Struggling with Worsened Tinnitus After In-Ear Monitor Incident — My Music Journey at Risk

andythebass

Member
Author
May 15, 2025
1
Tinnitus Since
1990
Cause of Tinnitus
motor racing
New to the group, saying hi!

I've lived with low-level, high-pitched ringing in both ears for decades, likely caused by my early days of motorcycle riding without earplugs. Since then, I have always used earplugs when operating power tools and other noisy equipment.

Eight years ago, I started playing bass and quickly encountered the challenge of hearing other musicians in live settings. Five years ago, I joined a new church with a "silent" stage setup. The drums are in an isolated booth, and all instruments are mic'd, with musicians listening through headphone monitors, each with individual mixing controls. While this setup sounds ideal, it takes time to get used to.

The system has evolved, but operating it has always been clunky. Achieving the right mix can feel isolating, especially when balancing my bass with the vocals, keys, and drums. Some sounds are too loud, while others are too quiet.

In March this year, during a service, the volume of my in-ear monitor was suddenly boosted by a third party. I quickly pulled the monitors out and left the stage. When I was on rota again in April, I decided to use a small speaker cabinet at my feet instead of in-ear monitors. This setup allowed me to keep wild volume fluctuations at a distance.

However, I soon faced another issue. I explained to the drummer that the cymbal closest to me was painfully loud, but 30 minutes into the set, he continued using it heavily. I endured the discomfort for the rest of the song.

That night, I fell asleep as usual but woke to find the ringing in my ears two to three times louder than I had ever experienced. Since then, the louder ringing has persisted. I now use white noise at night to reduce its impact, but I have become acutely sensitive to loud or sudden noises. Even laughter, sneezes, barking dogs, and feedback squeals on the PA system can be overwhelming.

I desperately hope this isn't the end of my journey with music.
 
Hi @andythebass,

I'm sorry to hear about your worsening symptoms. Having experienced something similar last year, I can share that, in my case, the reactivity gradually calmed down over several months. I eventually returned to my usual music-loving activities, although I still avoid excessively loud situations and use custom-molded earplugs frequently.

Take care, and I hope you start feeling better soon!
 

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