Buzzing in the ears while playing?

Soineanta · Post by **Soineanta** » Sun Apr 13, 2003 1:40 pm

Well, it's not really a buzzing... it's more like a discomfort, kinda the same feeling you get in your ears right before you pass out (but it's not because I'm dizzy!), like the sound of the ocean; but quieter, and it pulses like a heartbeat. It's hard to describe, but sometimes it happens while I'm playing whistle. And it's not just on the high notes, it even happens while playing my Bb. Mostly it's in my left ear but it happens in both. It also happens alot while I'm watching TV, but music notes and TV static are pretty different, so I don't know about any kind of connection there. Has this happened to anyone, and is there a reason for it? Or am I just weird?

Tony · Post by **Tony** » Sun Apr 13, 2003 1:53 pm

It's called TINNITUS and it's a serious condition. We've talked about it several times on C&F so you might want to do a search.
Buzzing in the ears especially on certain notes is indication of a possible problem.
I cannot stress this enough: PROTECT YOUR HEARING!
Even if the music sounds good and you feel no pain you could still be causing damage to your hearing. Wearing protection... cotton, foam ear plugs, ear muffs, wax, silicone, whatever, is highly recommended.

There’s no known cure for tinnitus and some people claim that herbs can reduce the ringing in the ears... by then it's already too late.
http://www.discount-vitamins-herbs.net/tinnitus.htm

Thomas-Hastay · Post by **Thomas-Hastay** » Sun Apr 13, 2003 1:57 pm

Hi Sara

Women have a greater sensitivity to high frequencies than men do and you may be picking up ultrasonic frequencies that resonate with the bones of your inner ear. Dogs have this ability but birds and reptiles do too.

I posted a site on The Peruvian Whistling Pots that proclaim that these "whistles",when played in chorus,produce a subharmonic low frequency around 16hz that resonates with human alpha brainwaves and induce a "trance state".

Do you think that Whistlesmiths are secretly conspiring to control our minds!? Or is it the master plan of the Crystal People!!! <i>You are entering a dimension of sight and sound....na-na-na-na...na-na-na-na

Soineanta · Post by **Soineanta** » Sun Apr 13, 2003 2:08 pm

It's called TINNITUS and it's a serious condition.

Uhh... gulp.
Thank you for alerting me of this.. I guess I'll have to give my doctor a call. I'm hoping maybe it's what Thomas-Hastay is suggesting though. Associated with hearing loss? YIKES!

I definitly don't want that!!

boyd · Post by **boyd** » Sun Apr 13, 2003 6:39 pm

If you only hear it in quiet conditions, it could also just be the sound of blood flow in the vessels near the ear....in which case it's not quite such a disaster!!

B

Soineanta · Post by **Soineanta** » Sun Apr 13, 2003 6:42 pm

boyd wrote:If you only hear it in quiet conditions, it could also just be the sound of blood flow in the vessels near the ear....in which case it's not quite such a disaster!!

B

Nah.. it happens in quiet conditions too, but it seems to be aggravated by noise. Thanks though!

Tony · Post by **Tony** » Sun Apr 13, 2003 7:50 pm

Sara, I didn't mean to shake you up. It's best to consult a hearing specialist if you're experiencing hearing difficulties. Try to get a hearing test... this way you have a reference many years from now if the condition worsens. (is that a word?)

It's a known fact many professional musicians suffer hearing loss from years and years of playing... even with (non-amplified) acoustic instruments.

Soineanta · Post by **Soineanta** » Sun Apr 13, 2003 7:53 pm

Tony wrote:Sara, I didn't mean to shake you up. It's best to consult a hearing specialist if you're experiencing hearing difficulties. Try to get a hearing test... this way you have a reference many years from now if the condition worsens. (is that a word?)

It's a known fact many professional musicians suffer hearing loss from years and years of playing... even with (non-amplified) acoustic instruments.

No Tony, it's okay! I'm glad you let me know it could be potentially a bad thing. I wouldn't have thought to contact a doctor otherwise. I've actually been meaning to get my hearing checked for awhile, anyway.. sometimes it's kinda hard to hear people. Of course, that might just be because I'm easily distracted.

Alpaca Turned Blue · Post by **Alpaca Turned Blue** » Sun Apr 13, 2003 8:05 pm

I don't know if this is the same as what you're experiencing, but when I hit some of the higher notes (pretty much anything above C) I often get a weird 'click' (can't really describe it any other way...it's a little bit like the click you get when you swallow, but more pronounced) in my right ear that doesn't really hurt, but it is unsettling. I've been wondering what it is.

Bretton · Post by **Bretton** » Sun Apr 13, 2003 8:09 pm

My right ear will "crackle" sometimes when I hear high pitched music (doesn't seem to happen from other types of 'noise'). It seems to come and go. Is this a bad sign?

-brett

Rockymtnpiper · Post by **Rockymtnpiper** » Sun Apr 13, 2003 8:55 pm

It's a known fact many professional musicians suffer hearing loss from years and years of playing... even with (non-amplified) acoustic

One of the instruments I play is the extreme de le extreme of non-amplified acoustic instruments... the Highland Pipes.

I actually plan to get fitted for musician earplugs soon. They run about $100-$120 or so. and have different filters. 6db, 15db and 30db. I only plan to use the 6db.

Another option is sonic II's. Which I use as needed, the only thing I dont like is the feel (which is why I would want the custom fit)

Jack · Post by **Jack** » Sun Apr 13, 2003 9:13 pm

One time I lost my hearing for about a week because of an infection, and medicines aren't really my bag, so it came back on its own. Every time I get sick I loose my hearing, too. I'm used to it. I just hope it's never permanent, because I can't learn sign language with my hands and arms like this.

lilymaid · Post by **lilymaid** » Mon Apr 14, 2003 1:00 am

I’d think it was just an ear infection or something. I'd definitely go to the doctor to be sure that was all it was, though. If it is it can be remedied with antibiotics and/or herbs. (I’m with Cranberry, medicines aren’t my bag.)

Martin Milner · Post by **Martin Milner** » Mon Apr 14, 2003 3:42 am

Hi Sara,

I have a friend with tinnitus, and for her ringing in ears can last several hours after the stimulus that set it off. We had to leave a screening of Jumanji because the volume was near the pain threshold even for me, & the cinema refused to turn it down (we got a refund..). Film distributors specify a volume level to play the film at, but the cinema should take account of the size of the audience - an empty auditorium does not absorb sound like one packed with bodies.

The fact that the sound pulses does suggest to me it's more likely your own heartbeat & bloodflow you're hearing. Don't take this wrong, but might you need wax syringed out of your ears?

I wear a headset at work, and a couple of times my ear has blocked up with wax - always the ear I wear the headset on. Wax in the ear is normal, and usually expelled naturally, but if you wear earphones or headphones a lot, it can accumulate. You should never stick things in your ears (like q-tips) because you can damage the eardrum.

If your ears are waxy, the nurse will tell you to put a few drops of warm olive oil in your ears every day for a week or two to soften & loosen the wax, and then use a syringe of water to give your ears an internal shower. It takes a few minutes, and your hearing will be dramatically clearer.

Post by **Nanohedron** » Mon Apr 14, 2003 10:44 am

Soineanta, I replied w/ a post at the Crossings. I'm not sure from your details if we're talking about the same thing...

Best,
N