When people think of being a DJ, certain things likely come to mind. Often, a person is likely to think about performing in front of a huge crowd, playing music and mixing famous tracks, or putting together incredible beats that cement them as a household name.
What they almost never think about is the potential for developing the incredibly debilitating hearing condition known as tinnitus.
So, how can a DJ avoid Tinnitus? Is there a way or is it just genetics?
While not a definitive guarantee, tinnitus is, by its very nature, something that affects DJs at an inordinate rate. And while it isn’t a full-on precursor to hearing loss, the condition is serious enough to be a very real show-stopper for most DJs, stopping their careers – potentially forever.
Luckily, knowledge is power, and by understanding more about tinnitus and how it affects the person, you can work to mitigate much of your risk as a DJ. Not only that, but we’ll also go over some useful ways that you can alleviate much (or all) of your tinnitus on the off chance that you may currently be dealing with it.
How Can A Dj Avoid Tinnitus? (In-Short)
Tinnitus can be a nightmare for any DJ but if you follow these simple prevention steps you will vastly reduce causing hearing damage to your DJ ears. 1. Regularly wear adequate ear hearing protection, such as molded earplugs. 2. Allow your hearing time to rest. 3. Do not abuse alcohol or drugs. And lastly, number 4. Get frequent ear examinations.
But What Exactly Is Tinnitus?
If you’re like many people, you may not quite know what tinnitus is, especially in any real detail. For most people, their understanding of the hearing condition starts and stops at, “that constant ringing in your ear.”
Tinnitus does indeed start as a loud, constant ringing that is similar to what you’d hear after going to a loud show or sitting in your car and playing loud music. However, just because it can come across as a constant ringing doesn’t mean it can “only” come as a constant ringing. Tinnitus can also manifest itself as a low roaring sound as well as a continual “popping” sound. It can also be defined as a reduced amount of sound tolerance.
For mild bouts, and tinnitus, the hearing condition will usually only last between a few hours to a day or two. The issue comes when it stays for longer than a couple of days when it just “doesn’t” stop.
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How Is Tinnitus Caused?
Tinnitus is caused by continued exposure to excessively loud noises. This is the main way in which the condition appears, though other methods, like a physiological response based on adrenaline, can also cause the condition to appear. Still, in the majority of cases, you’ll probably end up suffering from this disorder due to loud music. This is especially likely for DJs, as they are quite literally being exposed to loud music from multiple angles at a near-constant rate.
Avoid Damaged DJ Ears: Prevention Steps
While it’s likely that you’ll develop some level of tinnitus throughout your life, it only really becomes a problem after an extended period of time or when the ringing doesn’t stop. As you can imagine, this can pose an especially big problem for DJs, who, as a point of their profession, need as keen a hearing as possible.
There is good news, however. Not only can you avoid getting tinnitus, but you don’t have to give up being a DJ to do so. So long as you know what to be aware of, and are willing to take actionable steps to prevent it, you can potentially never have to worry about getting tinnitus ever again.
Step #1. Wear Molded Earplugs
It may seem a bit of an odd choice as a DJ, but wearing a quality pair of custom earplugs during a performance can do wonders to prevent you from getting tinnitus while simultaneously allowing your performance to go unaffected. Investing in some professional-grade ear plugs ensures you retain audio clarity while also lowering the decibel level so that your eardrums aren’t suffering.
Another great option is in-ear monitors, which offer higher levels of customization as far as how loud the music is in your ears.
Step #2. Moderate Your Gigging Schedule
Another choice that seems more than a bit counterintuitive, the fact of the matter is that the big elephant in the room is that you, as a DJ are constantly bombarding your ears with loud noises. This is going to have an effect no matter what steps you take. Therefore, one of the best things you can do is to better regulate your gigging and performance schedule.
This doesn’t mean “no shows”. What it does mean is spacing your shows out. Set it up so that you have enough time in-between gigs to give your ears a bit of rest. Think about a boxer or football player. These professions don’t have them out every single night because they know the importance of having time to rest. The same goes for you and your ears.
The more time that you give them to recuperate, the lower your risk will be of losing your hearing altogether.
Step #3. Consider Dropping The Drugs
I love to party as much as the next guy. That said, when it comes to DJing and potentially getting tinnitus, I have to say that you’re better off cutting them out as much as you can.
Drugs generally have a severe impact on a person’s adrenaline levels. This is true for all “stimulant-type” drugs, including things like alcohol or caffeine (ever wonder why caffeine makes you so alert?). And while a drink or two of your local craft beer or double espresso isn’t going to have your ears ringing (well, “shouldn’t”, anyway) that same goodwill doesn’t extend to harder stimulants or drinks to the excess. A drink or two of beer won’t put you at that much of a risk. Six or seven is another story.
This isn’t even talking about the fact that most drugs alter your mental state, and inhibit your senses, while simultaneously removing your inhibitions. What this translates to, especially as a DJ, is a person who is cranking the volume up extra loud on his speakers because he “can’t hear the good part”. So you’re not only more susceptible to getting tinnitus, but you’re also more likely to put yourself in a position where the susceptibility will be capitalized on.
Moral of the story: drop the drugs as close to complete as possible. Not only will this keep you from making dumb decisions or pressuring your adrenalin beyond its limits, but it also is likely to help keep your shows and gigs as tight and as good as possible. Whole lotta upsides, if you ask me.
Step #3. Get Frequent Ear Examinations
Lastly, you want to get your ears looked after by a professional as often as possible. Going back to our athlete comparison, sports players and fighters are regularly visiting doctors and physical therapists to make sure that they stay in tip-top shape while being on high alert in case there is any potential upcoming illness or growing injury. You should treat your ear health the same way.
Going to an ear professional, you’ll get as close to immediate information on your ear’s health while also getting up-to-date methods on how to keep your ears as clean and as healthy as possible.
Is Tinnitus Treatable and Curable?
Currently, as it stands, tinnitus is not curable. Essentially, once you’ve got it, it’s not going away. And, while that can certainly seem scary, it shouldn’t hold your ears hostage. We’ve already gone over some ideal methods you can use to reduce your chances of getting tinnitus, but what if you’ve already got it? Well, there are several things you can do to help alleviate the symptoms so that, while a part of your own life, it isn’t the sole aspect of it.
Ways To Reduce Tinnitus Symptoms
- Live A Peaceful, Healthy Life: Lastly, consider that the body is interconnected, and things that affect one aspect of your life will also affect the other. Since there isn’t some magic pill you can take to remedy your tinnitus, you may want to consider taking things along a more holistic approach. By living a life that is healthy and stress-free, you further reduce your chances of a reaction. This includes eating healthy foods, doing activities that you find enjoyable, and making a point to avoid stressful things.
- Relaxing: One of the first things you can do is to take life down a notch. Since tinnitus is closely tied to one’s adrenalin, staying as calm as possible throughout your day is a great way to keep tinnitus reduced and under control. Chill.
- Sound Masking: Another great method of reducing tinnitus is through sound masking. This is the process of using a white noise machine to pull focus away from the constant ringing in your ears and towards the ringing of the machine. This is especially great for those that have trouble sleeping.
How Can A DJ Avoid Tinnitus? Takeaway
While it is horrible for anyone who gets it, Tinnitus can be especially terrible for DJs, where accurate listening is a big part of their profession – sadly levels of tinnitus in DJs are high.
Still, just because the effects can be debilitating, by taking actionable steps now, you can greatly reduce the odds of you getting the disorder if you don’t have it while reducing the effects if you do.
In reality, while tinnitus can be scary, it’s only scary if you’re ignorant of how it affects the body and what you can do to mitigate the results.
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