Anyone with tinnitus or hearing loss who is into "high-end" audio?

Sorry to learn of your problem. Yes.   I have posted before about pulsatory tinnitus in my left ear.  Swishing sound with my heart beat.  Can be very annoying.  Checked with the md, no critical issue.  So I deal.  Remember composers have composed while deaf.
Deaf people can dance and enjoy music through the vibration.  It seems that in most cases all we can do is boogie on.
Turn up the volume a bit and enjoy the music.

I have tinnitus and have also lost a significant amount of hearing in my left ear over the past year.  I find that I am focused less on soundstaging these days than I used to be, but still can focus on timbre, correct frequency response and musical nuance and performance.  So I do find that better equipment still makes a difference in those areas and is worth it to me.  My hearing aid helps in ordinary conversation, etc., but can't really replicate what I used to be able to hear when listening to my system.  I suggest that you focus more on the music than the system at this point, your system still can bring you great enjoyment.

We are all of us impaired, one way or another. My best friend through college had exceptionally good eyesight. I was constantly astounded the things he could see. Often times didn’t believe, until I got closer and sure enough. He had spotted what was a blur at best if not totally invisible to me. Doug went through Marine OCS wanting to be a pilot and flunked out because of his poor.... vision.

I nearly sold my rig a dozen years ago because of tinnitus. At first thought it was my system and went crazy trying to figure out was it tube ringing or what? When it eventually became apparent it was my ears I was crestfallen. Quit listening. For several years. Then, surprise! Quite by accident discovered it was caused by long term high doses of ibuprofen to cope with sciatica.

Once a Teeter, PT and weight loss eliminated the need for the pain killers the tinnitus gradually went away, well not completely not always but more or less gone.

The thing of it is, its like my buddy Doug. Compared to perfect you will always come up short. So why put yourself through that? Keep going that way, what’s the end game? Whatever it is you can be sure its pretty damn dismal- and then you lose. Or you can say hey, what I can hear, might not be what the next guy hears but it sounds pretty good to me.

Might as well. You do not want to be the next guy anyway. Trust me.

Thank you guys.  I guess this is the kind of stuff I need to "hear"!  When you first get tinnitus, for whatever reason, it can become very all-consuming.  My next step will be to go to a hearing specialist.  What I worry about the most is having the sound and music from my rig sound "unreal" when, and if, I need a hearing aid (primarily my right ear which has a very high frequency whine...sometimes less and sometimes really annoying).  But I sincerely find some solace in the above comments...you are  correct Millercarbon, I wouldn't want to be the next guy!

I have tinnitus, but no hearing loss. Worth going to a hearing specialist - at least once. Also worth figuring out what makes your tinnitus worse. But I have not lost any of my appreciation for music and I have made no changes to my rig.

I've had tinnitus for years, with intensity varying thru the day My hearing drops after 7khz.

Consultation(hearing aids) reading everything about it, and evaluating lifestyle to see if anything affects it seem to be the best you can do at the moment.

Compared to other conditions I live with, it's minor.

pfeiffer,

I have had bad tinnitus since the 90’s. It waxes and wanes in intensity (or how aware I am of it). I’ve also struggled with bouts of hyperacusis - hearing sensitivity where sounds can hurt the ears - which is frankly much worse when it comes to this hobby than tinnitus.
My experience: The tinnitus very, very rarely ever affects my listening.When it’s really bad, again this is rare, it can be loud enough to "ride over" the music so I hear it while listening. In such cases if I can’t ignore it, I would just retire from listening that night. But..again...super rare.Otherwise it doesn’t affect my listening or the sound quality at all.

When my hyperacusis flairs up - which has been very rare over the years EXCEPT that I had a recent bad flair up that I’m having treated - it could make the sound of my system too painful to listen to. That was the most disheartening.

