Ear 'popping' and tinnitus

SteveRatz

Member
bit of a weird post this, but over the last few years I've started suffering short random attacks of tinnitus, which *so far* I've always been able to stop by 'popping' my ears. scuba divers learn how to 'pop' their ears using various techniques, so maybe this is of use to someone else.

Here's a link to the scuba techniques: http://www.scubadiving.com/11-tips-easy-equalizing
 
I've never had any correlation between the two. Popping my ears never does anything to my slight tinnitus, and I used to dive/fly a lot so I'm quite good at it.
 
I've never had any correlation between the two. Popping my ears never does anything to my slight tinnitus, and I used to dive/fly a lot so I'm quite good at it.

I'm sorry to hear that, I'm not trying to give anyone any false hopes and I've not found anything online.
 
bit of a weird post this, but over the last few years I've started suffering short random attacks of tinnitus, which *so far* I've always been able to stop by 'popping' my ears. scuba divers learn how to 'pop' their ears using various techniques, so maybe this is of use to someone else.

Here's a link to the scuba techniques: http://www.scubadiving.com/11-tips-easy-equalizing

Strange! I just tried popping my ears but mine is still there (it always is, but really mild).

This is complete speculation (but it got me thinking): I recall reading that tinitus is caused in your brain, not your actual ears, kind of like your brain turing up the "gain" because it can't hear as well. Maybe the popping lets your brain bump the gain back down, reducing the tinitus?
 
Strange! I just tried popping my ears but mine is still there (it always is, but really mild).

This is complete speculation (but it got me thinking): I recall reading that tinitus is caused in your brain, not your actual ears, kind of like your brain turing up the "gain" because it can't hear as well. Maybe the popping lets your brain bump the gain back down, reducing the tinitus?

That makes sense. I think there are different types and causes and maybe this applies in my case. So far.
 
That makes sense. I think there are different types and causes and maybe this applies in my case. So far.

To anyone starting out who reads this thread... it is SUPER important to look after your ears! Get some good earplugs or something. You'll thank yourself in the future.
 
I have been playing for 40 years or so. My ears are quite badly damaged because when I started we didn't really think about ear protection. Not of my teachers ever mentioned it, I don't recall reading about it in the tutors or magazines, none of the other musicians I saw or played with seemed to use any (At least not that I noticed, the smart ones probably did).

The trouble is that learning to play without ear protection means I now find it difficult to play with earplugs. Nothing sounds right and I play differently - the balance is all wrong even with custom made drummer's earplugs.

Now I have constant, permanent tinnitus and damaged mid-range frequency hearing. Anything loud sounds badly distorted - so I have to wear earplugs at an amplified gig if I'm in the audience - or it just sounds like a distorted mess.

I play jazz these days, which isn't so loud, I think most the damage was done decades ago when I played with a pair of 15" bass bins on one side of me and a stack of 4 x 12s on the other - all turned up to 11.

I went to a jazz workshop recently and two young drummers turned up. First thing they did was stuff ear plugs in their ears and leave them there for the whole duration of time they were playing and listening. That's just good sense. I wish I had done the same at their age...
 
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