Speaking of loud pianos, my new piano room is so empty, even my small upright is very loud! In the rental, we had one living room, no family room. So the piano shared the room with a love seat and two big arm chairs, so three pieces of large furniture covered in fabric, plus things on the walls, various end tables and so on. I am hoping curtain will help, but first I have to choose them etc.

quote:

Originally posted by ShiroKuro:
Speaking of loud pianos, my new piano room is so empty, even my small upright is very loud! In the rental, we had one living room, no family room. So the piano shared the room with a love seat and two big arm chairs, so three pieces of large furniture covered in fabric, plus things on the walls, various end tables and so on. I am hoping curtain will help, but first I have to choose them etc.

Yes. That’s why I put a rug under my piano, to absorb some of the sound.

You can also put a blanket or something on the wall behind your upright and it will help with loudness.

oh, and I have tinnitus as well. Normally I can ignore it, but every time I read this thread it pops into my consciousness again! Like others, I primarily notice it at night, and I have random ways to divert my attention. I think it may have been due to excessive use of Tylenol or maybe Advil/Motrin, as it's listed as one of the side effects.

Add me to the list. Had it for years. Mostly I ignore it, but sometimes it seems louder and I can't focus enough to put it into the background.

I have also had zero luck finding anything that helps.

I have it to an extent, but it comes and goes. I find that there are some situations where it almost seems like some kind of sympathetic vibration to whatever else it is I'm hearing at the moment. At other times, I can actually feel it, like it's some kind of high frequency muscle spasm.

This cannot be comparable to the percentages in the general population. I wonder whether there's correlation between piano playing and higher rates of tinnitus?

quote:

Originally posted by QuirtEvans:
This cannot be comparable to the percentages in the general population. I wonder whether there's correlation between piano playing and higher rates of tinnitus?

Me too. What’s the connection?

Mayo Clinic's rundown on tinnitus

I suspect there's a connection between piano playing, liking music, concert attendance and exposure to loud noise. Maybe.

Dammit! I just spent about 20 minutes composing a post and then lost it. Here's the Cliff's Notes:

1. I got chronic tinnitus (defined as tinnitus that lasts more than six months) in 1985 from a Deep Purple concert. It was a good concert but wasn't worth the subsequent 34 years of ringing.

2. Go to the website for the American Tinnitus Association, ata.org. Lots of good information. You can join and get a thrice-yearly (I think) magazine. Again, lots of good information.

3. There are treatments but no cure. Different approaches work for different people. Learn about the treatments from ATA. A successful treatment is one that succeeds in making the tinnitus less noticeable or unobtrusive.

4. For me, the passage of time and being distracted by life pushed what's actually pretty loud tinnitus down to the point where I don't notice it or, when I do notice it, it doesn't really bother be--including when I go to sleep. Not that I wouldn't jump at a chance to "hear silence" again...

5. Definitely see an audiologist, particularly one who regularly works with tinnitus patients. The good news is that, unlike the first couple of decades since I've had it in which very few did, there are a lot more who do now. If you're very lucky, it could just be some earwax that's causing the noise (just don't get your hope up). For people who have some hearing loss, hearing aids often help to mask some of the noise.

6. Acute tinnitus (less than six months) can spontaneously disappear. (Again, don't get your hopes up.)

7. There's lots of research being done now to figure out the tinnitus mechanism. It's now known that it's very much a neurological issue as well as a physical one (inner ear damage). This helps inform those who are working on potential cures.

8. The ATA estimates that 50 million 'mercans have tinnitus (although the proportion of those who find it debilitating is quite small). You're in good company.

I'm happy to bore with you more information if you want it.

UPDATE

Still ringing. Literally not a moment of silence since March. It probably bothers me less now but it is still incredibly annoying. I sleep with a noise machine that sounds like running water. I stream music constantly at work.

Hearing tests show a slight deficit at 4,000 hertz, which is also the frequency of the ringing . For those of you with a guitar, it the 7th fret (B) on the high E string.

I am trying to decide whether to get high price hearing aids the Audiologist is recommending. They can be programmed to enhance hearing at the specific frequencies where I have the deficit and also play white or pink noise at a low level to help cover it. Cost is about $5k for both ears, which is a lot for something small enough to lose.

What caused the hearing loss? Rock n Roll? Mowing the lawn? I do use ear plugs now for concerts and full on ear protection when I mow.

I am astonished how many people here experience this.

Thanks all for your input.

jf

$5k is now about standard for hearing aids.
I recently paid about $4500 for a pair of
Signias *formerly Siemens. That is without
any tinnitus features.
The Signias are the best I have had since I started wearing hearing aids
in 1986. I get new ones every three to five years.
I have found that solo practitioner audiologists are the best, with one exception.
There is a wide spectrum of competency among audiologists.

Aspirin and caffeine trigger my tinnitus. Now have one coffee in the morning and maybe a little more around noon. No aspirin ever.

Thanks Chas. One cup coffee for me and no aspirin, bu ibuprofen is often.

Jf

Certain drugs can cause or exacerbate tinnitis

Ibuprofen seems to be a culprit.

quote:

Originally posted by Nina:
Certain drugs can cause or exacerbate tinnitis

Ibuprofen seems to be a culprit.

Thanks Nina. I did stop taking it for 3 weeks or so, along with other supplements I take regularly to see if it made a difference. Unfortunately, it helps with another affliction! If I knew it was the ibuprofen I would live with the arthritis pain or use something else, but stopping it seemed to have no effect.

Going to go ahead and get that hot tub to make myself feel better!

And I will probably try the high priced hearing aids. My Medicare advantage plan pays for the devices IF I go to a different Audiologist who sells a different brand, but the copay is still very high and I really like/trust the Audiologist so I will probably bite the bullet and get them from my present provider.

I whine about this from time to time but on the whole I can't complain. I am turning 69 in a week and have relatively minor health issues compared to many. I feel very lucky overall.

Retiring at year end. Between Social security (maxed out), a good Medicare Advantage plan, and a hefty 401k, I look forward to the years to come. And if I live at least until next March (which i plan to do), my new bride will inherit MY social security, which is a good deal more than hers.

All is good.

jf