In both cases what I’ve learned over the years, at least for me, is that not succumbing to the issues works best. That is: if I notice my tinnitus seems louder one day I don’t really change what I’m doing, I just go on (listening to music or whatever) and it fades in to the background soon enough, within a day or two. Concentrating on it or worrying or tip-toeing around it trying to find quiet doesn’t help, doesn’t make it go away any faster, so just "getting on with life" has been the best approach.

BTW, despite having tinnitus and sometimes hyperacusis, the upside is that I’ve been protecting my ears from loud exposure for so long I’ve avoided the hearing frequency damage that often comes with age or loud noise exposure. Audiologists always comment "I can’t believe your chart is this good, it’s like the hearing of someone 15 years younger or more!"

Ear plugs work!

I've had the condition in my right ear for over 30 years. The intensity varies every day and is usually loudest at night. It basically lets me know I'm still alive. It hasn't dampened my enthusiasm for my hifi rig or live music shows. So, run some sounds in your bedroom at night ( I use a fan) and you will adapt eventually to living with it.

I have hypersensitivity, due to bone malformations in my ears Now it's intensifying due to tinnitus episodes. Mine is brought on by caffeine abuse and meds with caffeine in them.. I swear my ears would bleed if they could... HF is just a killer.. That friggin tingle, tickle, makes my eyes cross.

Maybe something your consuming is making it worse...

Regards

I had minor tinnitus and it went away completely after I began taking vitamin D supplements. It could be coincidence but nothing else regarding my health routine was altered.

Best of luck.

I have the same issues as @prof . My tinnitus waxes and wanes but usually doesn't interfere with a listening session. It can be distracting since there are high frequency sounds happening from different directions.

I have Hyperacusis as well; high frequencies can cause stabbing head pain. When it flairs up, I'll start skipping through the Qobuz library until I can find some tolerable music. Sometimes I'll have to stop my listening session.
Both conditions happened as a result of a virus.

 

Interesting thread.  For the first time ever, I started listening to freq sweeps about a month ago.  I was pretty shocked by the results.  I have sensitivity to frequencies around 2400, 4800, 10000 and no hearing above about 15000.  My right ear drops out for the most part between 5800-7000.  I wonder if that dropout is due to my dj’ing years since my right ear was always used to cue the next track.

I have slight tinnitus which has oddly increased over the past two weeks (maybe not so odd after reading other posts in this thread).  I’ve been on prescribed oxy, aspirin, Tylenol, vitamin c and vitamin d the past 2 weeks due to a broken leg.

So I guess I would have to say that my hearing isn’t quite as good as I thought it was but I have learned how to be a better listener over the years through my audiophile experiences.

None of this detracts from the enjoyment that I get out of music.

Put on some good headphones and google frequency sweep or tone generators.  You might be surprised by how bad your hearing is.  On second thought, maybe you shouldn’t...

I have had tinnitus for years which manifests as a high pitched constant tone. It actually sounds more like white noise. Like others have stated it varies in intensity. I won't allow it to impact my musical enjoyment however. I often wondered, if you could just generate a signal 180 degrees out of phase with the tinnitus frequency, would that cancel it out? The current thinking is that tinnitus is a result of hearing loss at a specific frequency and the brain's attempt to restore that frequency manifesting itself as an audible sound. I simply asked my wife the PhD for that description.

I'm glad you made this post, and feel enlightened as to how many listeners are experiencing this.  I have had significant tinnitus and hearing loss in one ear for over twenty years (the other ear is going strong).  It was a radical paradigm shift: My initial response was increased anxiety and agitation at having a constant array of noises, swooshes, clicks, etc.  That goes away as you become accustomed to it.  Do what your doctor says, in order to minimize future changes in your hearing.   Unless they tell you to give up alcohol and caffeine.  In that case, nod your head and ignore them.

The biggest impact on my life has to do with human speech.  I avoid certain loud environments, because background noise interferes with my ability to decipher speech. 

A much rarer issue is bouts of vertigo which come every 5 years or so.  Those are debilitating, but only last for 24 hours.

