[Trombone-l] Glaucoma and brass playing

[stevencarr@comcast.net]

probably just the vibration - not the pressure.

Steve Carr

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Richardson, Timothy Mr. DAC USAG Ansbach DPW" 
<timothy.a.richardson at us.army.mil>
To: "zemry1" <zemry1 at bellsouth.net>; "Bone List" <trombone-l at samford.edu>
Sent: Wednesday, November 01, 2006 2:05 AM
Subject: Re: [Trombone-l] Glaucoma and brass playing


> This is an interesting question.
>
> I have noticed that vision fades when I play.  I can get lined up on the
> music, seem to see it well, and have it go fuzzy when I play the note. 
> This
> effect is much less with my single vision music glasses than my bifocals,
> and they have the additional benefit I can no longer see the conductor
> <hee,hee>.  It happens buzzing the mouthpiece, so I doubt that switching 
> to
> bass would help much.  Consciously relaxing the forehead helps a little 
> but
> does not eliminate it.
>
> I asked about this on sci.med or sci.med.vision some time ago hoping for a
> medical explanation.  Alas, nobody had a suggestion, though a couple of
> other brass players had the same problem.  Is it blood pressure increase
> from the neck swelling?  Or the eyelids squeezing the eyeballs?  Or 
> results
> of Valsalva?  I dunno, something happens though.  I've never heard of kids
> experiencing it, just us old timers, but maybe they have vision to spare 
> and
> don't notice.
>
> There is another air pressure related phenomenon that happens to sax,
> trumpet and trombone players.  Air can get forced between skin and tissue
> and work its way around the body.  Weird, huh?  Makes crackling noises. 
> As
> far as I know I don't have this problem.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: zemry1 [mailto:zemry1 at bellsouth.net]
> Sent: Tuesday, October 31, 2006 2:19 PM
> To: Bone List
> Subject: [Trombone-l] Glaucoma and brass playing
>
> The principal trombonist in our community announced his "retirement"
> tonight. He has had glaucoma for several years now and it has become
> progressively worse.
>
> He asked his doctors whether the pressure from playing trombone would
> further injure his eyes and their answers were rather non-committal.
>
> However, he was speaking to an ex-girlfriend of his who is Russian.
> According to her, Russian doctors said that the pressure from playing a
> brass instrument could further damage his eyes.
>
> Does anyone know of any evidence to support or debunk this theory?
>
> Would he be better off not playing trombone?
>
> Would switching to bass trombone (less pressure) not be as harmful?
>
>
>
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