Thread about the Stones' last Anaheim show that caused some ringing in people's ears:

>>> [www.iorr.org]

Mine rang from that Anaheim show, but I knew it would go away—it did—because I'd experienced ringing similarly a few times after loud rock shows in school days. But the comments on the Anaheim thread prompted me to buy ear plugs (recommended on that thread, I believe) for just such loud shows. Too many such shows with no protection certainly risks a point of no return.

I have had tinnitus since 2006. I do not know how I got it, because I don't have a history of abusing my hearing as some do. But I definitely remember the day it appeared. I thought my cable tv box was hissing and I called the Sky technician to come out and replace it.

If you have tinnitus for longer than 6 months, it is almost certainly permanent.

But tinnitus and hearing are not completely linked. I took a hearing test recently and found my hearing was in the same range as someone 13 years younger than I am.

Tinnitus costed me a year of my life and was the hardest thing I ever encountered. I was very very lucky that the sound got weaker over time and now I can live comfortably with it. But I have friends who are not that lucky.

Björnulf should make this thread a sticky during tours. As a reminder. T can ruin your life.

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"Music is the frozen tapioca in the ice chest of history."

"Shit!... No shit, awright!"

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Bliss
I have had tinnitus since 2006. I do not know how I got it, because I don't have a history of abusing my hearing as some do. But I definitely remember the day it appeared. I thought my cable tv box was hissing and I called the Sky technician to come out and replace it.

If you have tinnitus for longer than 6 months, it is almost certainly permanent.

But tinnitus and hearing are not completely linked. I took a hearing test recently and found my hearing was in the same range as someone 13 years younger than I am.

It could have been an infection, Bliss. I had a bad virus about fifteen years ago that caused a horrible ear infection. I couldn't even hear for a few days, had to have shots of antibiotics to clear it up. I had tinnitus for a long time afterwards. I think it's still there at a low level, I only notice it when it's very quiet. I do always wear ear plugs at concerts now and I try to get my kids to do the same.

Infections may give the same damage as noise to ears. Basically the human ear is a very tiny little sophisticated measurement system made up of microscopic bones, muscles and nerve systems. And the poor little stapedus muscle, almost visible, still in charge of protecting these fine little bones etc from massive noise. Take good care of them, it is impossible to replace them. A hearing aid may increase sound, but it does not remove tinnitus i.e. ringing in the ears.

The most scary part is the long time effect. You start out with a loss say 12 kHz and above after a show or a gunshot, you may still hear grasshoppers etc, but this high pitch gap in the hearing will increase in width and by age say 40-50 and above any frequencies above 5k or 7k are gone, and so are all the sound from insects. You will still hear the rumle from the cars, but you will not be able to differenciate between f, s, p, t and all sounds that make words different.

Bjornulf

My ears ring constantly. In the past 25 years I've been to over 100 stadium/arena shows and hundreds of club shows.

I can't tell if one ear is worse than the other and currently have no other symptoms (dizziness etc).

I've got an appointment coming up with a specialist. I hope that visit will lead to some relief.

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Bliss
I have had tinnitus since 2006. I do not know how I got it, because I don't have a history of abusing my hearing as some do.

Tinnitus may be related to the condition of your teeth. Some people suddenly had a ringing because of a rotten molar or after extended dental surgery.
If you had bad teeth and have them fixed with lots of metal in your mouth you might want to investigate this.

Actually, although I can't remember specifically, I think it was dental work that caused the onset of tinnitus.

You can get used to it. I did an online test about tinnitus severity/impact, and it turned out the impact is very mild, though when I focus on it, it does sound like loud hissing, in one ear. It has never interfered with sleep.

Here's a caveat for tinnitus sufferers - although the online forums are very useful for learning about tinnitus and researching various treatments, those forums are a BLACK HOLE OF MISERY and you will get very, very depressed if you spend too much time on them. Of course I realise that for some people, tinnitus is a debilitating condition, and they need the support of a virtual community. But for those who can function normally despite having tinnitus, they are well advised to spend a minimum of time on those boards.

What I did was set up a Google alert for 'tinnitus breakthrough'. If it happens, I will hear about it.

The big mystery is how our old rock heroes that started playing in the early sixties are able to hear anything at all. They should all be stone deaf by now. Pete Townshend claimed long ago that he was partly deaf, but strangely enough he still seems to have some hearing left.

Maybe some relief on the way:

[bionews-tx.com]

My ears have been ringing for years. I've gotten so used to it that I usually don't hear it till it's quiet or some idiot (no offense) reminds me of it. On the plus side...I have noticed the louder my music is, the less it bothers me.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 2013-12-09 01:03 by shadooby.