As an audiophile, I would say the pros/cons are that I can't hear the noise floor of my system.  That saves a lot of money right there.  I can get by with $15,000 instead of $50,000.  I still perceive imaging, but it is noticeably weighted to one side; still there and beautiful, but different.  However, one ear functions perfectly, and I still have no tolerance for crappy equipment.  I really, really enjoy full range speakers, regardless of one side of my head being wonky.

 Coffee-jerk:  I too had bouts of vertigo at the time that I lost a good deal of hearing in my left ear.  That is a symptom of Meniere's disease, I believe.  Had I caught it in time, my audiologist said I might have been able to stop some of the hearing loss.  

The good news for our OP, from these posts and my experience, is that you can still enjoy music and an excellent system even with some hearing problems.  

@b_limo  If you can safely do so try a week without the aspirin. My ENT told me aspirin can make in worse in some people. 

Yes, I suffer from tinnitus. Differs in intensity, but I still enjoy listening to music. I’ve learned to tune it out over the years. When I read this post- I started hearing the ringing, haha.


I know two people with Meniere’s, nasty stuff. One recovered with some hearing loss. The other, despite going to a specialist in Houston, has been losing some of his hearing due to the treatments. The ‘drop’ attacks are frightening from what they tell me..

I have hearing loss in both ears, no tinnitus. My ENT doctor has been monitoring it for some time and this year my hearing test indicated it was time for a hearing aid. I knew my hearing had deteriorated significantly, as I was unable to hear the true timbre of a violin, cymbals had all but disappeared from some of my favorite jazz trios, and so forth. The hearing test identifies the degree of loss by frequency. I tried a pair of high quality Widex hearing aids and the difference was nothing short of astounding. Most of the sound I had been missing is back.

The audiologist showed me a graph of my hearing loss, which begins at about 2k Hz, building to 20 dB of loss over 6k Hz (a lot), pretty similar in both ears. The hearing aid boosts the signal between 2-6k Hz, but doesn’t do much above that. There is software you can download to your Android or iPhone that has different baked in settings for normal use, music and crowds. Plus you can listen to music and create your own settings for different types of music if you choose. There are also manual volume and balance controls.

Clearly the hearing aid is an audio device that has some effect on the signal you are processing, just as your audio equipment does. But if you find you are significantly missing something in your listening by all means try a pair quality hearing aids after consulting with a good ENT or audiologist. Where I live state law gives you a trial period during which you can return the devices if you don’t like them.

I am enjoying my music so much more now that I can hear instruments and a presentation that sound more lifelike and natural. 

I developed tinnitus and loss above 12k about ten years ago and purged my system. I was diagnosed with high blood pressure (too late) and the symptoms decreased dramatically with treatment. So, I began the accumulation process all over. I focus more on music now. 

When you go to your audiologist he should check your overall hearing loss and also be able to pinpoint the frequency of the tinnitus itself. Mine is a steady signal at 3khz in the right ear.  I had hearing aid made which are programmed to play random tones in the affected ear.  The idea is that over time the tones which are repeated [3khz in my case] reduce the sensitivity of the brain to that signal.  I found that this therapy worked - to a degree.  I do not wear the aids to help with listening, merely as a therapy.  Expensive at around $5k about 8 years ago but, on balance, worth it.  I rarely use the things now unless I have been in a noisy environment and the tinnitus kicks up.  Then the therapy will help bring it back down.

I am an otolaryngologist.  Tinnitus is a very common problem and rarely serious.  We worry about one sided more than two and pulsatile tinnitus is more concerning.  The book answer is for scanning pulsatile tinnitus but my 25 years of experience (and the same for my partner) is that we find something a lot less than stated rates for the diagnosis.  A hearing test with air lines, bone lines , and word discriminations is the bare  minimum.  If it’s symmetric and word discrims ok, generally don’t work up anymore.  Pulsatile is a different can of worms.  Still usually don’t find a cause.  Put pressure on the jugular vein and see if it goes away for the person with it, if so, likely a venous hum.  Once in awhile you find aneurysm, dehiscence at skull base, or gloms tumor.  Not every year in a general,ent practice.  
I have had high freq hearing loss since grade school. Luckily not very progressive.  My hearing has probably saved me 10,000s in chasing the next best thing.  I’m happy with my Ascend’s and luxman and still, a sucker for the monster receivers I wanted and couldn’t afford as a kid.  No medications help in studies and academy does not recommend medications.  I have some people on low dose elavil and they feel it helps.   It may be so if I gave them chicklets too.  

