SSNHL affected ear kind of shuts down when I play jazz drums

Hearing Loss
#1

I’ve been exploring a return to working as a musician, 10 months after ssnhl, which reduced my R ear hearing to mild to moderate hearing loss. When I play jazz drums, wearing hearing aids, even at quieter volumes like 70-85db (measured with a meter), my SSNHL ear (R ear) kind of “shuts down,” and the fullness, which is often there, becomes very noticeable. Is this some kind of sensitive nerve thing going on? Can anyone relate? thanks

#2

Musician’s earplugs could be worth a look. They lower all sounds equally so you will still be able to balance your playing with the group. Most commonly provide a -15 to -20 DB drop. Just do a search and all sorts of links will pop up.

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#3

I don’t know if this would work for you, but what I have been doing is putting $20 Etymotic earplugs in my ears along with my RIC hearing aids. Then I turn the volume on the hearing aids all the way down, and then, gradually, one step at a time, increase the volume slightly until the music sounds good. This gives me hearing protection when I play and control over the volume. Hope this helps.

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