I went totally deaf in one ear in '78 after enjoying perfect hearing all my life, was called Idiopathic Hearing Loss (meaning no known cause.) Caused total loss of equilibrium & I fell over to that side when I tried to stand. Deaf ear rings & screams constantly day & nite even now & will for life. I still blast the music in the car but try to back away from loud live music. Was told to have some kind of 'white noise' on at nite to sleep but that never helped me.

My ears still are pretty good, after being in bands for 25 years and working on stage for the last 10. However, I do notice that I do not enjoy loud live music as much as I used to do, and I think that more has to do with getting older. I don't mind being on stage in front of a loud amp, but I don't enjoy staying in front of a PA system of any kind any more. That's too loud for me to enjoy. I almost never wear headphones, except when running. I can't stand the sound of mp3, it really give me headaches.

Mathijs

If anyone's interested, a clinical trial is underway at 4 centers in the U.S. -- University of Texas at Dallas; University at Buffalo (SUNY), Buffalo; University of Iowa, Iowa City; and a tba -- for a possible tinnitus cure.

[thescoopblog.dallasnews.com]

Does this clinical trial include unlimited beer? Hypothetically?

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DeanGoodman
If anyone's interested, a clinical trial is underway at 4 centers in the U.S. -- University of Texas at Dallas; University at Buffalo (SUNY), Buffalo; University of Iowa, Iowa City; and a tba -- for a possible tinnitus cure.

[thescoopblog.dallasnews.com]

SWEET! My tinnitus really isn't that bad and I am so thankful that I've learned, for the most part to ignore it. Seeing how it affected my grandmother and mother throughout their lives, I know I'm part of a lucky minority. Here's hoping that a second UT (Tennessee in this case) will be the "tba" site. I'd sign up in a second if I could fit it into my schedule.

Peace,
Mr DJA

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mr_dja

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DeanGoodman
If anyone's interested, a clinical trial is underway at 4 centers in the U.S. -- University of Texas at Dallas; University at Buffalo (SUNY), Buffalo; University of Iowa, Iowa City; and a tba -- for a possible tinnitus cure.

[thescoopblog.dallasnews.com]

SWEET! My tinnitus really isn't that bad and I am so thankful that I've learned, for the most part to ignore it. Seeing how it affected my grandmother and mother throughout their lives, I know I'm part of a lucky minority. Here's hoping that a second UT (Tennessee in this case) will be the "tba" site. I'd sign up in a second if I could fit it into my schedule.

Peace,
Mr DJA

Interesting DeanGoodman, thanks. Thankfully, mine isn't that bad either. But it's been worse this week after waking up in the middle of the night last week with a violent case of vertigo. Hit me like a truck, out of the blue. The doc says I have labrynthitis, an inner ear infection, usually lasts about two weeks. One of the perils of working with children is you constantly pick up their germs. Much better now, but still a little wobbly in the AM and my tinitus has been more noticeable. Gives new meaning to the term dizzy girl...

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Munichhilton
Does this clinical trial include unlimited beer? Hypothetically?

There's a NASA study where you lie in bed for 70 days - get paid a ton of money to do something a lot of us already do. You could buy plenty of beer and Stones VIP packages with the proceeds.

I have ringing from loud guitar amps and headphones.

Not too bothersome, unless I'm trying to hear something lower than a whisper. Hopefully it doesn't progress.

Anymore, I try and wear earplugs at concerts, or when I'm playing.

I had Tinnitus for few months after a rock concert.

It was horrible and I was stressed to have it until the end of my life.

It was difficult for me to sleep, I felt I had an airplane in my head or a very acute ring. The sound was not loud but constant and it was a real torture.
It was a sound coming from the inside, impossible to stop it... it was a kind of rape disturbing my most intimate privacy (my mind and my thoughs).

I like reading and I was afraid to be not capable to read (since I could not concentrate) or simply to appreciate a simple moment of calm and silence.

I still have it but it is almost gone. Strangely, it had gone after a moment of desesperation.

I think that only people who had (or still have) this %@!%@ can understand.

I wish it to nobody. Protect your ears !!

I am scared every day of my life I'm gonna get it. I really try to protect myself, but I sometimes just get lost in the music. I'm not a musician, but I listen to music all day, in ear headphones, when I walk around and stuff. Those are just the easiest to store in my pocket since I'm out all the time. I try not to blast the music but sometimes the music just has to be loud. I keep saying I'll wear earplugs to concerts, but generally no shows are "too loud" for me, and that scares me. I feel there are so many more people other than me that don't have it and have experienced louder things that I try to make myself think I'm ok, but thats probably stupid.

I seriously can't imagine what its like for people that have it. Seems like it would be torture for me.

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bv
...all the sound from insects. You will still hear the rumle from the cars, but you will not be able to differenciate between f, s, p, t and all sounds that make words different.