Hearing aids and music are not a great combo.  I have a patient who was in a very big seminal rock band  from San Francisco in the 60s (you would all know)  and he really struggles and hard to accept that hearing aids aren’t giving him his hearing back and hampers his music.  I am personally a borderline candidate and the companies will give me a hearing aid ( they want patients seeing I’m swearing there brand) and I haven’t stuck with them). When I have problems with concpversations I will but I suspect I won’t use for music. 

dabouv
Pulsatile
MRI confirmed no aneurysm and yes I can tone it down or stop it with finger pressure on the jugular.   
Thanks

I have tinnitus varying from mild to moderate. It worsens with stress, caffeine, and use of pain killers such as Advil, Tylenol and Aspirin. So if you can reduce these and learn how to relax through meditation, walks in nature etc. and see if it helps. I have mild hearing loss in high frequencies that does not diminish enjoyment  or discernment of music but glad to hear that good hearing aides if needed in the future can be helpful .

rcprince:  Yes, my diagnosis is Meniere's.  But I think that diagnosis gets thrown at a collection of symptoms without an obvious cause.  (ie. not having a tumor or physical ear damage)  I have had a couple of different ENT's as I have moved around the country, and my experience is that they all tend to prescribe medication (steroids, anti-virals, etc.) when a "paradigm shift" of worsening symptoms is reported to them.  But I am unaware of any cases where anybody is able to reverse the situation.   Maybe your audiologist is aware, but also ask your ENT.  

I have tinnitus also. the type of White noise or a constant ssshhhhhhh. That's one reason I like music so much as it makes forget my tinnitus is there. I wondered if it interferes or makes me miss some information.

Well I too have tinnitus and some moderate loss centered around 3500 hz to about 5k.  Gives me an out when it comes to dealing with the wife!  For me it was a surprise that I had the loss.  Tinnitus sure, but loss...  anyway, its prob like the boiling frog thing.  I never noticed.   Not possible to do an A to B so it's not "an issue".  Even though the loss is in L only, I can't say it's big enough to fuss over.  I still hear things in music, timbre, staging, that most dont.  

Pulsitile I get but never inquired.  Like a tapping in my bad ear.  Has a pitch, irregular.  Like a spasm.

 @ flatblackround, I too get whooshing but for me, its linked to the need for a C1 adjustment from my chiropractor.  Ok, for some of you that's akin to orange fuses and wall sockets.  However a major blood vessel runs right up against C1 so any shift can put that beating up to the base of skull as it were so there's that.  I know just the right Doc in your area too!

I'll try to notice if it's at all worse after taking ibuprofen etc.

This is really a timely post for me and thank you for it. I noticed this past Saturday I was hearing some increasingly loud chirping sounds. I had at first attributed this to the fact it was Springtime, and living in the country it’s a natural sound to be hearing. Except as it seemed to be getting louder, I went into a storeroom with no windows, and the sound continued unabated. A couple days later a louder high frequency tone or his seemed to enter the mix in my left ear which at this point seems to be coming and going.

I’ve been reading about tinnitis for a few days now which I figure this is, and have a doctors appointment tomorrow afternoon. There doesn’t seem to be much they can do about it medically, but we’ll see. So far the high frequency hiss seems to come and go, and the sound of insects chirping is constant, although annoying, not debilitating. Some of you mention the intensity of your symptoms seems to come and go which is reassuring. Maybe this will go away, but I’m not banking on it.

