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I listen to Eddie Trunk. In yesterday's podcast he talks about having tinnitus approx 10 years back and luckily habituated. How it can drive you batty. He talks about Paul Gilbert and how it is no joke. Nonsense about macho metal musician who say if you have to use hearing protection, you are weak or too old.
 
I have seen videos of James Hetfield (Metallica) taking his daughter to the stage on a live concert and she was wearing earmuffs.

And Lars Ulrich (Metallica's drummer) also wears hearing protection when practising or performing live. Apparently he has bad tinnitus, but continues playing.
 
I have seen videos of James Hetfield (Metallica) taking his daughter to the stage on a live concert and she was wearing earmuffs.

And Lars Ulrich (Metallica's drummer) also wears hearing protection when practising or performing live. Apparently he has bad tinnitus, but continues playing.
I wish I knew how. Because even with protection, I had a bad reaction. Vibrations from what I understand. That was just when I played to tracks. Never mind jamming with other loud musicians.

I hope they do figure out why some suffer, habituate, or best not bothered by it @ all.
 
I listen to Eddie Trunk. In yesterday's podcast he talks about having tinnitus approx 10 years back and luckily habituated. How it can drive you batty. He talks about Paul Gilbert and how it is no joke. Nonsense about macho metal musician who say if you have to use hearing protection, you are weak or too old.
That old school mentality died out a while back. People are far more hearing savvy nowadays and they tend to listen to mixes at lower levels in the studio as well. The last producer I worked with had earplugs on a key fob incase he had to go into the live room.

I always liked this quote from CJ on the Tinnitus Talk Podcast page:

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While I was there I saw this as well which is what I just mentioned above:

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Musicians hide it because hearing problems may be considered a sign of diminished performance. For instance, guitar players also suffer from a not-so-common condition that involves the muscles and tendons in their hands, some blockage that makes playing painful or difficult and that forces some of them to stop playing or change the way they play.
This may be a thing, but I don't think it is. Everyone is very open about their fucked up hearing from my experience; it's not hidden at all, and there are plenty of interviews both on film and in print where artists talk about their hearing issues in detail. It's usually just a case of whether they are asked about it or not.
No guitar player having that condition wants any of his or her fellow musicians to know about it, as they live off touring, recordings etc... they need to work as anyone else, specially the ones that did not make a ton of money and depend on playing regularly for a living.
I can't say I've noticed this much either. If someone fucks up their hands, shoulders, or some other part of their body that they need to play, then they are usually pretty vocal about it. It's no different to a sports star saying they've got an injury or niggling problem.
 
How do these people cope with "bad tinnitus"? I am sure that if they suffered that badly, they would publicise their torment - or would if they were concerned about preserving others from this.

Personally, I think that if an accomplished performer has tinnitus that is not particularly intrusive (aware of it, annoying at times, but not particularly limiting), and they do not have to worry about earning a living, they could afford to quietly go about their business, looking for something to help, but not feeling the need to raise public awareness of the issue. Some could continue to record/practise, taking precautions and doing what else they can to make things a little easier; perhaps work towards habituation, drink, take drugs.

I don't care either way, though it is a shame that this condition is not massively publicised by those that have such a platform to do so.
 
I can't say I've noticed this much either. If someone fucks up their hands, shoulders, or some other part of their body that they need to play, then they are usually pretty vocal about it. It's no different to a sports star saying they've got an injury or niggling problem.
I have read interviews with musicians and they said they had hidden these problems, and only give interviews when they retire or are about to retire, or rich enough not to care about it...

However, there are tons of musicians who tour with big bands but are not on regular payroll. They need to work, and they hide all these conditions, issues with their hands, and hearing issues, because even if they can adapt and play, other musicians do not want to hire them to play in their bands.

They want to hire someone who is in perfect shape to play.
 
I don't care either way, though it is a shame that this condition is not massively publicised by those that have such a platform to do so.
I agree with this and used to question why famous people weren't more outwardly vocal about it. It's the same across the board, though, and no matter what industry people work in and whether they are famous or not, nobody seems interested in creating awareness about it. It's just one of those things.
However, there are tons of musicians who tour with big bands but are not on regular payroll. They need to work, and they hide all these conditions, issues with their hands, and hearing issues, because even if they can adapt and play, other musicians do not want to hire them to play in their bands.
There could be some truth to this, I don't know, and I'm not gonna pretend to be a purveyor of all things music. I've just never noticed it myself or heard others talk in this way. Usually, if someone has a problem, they just tell you as one's reputation is far more important in the long run, and if you're playing like shit because of an injury, then I'd rather admit to the injury then blame it on my playing.

