Confusion! Help please! Ear plug in one ear/ Singer/ worse tinnitus

[Fulltimemuso]

Hi guys,

So, I'm a singer and am trying virtually every earplug/IEM/custom mould solution I can to try and get to s good place with it.

I think my tinnitus was caused by loud singing gigs, one particular week 2 years ago where I really pushed the PA volume.

I now always use hearing protection. However, I'm yet to find the right solution.

Issues :

OCCLUSION effect, this is present mainly in my left ear with custom moulded 'pro' earplugs. The booming head voice is louder than it would be without the plugs. Not great. I worry it's making T worse.

Anyway, my latest attempt to resolve it was wearing a foam earplug in left ear, and pro mould in right ear. Gig was fun with no 'booming voice/occlusion' however last night the ear with the foam earplug was ringing like crazy!

Why might this be?

Could it be because that ear was so 'muffled' it's over compensated and turned up the high (ringing) frequencies?

Any ideas folks? Thankyou

I JUST WANNA SING!!!

[daverussell]

I use the following earplugs (see below) but only for general purpose and to reduce my reaction to Hyperacusis when out and about. Maybe worth a try for you but I understand you can get ear plugs custom made - so for professional or semi-professional purposes I'd recommend shopping around.

_I've given up going to gigs - I saw Rammstein in 2018 and it's been down hill from then on_. Incidentally, as a classroom teacher I've handed in my notice this week. I've habituated to my Tinnitus but stress from noise (Hyperacusis) triggers anxiety and intolerance of my Tinnitus. However, Im sat here quietly typing this and listening to my Tinnitus after a busy stressful week (after handing in my resignation) and T doesn't bother me. So, I'm now moving to a job where I have more control over my environment.

To answer your questions: As we're blocking out background noise, which would mask the Tinnitus, it appears louder. Secondly, using ear protection or other coping mechanism will prompt us to think about it, subconsciously. Whilst ear plugs and maskers may help our condition, we have to learn to cope psychologically - unfortunately this takes time and perseverance. Acceptance is key and trying to avoid it, or expecting it to go away completely, is likely to make it worse. Finding a quiet place now and again (in the evening) to focus on the ringing and accepting as part of you (mindfulness) can help. You body is naturally going into a fight or flight response and you need to train yourself to think differently.

So! These earplugs might be worth a try, but shop around. Many members are musicians so will reply on here.

I wish you all the best in your journey and singing.

Alpine MusicSafe Ear Plugs Hearing Protection for Musicians - 2 Filter Sets and Accessories to Enhance Your Music-Making Experience - Hypoallergenic and Reusable earplugs amzn.eu/d/4Ynjdq1

[Fulltimemuso in reply to daverussell]

Thank a lot for your reply, some great info there. It's such a strange psychological phenomenon. It's a shame you have to give up going to gigs, but I understand!

I thought I may have to give up singing, but I'm hoping that now I'm taking the 'nuclear option' and trying some heavy reduction foam earplugs that I can carry on.

Have you tried these? It's quite a comforting feeling that you are using the maximum protection. My 'Macks' plugs cost £10 for 10 sets and have a 33db reduction.

Also, the other thing I have is some over-ear ear defenders, these again only cost £15 and are amazing. Silence (apart from the tinnitus)!

[RKAUF]

ACS Custom is a company worth checking out. They’ve got a variety of earplug and monitoring products for musicians/singers and are based in north London. Please could you post the list you’re compiling of the best options, once completed? Thanks

[Fulltimemuso in reply to RKAUF]

Hi, actually I have so far had 3 sets of pro-moulded earplugs from ACS and also the 10bd, 15db and 17db filters.

The plugs themselves are fine, they fit ok. Perfect for attending events and concerts as a listener, or performing in a band on an instrument. Where I find they fall down for me is as a singer. The problem is the occlusion/booming voice effect as I mentioned in my post.

Until I can sort that part of things out this option is not really suitable. It is frustrating as it mainly happens in my left ear only. Some of the issue will happen just because of the particulars of any given ear canal. So the result is when I sin, certain sounds will be a lot louder for example if I hum 'nnnnnnnn' this is amplified (like when you put your fingers in your ears), but the 'aaaaa' sound is not. So if I sing the word 'and' part of it is loud, and part quiet. This makes it very hard to relax and control my singing voice.

I've also tried the Alpine brand plugs (silicone reusable), they can be inserted deeply and reduce the occlusion. However, the act of pushing them in and out can cause me other problems. Pressure on eardrum, and aggravating any Eustation tube issues (ear popping etc).

The final option, and what I plan to try n next week's gigs is the humble, low cost 'foam earplugs'. I bought 10 sets of the beige/flesh coloured super soft 'Macks' brand. Cost about £10. These can be rolled and interred deeply (reducing occlusion effect) without pressure on the eardrum (like the Alpine/ ACS ones). The downside is they basically block a lot of the high frequency sound so everything is muffled. However, I think at least when I sing the sound I hear is fairly consistent (unlike the ACS plugs). I've practiced with them, and singing is fun again! I'm hoping they work, and I'll just get used to the muffled sound.