When listening to the stereo, my auditory system is now providing it’s own tape his sound, which is really aggravating, considering I’ve been enjoying really black backrounds with my new equipment and the addition of a Shunyata power conditioner.

So wish me luck tomorrow and thank you again for this timely post. It’s reassuring knowing some of you audiophiles have learned to survive and exist with this, and still enjoy your stereo system. And I’m a bit preoccupied with this unwelcome and revolting development at this point as pfeiffer indicated newcomers to it often are. Just when I was worried about getting nailed with Covid-19, this snuck in the back door. What next?

Mike

My tinnitus is generally a low buzz that I can tune out most of the time. But it can be severely aggregated by loud noises, including the volume of my stereo. 
After a lot of trial and error I've found that if I keep the volume below around 80dB peaks at my listening chair, then no problems. But if it goes over 80dB for any length of time the buzzing worsens considerably, sometimes to the point of being painful.
My solution. I've put together a warm and detailed system that sounds almost as good at lower volumes, and better on some music, as it does rattling the room.
Listening at lower volumes maybe affects the types of music I listen to a bit, but not much. I certainly still enjoy my music and my stereo as much as ever.

This thread subject is one of most fascinating in a long time. Each post respectful and informative.

The last time I had my ears checked was in the 1970’s as a pilot in the RAAF. I suspect that my hearing has deteriorated over the decades, but fortunately gently and not noticeably (in my opinion). My wife bless her does accuse me of selective hearing, but I put it down to concentrating on something else!

Amg56, your wife was onto you. Due to a birth injury my late wife could only hear out of her right ear. Whenever she was mad, she would sit on the couch with her non-hearing left ear towards me. It was pretty obvious what was happening, even though she, like you, played it off. Your cute story gave me a fond memory. Thanks.

Mike

I completely lost hearing in the right ear 2 years ago (most likely virus). I went thru different treatments, that did nothing to my hearing but improved greatly my eyesight (not kidding). Life is funny, isn’t it? Loss of hearing brings white noise, since brain is trying to amplify electric signals. After many audio tests (-95dB) doctor concluded that cochlea is damaged and it won’t improve ever. Since then my hearing started to come back. It is now at about 10%. My coworker had similar case and it took 15 years to get back to about 20%. I could buy hearing aid, but I don’t wan’t to do anything now, that might jeopardize recovery, no matter how slow. My doctor (otto-neurology surgeon) said "We can drill, but I strongly advice against it, if you can manage without it". Having choice of drilling or not drilling in my scull, not drilling option sounds better to me.

Interesting about the vitamin D. I just started taking it for this COVID stuff. Maybe it will help my tinnitus.

Mine is like the old fly back transformer whine in tube TVs.  Don’t know if it affects my high end enjoyment. Which is just as well as I am a low end fiend.

Yes, very timely post.  A few months ago I noticed my soundstage was drifting to the left.  I messed around with speaker placement and the balance control on my preamp.  This seemed to help a bit.  I soon realized I had a pretty constant high pitched hiss in my right ear.  Like a million crickets a mile away.  Went to see my ENT and had a hearing test.  Turns out my hearing is just about the same as it was 10 years ago - in both ears.  A slight dip in the 4kHz region which I am told is very common for men my age. Very surprising as it seems to me my right ear is definitely diminished.  Thinking of getting a second opinion.  

I was taking ibuprofen regularly for a year or so which might have brought it on.  Decided it was a good idea to start playing basketball again at the age of 52.  Back and knees hurting all the time but I was having fun.  The shut-down put an end to the bball, have only taken Ibu twice in the last 2 months.  Unfortunately, it seems to be worsening anyway.  Even some hyperacusis to certain things like dishes clanking and my youngest girl's high pitched screams.  Stopped the loud listening sessions too (covid helped there as well with my girls home 24/7 now) but that hasn't helped either.  

It changes day to day, usually worse at night.  Realizing that stress/anxiety and lack of sleep probably exacerbates it.  Very busy stressful time at work right now.  It is at times, like the OP said, consuming/depressing and I catch myself obsessing about it.  Hopefully, some more time off of painkillers and it will diminish. 

