Musician's Ear Plugs Have Helped

I've had tinnitus for about a year. I play in a band but quit using headphones. I'm also a DJ but use headphones only in my right ear which is affected much less.

Anyway, I bought musicians's ear plugs about a year ago and wear them almost 100% of the time. Yes it's hard to converse and you hear much less - about 50% - while driving or riding a bike but, the ear plugs have helped.

Like another poster said, it's hard to quantify. My ringing seems reduced. I have more of a hiss sound.

I'm going to try curcumin.

Thanks to everybody with their solutions to this problem. Steve

 

I am to the point where my ears have improved so much that I am getting brave enough to get back on my drums, with hearing protection of course.

 

It is good to hear your ears have improved. I advise you to be very careful playing the drums, as ear protection will not stop sound passing through your head, and being transferred to your inner ear by bone conduction and possibly irritating the tinnitus. You might not notice this until it's too late.....

 

That's a really good point. Maybe I should wait, or just sell the acoustic drums and get an electric set.

 

I know what it is to enjoy music as I am an Audiophile. It must be even better being able to play a musical instrument. The hurtful thing about tinnitus is this: When a person habituates or their tinnitus reduces to level they are comfortable with as in your case, it can become very easy to forget everything and slowly but surely slip back into the old lifestyle. This happened to me. My tinnitus reduced to a level I completely forgot I had it. I started enjoying listening to my HI-FI again and at louder volumes with the thought that I am healed and nothing can go wrong - Big mistake!

One evening I was listening to piece of music, classical to be precise. I was enjoying it so much turned up the volume and everything was fine. Went to bed and in the morning the tinnitus returned with a vengeance and got worse over the following days and weeks without giving me a break. I returned to ENT for treatment which included two years of TRT. It took four years for me to habituate and in the process I went to hell and back numerous of times, and often prayed when I went to bed not to wake-up. My tinnitus changed dramatically and now has large fluctuations intensity.

All I'm saying is to be careful because it's so easy forget, how far you have come and what you once endured to get here.

Michael

 

I just bought acoustic drums last week. I only use them at top volume once a month or so, when jamming with friends.

For practice I bought the RTOM Black Hole system and Zildjian L80 (low volume) cymbals. The kit in full swing measures 85 db at my ears and feels like a real drumset. Can't recommend it enough. The RTOMs snap ona nd off in seconds, and you still get the resonant sound of your drums.

It's advertised to remove 80% of the volume of the kit. I love it. If you already own a kit I'd suggest going this route. You can outfit the kit with this system for about $500 brand new (cymbal pack and mutes pack).