When my tinnitus worsened, I told everyone straight away about it; I put it out there on the grapevine so to speak. But, I was still getting calls all the time asking if I'd dep for someone or work with their band, etc. Basically, it didn't stop people trying to hire me even though they knew I was fucked. I suppose it was both heart-warming and annoying at the same time. Musicians are highly networked beasts, and when you get to know people who are good, and reliable, you tend to go after them as there's a lot of time wasters out there.
 
It's well known amongst his friends and family that tinnitus was the cause of his suicide. An open verdict was recorded because there wasn't a note, but those closest to him knew how badly it was plaguing his life and how desperate he was for a solution. They did a tinnitus fundraiser afterwards in his name.

Some have worked with hearing charities and have auctioned off rare guitars and other memorabilia (as well as donating money, etc). I know Al Di Meola has raised money via a Canadian tinnitus charity, numerous times, and all the money went directly to Bryan Allman, a tinnitus researcher. I know this because I was in contact with the charity a few years back and we got talking about various stuff, and one of the things he talked about was all the artists that have helped out. He mentioned that Ozzy and Sharon had been excellent, and there were others like Michael Shipley (Grammy award-winning producer), a famous country guy whose name I've forgotten, and a few more. I've still got the messages.

People can be doing a lot behind the scenes without anyone knowing about it, and that's just how some like to operate, I suppose. I would say the same message applies to all of us, though, when you say "They could be doing more advocating for a cure if they cared so much!" I know I and many others have tried numerous times to get campaigns up and running that would either raise awareness or money, but it's nigh on impossible to get anyone to do anything, and that's the problem. It's not just a musician thing.

I guess I got tired of the sweeping generalisations when it came to musicians. The amount of times I've read things like "they can't have it bad because they still play," or "it's clear that musicians have a mild form," etc, is frankly, ridiculous. I think I summed up my thoughts best in this post from the thread I linked to above:

None of us can ever know what another person experiences when it comes to tinnitus. We only know our own experiences, and that's not enough to presume to know how another person will behave. This is what's known as a cognitive bias. The level at which your tinnitus caused you maximum misery may actually only have been half of what Al Di Meola experiences, for example. This situation could obviously be reversed and it could also be extended to any deviation on a scale from mild to severe between two people.

The point is, nobody knows! To presume to know how loud somebody else's tinnitus is and whether or not they'd stop playing live music is completely flawed as an argument. There are too many variables. I'd agree that the average person would stop playing live if their tinnitus became "severe" (this is still subjective), but I would not be able to extend that to a blanket statement of saying "everyone would quit" without my logic being flawed.


When the CJ interview was released, he was immediately hounded upon on Twitter by some jumped up overzealous hearing advocate. I thought, geez, no wonder nobody wants to do this shit. The guy offers his time to tell his story and he's immediately ripped to shreds for it.

I saw Tommy Emmanuel live last week with Jerry Douglas, and they were phenomenal. I'm going to see my old drummer's band on Saturday, as well. It's been a while since I last went to a live show. Since my tinnitus worsened, I've done about five band rehearsals, two gigs, and have seen maybe 7 bands live, but only in pubs/clubs. That's since June/July 2015

Because of this, I used to get the same messages from people saying "your tinnitus can't be that bad then!" My career ended in my early 30s because of it, and it's not a decision that I took lightly. It destroyed my life and ripped my soul out, and it's kind of infuriating when you have multiple tones and sounds, and screamingly loud tinnitus in your head only to hear others assume to know what you experience on a daily basis.

That is why I made these posts because the presumptuous nature is still present in this thread. "So and so can't have this problem because of this and this," etc. We cannot presume to know what anybody is going through, period. I think it's arrogant and selfish.
Spot on.
 
Those musicians have good genes.

If not, they would never been able to play after 5 years since they started in some crappy garage facility.

I know a drummer with mild tinnitus.

Got it at a very bad gig situation 20 years ago. Improved in about 6 months.

Always earplugs since then. No issues so far.
 
There could be some truth to this, I don't know, and I'm not gonna pretend to be a purveyor of all things music. I've just never noticed it myself or heard others talk in this way. Usually, if someone has a problem, they just tell you as one's reputation is far more important in the long run, and if you're playing like shit because of an injury, then I'd rather admit to the injury then blame it on my playing.
Those musicians don't tell others about their hearing or hands problems because there is a prejudice about it and others do not want to play with them.