Trying to ignore it as much as possible.  Tony Williams Lifetime sounding pretty darn good right now, crickets be damned!

Thanks for listening, be well. 

As a 65 year old with Tinnitus and hyperacusis, hearing to 6k right and 8k left I find any listening above 80db will leave my ears worn and further
listening of any level painful.

I learned this the hard way my first trip to a show. Second and third days were a complete waste as my ears hurt.

Now I always have good earplugs with me.
Extras in the car and my travel kit. 
I wear them at all shows now. If the music is being played at 75db I will take them out. I have the free db phone app. Easy to compare.

I have some pretty good articles on what research is working on now
posted at AZAVCLUB.com under the University tab for anyone who
cares to read them.

Please send me any good articles you may have kept.

Thanks for sharing everyone!

I have worn hearing aids since 2007.  I retired from a long career as an audio production engineer in 2016.  I noticed hearing issues around 2004 or so but I was dealing with a much more serious medical issue at that time.  By 2007 it became apparent that I needed to do something.  So I got my first set , they were Phonak.

Today I’m on my 3rd set of hearing aids.  My audiologist fitted me with the topof the line Oticon and these are the most audio and music friendly hearing aids I’ve had.  Though retired I still produce audio for clients and have learned how to compensate for any anomalies the hearing aids may cause.

I put a few dollars into my home studio and that includes vinyl playback.  When I upgraded my TT cartridge to an Ortofon OM Blue I really heard a noticeable difference.  That was a huge surprise.

No, I can’t hear much above 8K with the hearing aids.  But the aids give me the higher frequency support I need.  I hear things with (augmented) clarity.  So Ithey work for me.  My advice is to audition audiologists.  Find one you are comfortable with.  Make sure you tell them that music and audio are important to you.  Ask questions.  Hearing aids are ridiculously overpriced and there’s nothing you can do about it.  But the right set for you will make all the difference n the world.

There is a thread over at AVS by a fellow that discovered there are "audiophile" hearing aids. Considerably more expensive and only of the "behind-the-ear" type, but hey, at least there may be help. I have tinnitus and hearing loss and was very bummed by it until I scoured that thread. Ironically, the guy ended up not needing aids at all as his issues were caused by an underlying and correctable medical issue, but while his issues persisted he tried several different models (that he names) with varying success. Since then I’ve been planning to, at some point, get regular in-ear aids for everyday life and some of these high-end aids strictly for listening to music. *EDIT* I just noticed that the post above mine mentions a couple of the same aids that this fellow I'm talking about tried...

I have mild tinnitus and high-frequency hearing loss in both ears.   Probably from too many concerts too close to the stacks...

I can still hear differences in equipment and music presentation.   I’m sure I’m not hearing everything, but I can hear enough.   So what.   I hear what I hear and that’s good enough for me.   This isn’t a contest.   When I hear differences that I assess as an improvement that’s great.   If I can’t hear any difference it doesn’t matter.

Trust your ears, not other people’s ears.    If you hear a difference and it matters to you, good.   If not, just think of the money you’ll save!

I’ve had moderate tinnitus for 20 years due to acoustic trauma (loud machinery and concerts). It came on suddenly and I stopped listening to music for about 3 years. I also have some high frequency hearing loss. Over time I habituated to the tinnitus and most of the time I am not aware of it. I enjoy my system very much and listen almost every day. I have custom molded earplugs that I use in loud environments. I will probably need hearing aids at some point in the future. When the tinnitus is bothersome I use a masking device like this:
https://generalhearing.com/consumer/tinnitus-products/tranquil-i/tranquil-i-ric/

@falconquest
"The current thinking is that tinnitus is a result of hearing loss at a specific frequency and the brain's attempt to restore that frequency manifesting itself as an audible sound."   

Exactly right.

