I started wearing ear muffs/plugs a couple of years after I started playing in bands. Almost 2 decades later and I never go to a concert or play live without hearing protection. If I somehow forget to bring them, I grab a table napkin and fold it into makeshift earplugs. As a musician, I’m deathly afraid of losing my hearing.
If you listen to music outside, invest in noise-cancelling headphones/earphones so you don’t inadvertently turn the volume up too much just to hear it. Also, try to get used to listening at a lower volume at home. I did this by setting the volume to what I was used to, then turned it down one notch. I eventually got used to it and now I listen at a lower volume than I would’ve normally done.
I damaged my hearing when I was a kid, blasting out music from a Walkman. Digital devices tend to have limiters on, so I try not to override those, plus I listen to a lot more Ambient stuff nowadays.
As an older guy, growing up in the 60s and 70s, loud concerts, loud stereos, and working with power tools in the construction trade, we never thought about hearing protection. And now, my tinnitus is so bad sometimes I wish I could snip the nerves and become deaf. It’s LOUD inside my head. Please protect your hearing!
I’m sure I have some tinnitus, but not to an extent where it really bothers me.
Over-ear headphones allow me to listen to things at a much lower volume while still hearing the whole thing.
I think I have tinitus, to the point where it is extremely mild. Or maybe it’s just normal? It started in my early 20’s which coincided with a period of loud music and concerts over an extent period of time.
It’s a very low hiss that comes and goes now and then. I can only hear it when it’s relatively quiet around me, and it is easily masked by anything that I try to listen to.
Not from listening to music, but from setting up a mic for a discord call while wearing headphones. Picked up feedback directly in my ears for like a 3rd of a second. Permanent ringing now.
Yeah I’m kinda depressed about It still, it was like 2 weeks ago. But there’s not really much to do about it.
The worst part is I’ve been extremely mindful about my hearing. Always wear hearing protection at concerts, when playing in bands, when using power tools, mowing the lawn. But one slip up and you’re still fucked.
