Slowly going deaf...

[BillyBobJoe]

So as I woke up this morning, I found a familiar feeling in my left ear. See, when I was young, something had happened to my right ear, leaving me a8out 2/3rds deaf. I woke up this morning, to find my left ear exactly the same. So I'm panicking right now, considering that I'm a musician. My entire life revolves around music, yet I'm slowly getting more deaf. I have attention pro8lems already! So I'm wondering if any8ody has advice for what to do... :smalleek:

[Giggling Ghast]

Wait a day and see what happens. If it persists, go see a doctor.

[Arminius]

This sounds disturbing, I would recommend seeing a doctor. Preferably one who specializes in hearing.

[BillyBobJoe]

I do have an appointment set up... 8ut things aren't helped 8y the fact that I'm already really sick... And my dad had this same pro8lem, so I think it may 8e genetic...

[Bastian Weaver]

Go see a doctor, and don't panic. Beethoven had the same problem, and look at what he'd done - and medicine has evolved greatly since his time.

[dehro]

yeah..I was gonna say Beethoven too..
then again..
I've been plagued with recurring ear infections as a child, which has left considerable scars on the tissue/membrane of my right eardrum..apparently I even flew, as a baby, with a looming ear infection, which is something that can bring terminal damage to one's hearing (and not just to that)
then of course there was that time that I was stung by a wasp on the inside of my ear, leaving it a little swollen.. which to this day means that I can't use earplugs or earbuds without at some early stage losing the right one..

in other words, I'm partially deaf on my right side..so I can sympatize..

sadly however, that's all I can do, as I've more or less resigned myself to this condition, which I've learned to live with... when I will have the time and necessary resources, I might try and enquire if my specific issue can be solved with new surgery procedures unavailable last time I checked..
that said however, I have no idea how to deal and how to inquire about a remedy for what ails you.

[Scarlet Knight]

In the meanwhile, turn off the amps & switch to acoustic...

[Mando Knight]

...And repair that B key, maybe?

[Bastian Weaver]

Yeah, what Scarlet Knight said. Danny Elfman had some kind of hearing problems while playing with his band, so he had to take a break.

[Lady Moreta]

And if you're already sick, it could be that you're prone to ear problems while sick with other things too. I have a friend who is prone to developing sinus problems while sick with other things.

It's good that you've already got a doctor's appointment, keep that and if the problem doesn't go away, make an appointment at a hearing clinic or with an audiologist.

And remember, being partially deaf isn't going to ruin your career. I have a friend who's almost completely deaf in both ears and she has sung in choirs and for that matter, she's a primary school teacher! A profession in which you'd think you'd really need your hearing. She has no problems with it at all. She's a fantastic lip reader and if you don't know she's deaf, it's really hard to tell she has a problem at all.

More and more things are treatable these days... don't panic and just get yourself to the doctor. :smallsmile:

[Balain]

First don't panic!


Besides Beethoven there are other hard of hearing and deaf musicians.

TL Forsberg is a hard of hearing singer. There is an all deaf rock band called Beethoven's nightmare

[Tragic_Comedian]

If you're sick, that might be why. When I have a cold, I can't hear anything. But yeah. Go to the doctor. Good luck, amigo.

[An Enemy Spy]

Why are you using the number 8 for the letter B?

[Telonius]

So as I woke up this morning, I found a familiar feeling in my left ear. See, when I was young, something had happened to my right ear, leaving me a8out 2/3rds deaf. I woke up this morning, to find my left ear exactly the same. So I'm panicking right now, considering that I'm a musician. My entire life revolves around music, yet I'm slowly getting more deaf. I have attention pro8lems already! So I'm wondering if any8ody has advice for what to do... :smalleek:

"Woke up this morning" isn't really "slowly." It's more like "suddenly." That kind of sudden loss is usually caused either by some kind of blockage (earwax buildup, something stuck in the ear, sudden infection) or trauma (the person sat too close to the speaker at the concert last night, took a blow to the head, etc). Even if it's genetic or something with the nerves, there are a few options to help.

Personally I've had a hearing loss since birth (about 30% in both ears, gradually worsening; I'll likely be completely deaf if I live long enough). I've had a set of hearing aids for the last couple of years, and the difference has been really astounding. They're not the clunky things they used to be. Depending on the model, they can be practically invisible, and the software that runs them is improving every year.

When I got mine, I was told that for an extra $1000 I could make them Bluetooth compatible. (Now how's that for high-tech?) Didn't take them up on it, but it's good to know the option's there when I have a thousand bucks I don't know what to do with.

Anyway, with the hearing aids, I haven't noticed much of a difference in my ability to tell whether or not an instrument is in tune. I'm not exactly conducting an orchestra, but I don't think the hearing loss would hamper me if I had to.

2/3 hearing loss is a bit more than mine, but your doctor will be able to tell if you're still a candidate for hearing aids. Cochlear implants are another option. They've also come a long way since the early days, though by most things I've seen they're still not as good as natural hearing.

[dehro]

bluetooth compatible??? so you can use them for what..receiving phone calls, listening to your ipod? because if that's the case, I'm totally going for that, should that be the only way to recover 100% hearing

[RabbitHoleLost]

Multiple things it COULD be: ear infection, sinus infection, earwax buildup.
Take a deep breath and calm down. Don't get scared until after the doctor's visit.

[The Succubus]

As an audiologist there's a lot about this I could say but I can't and won't given the revised forum rules. I would echo sentiments above about contact your GP or similar. Hearing really isn't something you want to muck around with home remedies on. Trust me.

[Telonius]

bluetooth compatible??? so you can use them for what..receiving phone calls, listening to your ipod? because if that's the case, I'm totally going for that, should that be the only way to recover 100% hearing

Strangely enough, yes. Depending on the model, hearing aids can hinder your ability to talk on the phone. For "around the ear" models, the thing that senses the sound is actually the part that's outside the ear. So if you put a phone up to your ear like normal, you're actually holding it in front of where it needs to be. But if you hold it back to where you can hear, then your mouth is far enough away from the mouthpiece that the other guy will often have trouble hearing you.

No matter what the model is, it's pretty much impossible to wear earbuds and your hearing aid at the same time. And if you take out your hearing aids and just turn up the volume, you run the risk of further injuring yourself by just having that many decibels close up to you. I've barely listened to a single portable music device in the last 15 years, for just that reason. I think I'm the only person I know who's never listened to music from an ipod. Not to mention, if it's not coming through a bluetooth in your hearing aid you have to seriously mess with the bass/treble if you have a loss in different sound ranges like I do - my loss is mostly in the higher pitches.

[The Succubus]

There are ways around that - get a neckloop adaptor, then switch your hearing aid to the T position. Added bonus, you just pick up the sound from the iPod and not the background chatter on the train.

Example: http://www.actiononhearingloss.org.uk/shop/product-l309.aspx

[Kaeso]

I'm probably saying nothing the others haven't said already, but I'll say it to you anyway:

1. Don't panic, start by not panicking. Remain level headed, go about this rationally rather than emotionally.
2. Go visit a doctor. Having a proper diagnosis will help you more than sitting at home and panicking and if you have it checked early it might even be properly remedied. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.
3. Should the worst happen and should the problem be what you fear it is, ask the doctor for advice on what to do.

So in short: calm down and visit a doctor. It's the only thing you can reasonably do.