The treatment for tinnitus,I give some explains ,that make you feel better after a while: take vitamines A and B and acetylcysteine. vit.A: gives you better vigilance. Vit.B:awakens the nervous system. Gives better contact from one nervesynapse to another. NAC:drains mucus that is also present in the auditory system. Have a good hi-fi - (high-end) system dat delivers natural sound.:a good balance between hig,mid,and low. Don’t use extra sub-woofer(s). Don’t put your music to loud..Look for silence at certain moments.Tinnitus, you can only soften it , but it can be worth it. Have nice music-moments:enjoy it!

Hi all,
I have a strange  story. I’ve had tinnitus from a left ear infection at age 25 which gave me a 4K hertz notch. Not too bad, I can detect soundstage...only noticed it when it’s quiet. Left ear was basically 90%. I’m 53 now and this past December while waiting for my first tube amp, my left ear started picking up a lot of bass for about a week and then all the low tones collapsed...completely disappeared. It was heartbreaking as I could not detect soundstage and had trouble focusing on who said what in a small group conversation. Left ear was at 30%...super depressing.

I live near the Keck/USC hospital and they have a decent otolaryngology department. Got checked out, all sorts of audio/speech/bone test...steroid injection through the ear drum and oral prednisone. Nothing. I was told by the doctor that that was all they could do. Hearing sensitivity would change daily. Sometimes 30%...sometimes 20%. If I plugged my right ear I could hear only tones...mumbling.

My younger brother was staying with my wife and I over a two week period in January and was studying to become a naturopath. He studied theology in seminary school and has a masters in music but decided to follow his new passion. A case study patient of his had dropped out and he needed to fill a spot so I said what the heck.
It required a commitment to not having coffee and certain supplements for 3 years. I asked if this could bring back my hearing. He believed it could. So I agreed to give it a try while not hoping for much. 
Over the next 3 days he asked a lot of questions. Each session lasted about 30+ minutes...questions about my entire physical/medical history going back as far as I could remember. ‘Am I generally a thirsty person...do I prefer ice water vs room temperature’...do I generally feel cold...types of food I seek out etc., etc..

He mentioned that the ‘remedy’ was akin to a silver bullet approach to addressing the root cause and that I would have substantial physical reaction. He said I would definitely know when it happened and that it’s simply the body kick-starting itself to recover.

My remedy was Lycopodium (green moss). Another person with the same symptoms might need a completely different remedy due to their history. The dose was a single teaspoon of a diluted solution in distilled water. 
I got an mild upset stomach that evening but nothing happed for two weeks. More questions. A week later...a bigger dose and another upset stomach but nothing for two weeks. My brother was perplexed and decided to consult with his teacher...but next day (Sunday) I felt extremely tired and took a nap. Woke up with vertigo. Went back to lie down and started feeling ill. I threw up violently and stumbled back to bed. This was at the beginning of the Covid-19 crisis so I avoided going to work on Monday as a precaution even though I felt completely fine. I decided to go back to work Tuesday. Got in my truck and it sounded funny. It’s a 2020 Tacoma...should be perfect. Got to work and realized my hearing was at 70%.

And I felt really good...like 15 years younger. No hyperbole. Tinnitus was extremely faint. Also my eczema was gone and I was no longer constantly clearing my throat. This is difficult to explain but I felt unusually well-balanced. I would usually get up from bed in the middle of the night and stumble to the bathroom. Now I could get up as if I was wide awake and perfectly balanced. It almost felt unnatural. So this is was 53 was supposed to feel like.

Unfortunately, this lasted for 3 months. 3 months of holographic soundstage from my stereo...3 months of a left ear that was at 70% was more than I ever imagined. But the tinnitus slowly came back. The hollowness in my left ear grew stronger. Now I’m back at 30%. 
So now I’m back on the Lycopodium. But it gave me hope that there is more to our bodies’ ability to recover than we know.

I feel that listening to music makes me feel better. I still do enjoy it. My ability to lock onto timbre and and nuance is still there. I’m going to remain hopeful for now. I’m going to try everything.