It is not a matter of not being able to play properly. It has to do with prejudice and suspicion by others of a diminished ability to play, or a change in the way they play guitar for instance, due to that muscle and tendon problem I referred to before...
 
Those musicians don't tell others about their hearing or hands problems because there is a prejudice about it and others do not want to play with them.

It is not a matter of not being able to play properly. It has to do with prejudice and suspicion by others of a diminished ability to play, or a change in the way they play guitar for instance, due to that muscle and tendon problem I referred to before...
I've never come across prejudice of this nature before, and it's not something I've ever heard being discussed. Musicians tend to surround themselves with people they trust, and friendships are often built. If someone is struggling, it would usually be a case of, "let us know when you're better." Dep players can be used in your absence.

I've been out for 7 years, but I could join a band tomorrow or do session work if I wanted to. The door never closes. That's why I don't understand the logic behind the injury idea. If one is genuinely in a bad place then they would be better off not playing. At the moment, I'm happy just teaching.

Bear in mind, this is just my experience. You could have a point as we have to contend with different countries and cultures.
 
Those musicians have good genes.

If not, they would never been able to play after 5 years since they started in some crappy garage facility.

I know a drummer with mild tinnitus.

Got it at a very bad gig situation 20 years ago. Improved in about 6 months.

Always earplugs since then. No issues so far.
I was that drummer with mild tinnitus lol. Seriously stable straight tone tinnitus Is a fart in the wind. I'm willing to bet most musicians have that kind. Your tinnitus doesn't even get louder after playing, or if it does, it's just momentarily. If musicians had noise pain or distortions while playing, with erratic tinnitus waking them through the night they would all quit.
 
Lower glutamate and GABA levels in auditory cortex of tinnitus patients: a 2D-JPRESS MR spectroscopy study

A main focus of the loss-of-inhibition hypothesis in tinnitus is the role of γ-amino butyric acid (GABA), an inhibitory neurotransmitter, which, among others, is responsible for maintaining the balance between excitation and inhibition. Furthermore, GABA is found at many levels of the auditory pathway. Insufficient inhibition due to lower concentration, altered distribution in the tissue, or changed receptor density or affinity of GABA could thus be a cornerstone in the development of tinnitus.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-07835-8
 
Lower glutamate and GABA levels in auditory cortex of tinnitus patients: a 2D-JPRESS MR spectroscopy study
"The application of low frequency, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation initiates inhibitory cortical mechanisms, resulting in a down-regulation of Glu in the auditory cortex of the left hemisphere and a significant reduction in tinnitus loudness levels."

True?
 
The Last of Us Remake (10/10 superb btw) is the latest upcoming video game to have the option to remove tinnitus sounds.

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PlayStation Studios is pretty much the only division in the industry that seems to care about this kind of stuff. Expanded accessibility options just keep getting better and better.
 
Elon Musk, being detached from the woes of the average person, I can't help but feel he doesn't really think Neuralink is going to succeed out of anything more than trying to inflate his short term wealth. I hope Neuralink will work, but I just don't have confidence in the man acting as its voice.
 
My earache was actually a potentially fatal maggot infestation (nypost.com)

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A Portuguese man was shocked and revulsed after discovering that his innocuous-seeming "earache" was caused by a family of maggots that had colonized his ear canal.
Examination revealed that the man's auditory passage was infested with "numerous mobile larvae" — which had even perforated part of his eardrum.
It was a literal case of earworms.
These revolting parasites, which reside in Central and South America, survive by taking up residence in all warm-blooded animals, including humans.
The females lay up to 400 eggs in animal wounds and on soft tissues such as the nose, navel and anus. After the larvae hatch, they tunnel through flesh and create bacterial infections, which in turn attract more egg-laying females — a condition known as myiasis.
This isn't the first time someone's body has been turned into a grub hub. In 2019, doctors in India removed hundreds of differently sized cysts from a woman's stomach. Her gastrointestinal interlopers turned out to be tapeworm babies, which had caused her stomach to swell like a giant parasite piñata.
 
In very recent news, this is an article about a possible link between COVID-19 shots and tinnitus.

Possible links between Covid shots and tinnitus emerge
People who have developed life-altering ringing in their ears after Covid vaccinations demand deeper investigation into this potential side effect.
 

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