I was recently conversing with a couple of older people who were hearing our conversation fine. But then I said, "These crickets are driving me crazy." But they couldn't hear the crickets. Loud crickets. I was like the dog who could hear the dog whistle they couldn't.

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RollingFreak
I am scared every day of my life I'm gonna get it. I really try to protect myself, but I sometimes just get lost in the music. I'm not a musician, but I listen to music all day, in ear headphones, when I walk around and stuff. Those are just the easiest to store in my pocket since I'm out all the time.

If you're that scared, you can start by throwing away those in ear headphones, they're the most damaging. Get one of those Sennheiser foldable headphones and get used to listening on lower level, really, it's not worth the risk.

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"Music is the frozen tapioca in the ice chest of history."

"Shit!... No shit, awright!"

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Greg

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RollingFreak
I am scared every day of my life I'm gonna get it. I really try to protect myself, but I sometimes just get lost in the music. I'm not a musician, but I listen to music all day, in ear headphones, when I walk around and stuff. Those are just the easiest to store in my pocket since I'm out all the time.

If you're that scared, you can start by throwing away those in ear headphones, they're the most damaging. Get one of those Sennheiser foldable headphones and get used to listening on lower level, really, it's not worth the risk.

I thought i was getting it at one stage, but was checked out and was told i ahd a very mild case of it. After a couple of weeks it went < thank god >

Will take a look at the head phone situation.

Stones song related...

The thing is we discuss ear problems we got from rock concerts we visit a few times a year - but what about rolling stones ears?? They must be horribly damaged. Imagine Charlie Watts, sitting his whole life between or in front of an huge monitor system. And on SFTD he even wears headphones – how loud must that be? How damaged are their eares? My English is too bad too tell all my questions and thoughts about rockstars ears … what do they hear in their heads? Do they have tinnitus? Don’t they care about the ears? What about the range of frequencies that they can hear?

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Allegorius
The thing is we discuss ear problems we got from rock concerts we visit a few times a year - but what about rolling stones ears?? They must be horribly damaged. Imagine Charlie Watts, sitting his whole life between or in front of an huge monitor system. And on SFTD he even wears headphones – how loud must that be? How damaged are their eares? My English is too bad too tell all my questions and thoughts about rockstars ears … what do they hear in their heads? Do they have tinnitus? Don’t they care about the ears? What about the range of frequencies that they can hear?

Yes, I’ve wondered about this as well. People like Pete Townshend, Al di Meola, Chris Martin and the Gallagher brothers have all been pretty open about their tinnitus/hearing problems. But the Stones… none of them. Maybe in their stratum they have the best protection and their ears are still miraculously unharmed.

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"Music is the frozen tapioca in the ice chest of history."

"Shit!... No shit, awright!"

Quote
Allegorius
The thing is we discuss ear problems we got from rock concerts we visit a few times a year - but what about rolling stones ears?? They must be horribly damaged. Imagine Charlie Watts, sitting his whole life between or in front of an huge monitor system. And on SFTD he even wears headphones – how loud must that be? How damaged are their eares? My English is too bad too tell all my questions and thoughts about rockstars ears … what do they hear in their heads? Do they have tinnitus? Don’t they care about the ears? What about the range of frequencies that they can hear?

I have heard that many musicians have tinnitus.

There is a professionnal musician in my family. He plays classical music and he has tinnitus. He told me that many musicians (including those involved in classical music) have some tinnitus. The sound is sometimes very high in an orchestra... and they practise music every day of their life. It seems that tinnitus is something that every musician knows very well.

I would say it's an occupational hazard for musicians.

There are many degrees of severity in tinnitus, so no reason to panic if you have it. Mine is very low level, 99% of the time I am not aware of it. But I am careful to protect my ears now, only wish I'd started doing so years ago.

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RollingFreak
I am scared every day of my life I'm gonna get it. I really try to protect myself, but I sometimes just get lost in the music. I'm not a musician, but I listen to music all day, in ear headphones, when I walk around and stuff. Those are just the easiest to store in my pocket since I'm out all the time. I try not to blast the music but sometimes the music just has to be loud. I keep saying I'll wear earplugs to concerts, but generally no shows are "too loud" for me, and that scares me. I feel there are so many more people other than me that don't have it and have experienced louder things that I try to make myself think I'm ok, but thats probably stupid.

I seriously can't imagine what its like for people that have it. Seems like it would be torture for me.

"Play With Fire" - it's not just a Rolling Stones song!

Your instincts are kicking in. For concerts, try Etymotics plugs for under $10. They don't dull the sound like foam plugs. And noise cancelling headphones, e.g. Sennheiser already mentioned, will enhance your appreciation of the music - and save your hearing.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2014-03-12 18:36 by DeanGoodman.