Tinnitus (Ringing Ears)

Brint Hannay · Post by **Brint Hannay** » 2 Dec 2008 6:33 pm

Problem is, on most of the stages I've played on, it's impossible NOT to be near the drummer. I have a theory that the sound coming off the bottom side of cymbals, because of their basically conical shape, is significantly more than from the top side. What else can explain the way drummers sometimes brutalize us by whaling on their cymbals at the end of a song till the whitenoise swells and obliterates everything else to near or beyond the point of pain? The cymbals are tilted so they're exposed to the top, and we're exposed to the bottom. If they heard what we're hearing it would hurt them, too! Moral: be careful what drummer you play with.

Donna Sherrard Williams · Post by **Donna Sherrard Williams** » 2 Dec 2008 9:24 pm

so true about the drums.... I know in our bands we had a drummer, Russ Caswell, who was one awesome brush drummer and rarely felt the need to slap the cymbal... he was such a pleasure to work with!! And for the waterfall theory, it does work when you stand close to the falls... problem is that it comes back when you get on the tour bus to go back to the hotel

Ray Shakeshaft · Post by **Ray Shakeshaft** » 3 Dec 2008 9:29 am

And for the waterfall theory, it does work when you stand close to the falls... problem is that it comes back when you get on the tour bus to go back to the hotel Mad

I have known people record the sound of a waterfall and they played it back when the tinnitus stopped them getting to sleep. As I said - it only works for some.

Billy Murdoch · Post by **Billy Murdoch** » 3 Dec 2008 9:39 am

I tried it and got a punishment exercise for bed wetting

Ray Shakeshaft · Post by **Ray Shakeshaft** » 3 Dec 2008 9:42 am

I tried it and got a punishment exercise for bed wetting Smile

So what is your problem? It worked for you.....not quite the way you expected but we can't have everything

Brad Sarno · Post by **Brad Sarno** » 3 Dec 2008 10:14 am

Tinnitus is reversible, no matter what they say. Maybe not 100%, but definitely reversible. The first key is to change your habits and stop repeating the injury. Never stand near crash cymbals. Never let your stage monitor feed back at you. Never aim the "beam" of your amp at your head. And number one absolutely without question, go buy a box of comfortable foam earplugs or have some custom molds made. I just use the foam types. They have to be the comfortable types. Never cut the lawn or operate power tools without hearing protection. Never go to a loud concert without it. Don't go on long highway drives with the windows down without it. Minimize aspirin and caffeine. Ginkgo Biloba does help a bit too. So does Pycnogenol even better. Shop around for that stuff. Trader Joes sells it real cheap.

I went from really bad tinnitus 15 years ago to now barely noticing it at all except for the days after exposure to loud sound. I remember an interview I read by Chester Thompson, keyboardist for Santana. He said that after every gig he'll go sneak around backstage and find a quiet room, maybe even a broom closet, and go inside and sort of meditate for about 5 minutes honing all his attention on the ringing. Eventually as his mind hones in on each ring, the rings disappear or nearly disappear. He'll also do this whenever it bothers him. I've practiced all the stuff I've listed here, and I am living walking testament to the real fact that you can reverse it. I'll warn you that it can come right back real quick if you cause the injury again, so real change of habits is critical.

I make my living today partially by doing audio mastering which is a critical listening job. My hearing range is still quite clear up above 16kHz, and I can discern speech in noisy places. That's something I couldn't do 15 years ago, but now I can again.

Do the internet searches for dietary tips. The thing about caffeine is that it's a vasoconstrictor. When you crash from the caffeine, your brain's capillaries constrict a bit reducing the blood flow around the ears workings. You want good blood flow. Aspirin also makes tinnitus worse.

If you happen to play in one of those bands that just plays loud and full on without dynamics, just blasting, you gotta just bite the bullet and start wearing earplugs while you gig. No way around it. If your band has reasonable levels and has dynamics, then you can maybe get away without them.

More than anything, the very conscious silent meditation, just a few minutes here and there, can work wonders. Wear earplugs as often as you can. After a gig, I'll wear earplugs on the drive home, and when I get to the house and pull them out, it's like "aaaahhhh", clear and crisp hearing.

There is hope. You just gotta make very real disciplined change in habits. And beware of the falling toilet seat slam. That sound is a doozy.

Brad

James Jacoby · Post by **James Jacoby** » 3 Dec 2008 9:17 pm

I think I first got tinnitus as a kid. I wondered what it would sound like to shoot off a whole roll of caps by hitting it with a sledge hammer. I still don't know at almost 70 years of age. I never heard the explosion, but I did hear my first dose of tinnitus after that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Steve Norman · Post by **Steve Norman** » 3 Dec 2008 10:23 pm

I got it in my left ear from blast damage in the marines. Supposedly they are working on a surgical implant to bypass the damaged silia in the ear,,but it will be many many years till it is doable. The meditation thing works,,you have to really focus on the ring, try and describe it to yourself mentally. Caffeine and sugary drinks do exacerbate it.

What happens is tiny hairs in your ear vibrate at certain frequencies and then transmit these signals to the brain. When a loud enough frequency hits the "hairs" they can get broken into the send position,,hence the constant sending of signals to the brain. The hairs are to small to be manipulated now,, but they are working on bypassing the wires from the hairs to the brain. Brad maybe you could build a little clamp on unit for the VA? Black box direct into the brain would make everything sound better IMHO.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/tinnit ... ION=causes

Ray Minich · Post by **Ray Minich** » 4 Dec 2008 4:36 pm

what it would sound like to shoot off a whole roll of caps by hitting it with a sledge hammer.

Been there, done that, only I put two full rolls (2 cylinders of 10 strips each) between two pieces of 1/4" plate steel then hit it with the sledge.

Bells rang for hours...

LARRY COLE · Post by **LARRY COLE** » 4 Dec 2008 8:38 pm

I had it bad a few years ago and some homeopathic stuff. One is called RINGSTOP it takes a little while but it seems to work.

Bill Duve · Post by **Bill Duve** » 4 Dec 2008 10:39 pm

Mine ring most of the time for the last 20 yrs..
On the other hand I been walking around with a coffee cup in my hand for 20 yrs, I've got one those supersize cups.(small bathtub) about 3 pots a day..
In the unlikely event I forget it they dont ring near as much..
But im not giving up my coffee