I have it. Don't recommend earplugs as they tend to push earwax back into the ear canal. 

I have had tinnitus in my left ear as long as I can remember. Actually it was quite a while before I realized that wasn’t normal - I thought everyone must hear that high frequency whine. Most of the time I don’t even notice it, because I have always been used to it. It has never interfered with my enjoyment of high-end audio.

Yes this is a great thread to talk about and compare ones experience with another. I first noticed that I had tinnitus probably after I got out of active duty. Being on board the USS D.D. Eisenhower for my first duty station with all the flight ops and such, then transferring and changing rate to an Equipment Operator with NMCB 133 and all that loud machinery. I will always remember my LPOs and job supervisors telling me to "Put your !@#$% issued ear plugs on!" and "You're gonna go deaf!" Well they were right. If hine sight were 20/20 we would all be in much better shape now. My ENT told me that you can't fix the damage but you can prevent any further damage going forward with hearing protection. So now I do just that whenever I am around anything I feel is loud. I have grown I guess use to the constant hissing in both ears. It is always more noticeable when in a quiet room. So as all of you can agree just keep on enjoying the music. 

I've  tinnitus.  Still remember the concert in Arnhem, Driving Maria.  Was right behind the sound board for the concert.  At one point I looked down and saw the DB meter and thought that this was going to hurt.  My ears normally ring after a concert, but this has been a gift that keeps giving.  I love music, but I'm not going to chance more unnecessary damage, so I don't do much live music anymore.  That's why I got into this.  Find that with a high quality system that I can listen to music at a safe level and still enjoy the hell out of it.  

I have had progressively worse tinnitus for 30 years as well as worsening hearing loss. I am 71 now and have worn hearing aids for about 20 years. I now have some pretty good aids but never do what they advertise they can. Music listening certainly suffers in the higher frequencies but it had not stopped me from enjoying the hobby. I think the wife suffers as well since she has seen it get worse the last few years. Or maybe it is an excuse...!!!!

I want to thank all of you for sharing.  Your responses have given me a lot to think about (and some hope) concerning my hearing issues.  It's almost like the floodgates opened up with so many of you sharing your stories on the thread.  After all, I think I can safely say that the very foundation of our audio hobby is listening to good music and loving great sound. The unfortunate issues with our hearing is both frustrating and scary.  This thread has been helpful...and wow, it stayed on point!  Thank you all, Jim

I have had tinnitus (no hearing loss under 6Khz) for 4 months and hyperacusis for a couple of years.  If you have either of these make sure you avoid high volume environments, or at least wear earplugs if you do.  You can get earplugs moulded to your ears with filters which take off between 10db to 30db yet do not interfere with the frequencies, so they are perfect for gigs.

I have got used to the tinnitus but to start with it sent me into a very low mental state which was very unpleasant.    The hyperacusis is more manageable though sadly I can no longer enjoy listening to my daughter play the piano - anything above middle C is painful.

The only time the tinnitus affects my music listening is in quiet passages where it sounds like a lot of tape hiss is coming through.

The hyperacusis meanwhile does make harsh top-end painful - it means I have moved from a rather brittle sounding Naim system to a velvet-like Vitus set up.

I'm an old timer, 75, and the fact that I worked in a steel mill for 36 years, {before hearing protection was popular}. Also I loved shooting, I did do hearing protection while doing that. Anyway doing all this, plus playing guitar and listening to rock and jazz, I've managed to pretty much destroy my hearing. When I went in the service, I was told I had much better than average hearing. Now I have tinnitus, and what I call, tone deafness. I have always had a love of music and the high end equipment to reproduce it.  So in order for me to do this now, I wear hearing aids when I want to relax and listen to The Rippingtons, or Steely Dan. But I have found that this tone deafness thing causes me to hear music actually go out of tune at times. Whether it is recorded, or live, and that's really frustrating because now I can no longer play music, or even tune my guitar. The best advice I can give anyone is wear hearing protection and just don't get old, it's not for sissies....