Tinnitus, Deafness and Ear Problems Support Group

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/ Tinnitus, Deafness and Ear Problems Support Group

Making it words - are we all too paranoid

neilster
neilster
Hey I'm wondering if we're all too paranoid about making out T worse.

I ask because the lead singer of Coldplay has had T 10 years and says it has not gotten worse even after 1000s of hours on stage.. earplugs or not.. singing to 100,000 people with the speakers on stage MUST be worse than any of us get.. and he gets it almost everyday for hours.

So what does that say about T???

If I knew mine was going to stay in one ear and not get worse I'd learn to live with it all a lot easier.. it's the fear of it getting worse permanently that keeps me concerned all day. In fact.. i'm not even sure if it's not already in ear #2, albeit lower.. or if that's my T ringing through the other side of my head! I do know i can hear it in my "good" ear when i block that ear from outside noise.. but wouldn't i anyhow if the t is already in my head? Anyhow I digress...

I got mine from a virus -> blew nose too much - blown eardrum -> hearing loss -> Tinnitus

so what's the bloody chance if that happened once in 41 years it's going to happen again?? I don't get it why I'm so scared of it getting worse unless i blasted my other ear with a foghorn or i got the bad luck of a blown eardrum again (i try not to blow my nose anymore, call me snotty i don't care, i got one good ear!)

Can a spike really stay with us forever? I've already been subjected to a few really loud sounds, had my T spike.. but it's gone back to more normal levels again every time.. although it can take a while.

Anyhow... i point to Coldplay.. that guys has been vibrating, singing, wailing and it didn't get worse.. and he GOT it originally from noise-induced sound.. so what gives? All the screaming girls too???? I've heard people getting T from screaming teen girls... his doesn't get worse???? It doesn't make sense to me even though i had originally posted it as "good news"...
deleted_user
deleted_user
Yes. If it gets worse, deal with it then but you can't dwell on what MIGHT happen. In the meantime, live your life for today, in the now, protect your ears when needed, eat a healthy diet, exercise and get out and socialize and do something good like volunteer.
valhalla444
valhalla444
I read the coldplay singer story, you can be assured that he wears earplugs every single time he is on stage..
neilster
neilster
yes valhalla, of course he does.. but unless they are made of a yet-undiscovered material, he still gets way more abuse to his ears than most of us every will.

Try going into a nightclub with earplugs and let me know how it goes.. not very well...I assure you he is actually on stage with mega watts, not to mention he is singing his lungs out into his own ear.

He'd better be wearing earplugs all the time anyhow, a guy in his position is exposed to loud sounds pretty much the entire day... like i said, if not from music, from screaming fans
deleted_user
deleted_user
I used to be paranoid about it getting worse, I don't worry about it anymore. Now I just try to get thru the day.
Sue
fotoduck
fotoduck
No I don't worry about it. I crank the tunes I like to rock to and I use power tools without hearing protection. It cause a layered kind of effect for a while but eventually subsides to it's usual annoying self. The way I see it, it can't get much worse so, why worry. I also really believe this thing has a mind of it's own and is going to do what it's going to do regardless of what we do. Don't let anything dictate your life to you, including this demon.
deleted_user
deleted_user
I've had mine go about as high as I think it will go for me. I dont subject myself to loud noises and if I am in a place too loud I have earplugs. I dont really worry about it. Judy
deleted_user
deleted_user
I think like fotoduck, it has a mind of its own. I really don't understand how these singers and actors function in their jobs. Guy form Cold Play, one of the Black Eyed Peas, Bono, Babara Stristand, William Shatner. I can hardly function on bad days. How can they travel and perform. It's a mystery to me.
deleted_user
deleted_user
It comes down to how your brain processes it. My husband has ringing in his ear 24/7. He tells me it's not an issue with him. Some days its louder then other days. Now when I got T i went through anxiety and deep depression . It's how my brain process it as bad. Only 20% of people like us have it bad. The others deal with as "so what". And get on with their life.
deleted_user
deleted_user
Truer words have never been spoken Diannn, which makes it twice as hard for us when we know someone like your husband who has T because they really look at us like we are big babies and I really don't think any of us are. Can we control how our brain reacts? I don't think so and was told we can't control it anymore than we could if it was an allergy...we can't think our way out of an allergy or T. I can't anyway.
Sue
deleted_user
deleted_user
Hey all. I'm a performing musician, just got home from a tour and very sad to say my T is worse. I've been playing, recording... for 40 years and finally wondering if I can keep going.

As for the Coldplay guy, they (as well as our band) are sure to use custom in-ears monitors, as opposed to stage monitors. Some frontmen like to hear the crowd though, so who knows. But likely he's getting 25 db of isolation from the in-ears, as do I.
BUT, you can turn them up too loud and hurt yourself, which is especially tempting for singers and saxophonists (like me) who hear the sound inside their head (try plugging your ears and talking - that muffled sound has to be overcome by the monitor volume).

So to cut to the chase, I think in ordinary circumstances we all may too paranoid - I find in fact I'm much better off with a fair amount of ambient noise.
But I will say that just a single incident of loud exposure can escalate the T to the next level. I've had this happen twice in the last 3 years, and am at a crisis point re my career as a result.

Just be careful and try to enjoy life, don't listen to the damn T any more than you have to, keep busy.
deleted_user
deleted_user
Anxiety spikes T. I think you need to talk to a mental health professional. Just talking about it with someone who cares will take away some stress. They may also be able to prescribe something to help you calm down and quit focusing on it. Because focusing on it makes it louder. I did the same thing as you, I would sit and listen in the other ear for it. I finally sought professional help, now I don't even need to take any anxiety. You can find relief in yourself, knowing that you will be ok, and you control the T it doesnt control you.