitus'
To all of my mates, jazzers and others,
this is a piece on tinnitus that I have been thinking about posting for some time.
I have a real responsibility to tell you about chronic Tinnitus, what it is, and how it can start.
Mild Tinnitus is not really a problem.
We know it is there of course, but it can be light and perfectly tolerable.
Mine stayed that way for twenty years.
But please be warned.
It is a precursor.
Full blown Tinnitus is a very different story.
The thing to realise is that repeated volume abuse will take its toll, and one day you may wake up, as I did, with loud, chronic, intrusive, Tinnitus, from which there is no going back, and no respite.
"The culprit is excessive volume, pure and simple.
This can result from just one particularly loud episode."
Please do not gamble with your hearing, and your silence.
Once Tinnitus becomes severe, neurones will randomly fire across synapses, continuously creating internal head noise.
Tinnitus never sleeps by the way.
Sensors fitted to the scalp show 24 hour activity.
I am not writing this piece to scaremonger, but neglecting to pass this information on would be callous and irresponsible.
Sugar coating this thing is not an option for me.
I am writing it because I care about the health of my friends.
Do not be prepared to go on tolerating the kind of volume abuse that may one day
"break the camel's back."
Use ear plugs whenever you feel it may be
necessary, and make sure you speak up if the volume you are tolerating seems excessive - it may be seriously damaging your health.
Unbelievably there are many people in our business who still do not equate hearing loss and Tinnitus with excessive volume ???!!!
Damage to the cilia, the nerve cell fibres on the cochlea, is irreversible, and exponential.
Once the nerve fibres are damaged, far more damage is likely to occur.
If you currently have mild Tinnitus, severe chronic Tinnitus may be just one loud gig away!
Of course I happen to know that a few of my mates do have a degree of tinnitus, hopefully relatively mildly, right now as we speak.
You are at risk.
Do take care of your hearing.
The responsibility is yours.
They are your lug'oles.
I have learnt the hard way.
My hearing is wrecked, my Tinnitus loud and constant.
My jazz career is over.
Having said that, I am learning to cope and to adapt as best I can.
I miss playing my jazz of course.
I miss seeing all of you lot, my jazz mates,
and hearing your musical concepts.
I now do the gardening.
But by far the biggest loss to me is not jazz, nor even music, but - silence.
More accurately - quiet.
Today's life is never quiet.
Best wishes
Take care everyone
Dave xx
