So I have otosclerosis in the right ear.
Well diagnosis can't be 100% confirmed without surgery. But it runs in my family. Sounds are muffled, especially in the low range. Last time I had it checked a few years ago I was at 40% loss in the low range. I'm pretty sure it's worse now. It may also be beginning in my left ear.
I will see an ENT soon. I can probably get hearing aides. Also I may be be a candidate for stapendotomy. It depends on how much hear loss I have.
For the most part I hear okay, since voice is in the mid range, and my left ear ear was almost perfect last check up. Even if the left ear is worse it's still mostly okay.
But I am having a hard time hearing my banjo..it's an open back gold tone. I think that makes it's it worse because open back is less bright and less loud. But even so if I play each note individually I can hear them. But when I start with bum ditties and playing fast the sound comes through muddled.
I know Patrick Costello had some issues like this, and made a YouTube video about it. He said he would bite his instruments to get the vibrations into his inner ear. Otosclerosis always works like this too, vibrations directly induced into the skull caused by sounds are significantly louder. I admire that level of determination. Lol. But I can't imagine myself biting my banjo to play. For one thing there's no good place to bite.
I'm just wondering if other people have had an experience like this? I don't want to give up banjo, but this is quite frustrating.
Edited by - 6stringedRamble on 05/18/2022 02:15:26
sorry to hear that - no experience myself - just an irrational fear of hearing loss (part of why I recently decided to take a leave of absence from grad school so I can spend more time doing music 'while I have the chance' - despite there being no real reason to be concerned other than my grandmother and one uncle experienced hearing loss young)
