Dave, what about your ears?

[living sounds]

Hi Fleaman,

hearing ist most vulnerable in the mid-range, followed by the high-range. Damaging typically starts at a range of 4-6 khz, and probably also 12-16 khz.


That's why cymbals are so dangerous. I always got to a safe distance when a drummer started playing, and afterwards asked them, how they can stand it. It's hard to believe they don't seem to find it unpleasant...

Since the human ear is much less sensitive in the bass range, it can also take much louder noise without getting harmed. The lower you go, the safer it gets. Although you'd better not crank it up TOO much, since people recently have been reported to have suffered lung fissures after being exposed to very high amplitude low range sounds (in a car and in a club, I think), triggering the resonance frequency of their thorax. It is, however, rather unlinkely this happens in the studio. :-)

[Fleaman]

Originally posted by living sounds
Hi Fleaman,

hearing ist most vulnerable in the mid-range, followed by the high-range. Damaging typically starts at a range of 4-6 khz, and probably also 12-16 khz.


That's why cymbals are so dangerous. I always got to a safe distance when a drummer started playing, and afterwards asked them, how they can stand it. It's hard to believe they don't seem to find it unpleasant...

Since the human ear is much less sensitive in the bass range, it can also take much louder noise without getting harmed. The lower you go, the safer it gets. Although you'd better not crank it up TOO much, since people recently have been reported to have suffered lung fissures after being exposed to very high amplitude low range sounds (in a car and in a club, I think), triggering the resonance frequency of their thorax. It is, however, rather unlinkely this happens in the studio. :-)

Well, that's good to know...as most ear plugs (even the $100+ custom ones I have) still let quite a bit of the lows in.

It's just interesting because there is so much more energy on the low frequencies...and to actually 'feel' them (that thump in your chest), I always wondered about the potential for damage.

That Lung fissure thing is just downright bizarre!



Fleaman

[Mystr Tiger]

Originally posted by Innominandum
My tinnitus drives me crazy when I lay in bed at night. Anyway, it's a step in the right direction. It seems it may help with prevention, and it's only 35 bucks a bottle. I guess we'll see when they complete their military trials. They emphasize it as a tool in prevention – but hint it may have therapeutic value (in hearing loss, not tinnitus.) I don't endorse this or anything, just thought you guys might be interested.

Me too with the tinnitus - starting to become more noticeable. I'm able to ignore it most of the time, but there are times it seems worse. Makes me wonder if certain foods or stress might be a factor. There's an org called American Tinnitus Association that might be of interest. Their WEB site lists possible treatments. I might try acupuncture. I'm not a doctor, so I can't really recommend anything here, but the ATA WEB site might be of interest.

http://www.ata.org/

Regards,
Scott

[ttauri]

Originally posted by Mystr Tiger
Makes me wonder if certain foods or stress might be a factor. There's an org called American Tinnitus Association that might be of interest.

When I last had my hearing checked (after my tinnitus got kicked up a notch by those inflatable clappers at a basketball game), the doctor told me that caffiene can make it worse (something about expanding or contracting the capillaries... or something).

Also, if it might help, white noise can mask the ringing (for instance, like produced by one of those ocean noisemaker boxes). I have a friend who used to live next to a little babbling brook, and loved it for how it covered up his tinnitus when he was going to sleep.

If mine's bothering me, I usually just throw on some soft music at night (In a Silent Way, Traffic From Paradise, E2-E4...)

Peece,
T. Tauri

[Mystr Tiger]

Thanks T. Tauri - I like the surf sound idea. Hmmmmm, come to think of it, you helped me realize just now that I only began to notice an increase in my tinnitus recently, which corresponds to the end of summer when we put away all the white noise makers (fans) into the attic. Looks like I might be ordering me a surf sound device. In fact, I think I have a surf CD around here somewhere - guess I'll go take a look for it...

Regards,
Scott

[AIRChoco]

My audiologist said to me that even if you wear plugs and those headphones like atenuators, at 100 or more db's, the ear still can be damage, this is because the low frecuency sounds also travels trough vibrations, trough the bones.
Is amazing the number of things that can produce tinnitus. A maxilar disorder, genetics, food, joging, stress, dentist, a massage in the neck...

I've noted that my tinnitus increase the days i ate chicken, and yes, lot of coffes, also nicotine is bad (still trying to let go cigaretes ). Fish seems to attenuate it a little.

The white noise exposure can attenuate the tinnitus but only for a few minutes... Some people get psicological kind of help to make the brain ignore the tinnitus, but i don't wanna try this. Because, i think, if you ignore the tinnitus you are also ignoring the rest of the frecuencies (sounds) were your tinnitus is or was.

Thanks for sharing...

[djui5]

Originally posted by AIRChoco
My audiologist said to me that even if you wear plugs and those headphones like atenuators, at 100 or more db's, the ear still can be damage, this is because the low frecuency sounds also travels trough vibrations, trough the bones.
Is amazing the number of things that can produce tinnitus. A maxilar disorder, genetics, food, joging, stress, dentist, a massage in the neck...

I've noted that my tinnitus increase the days i ate chicken, and yes, lot of coffes, also nicotine is bad (still trying to let go cigaretes ). Fish seems to attenuate it a little.

Wow...that's interesting......nice piece of information.......thanks for posting..




An engineer I was assisting once told me that another engineer told him to turn on the oscillator at 1K and listen to it for 15 min's really loud when his ears got fatigue'd.............

I'm still laughing.....

[LTA]

Low frequencies will also travel through your eustachian tubes and let the low frequencies pound on the back of your typanum. Keep your mouth open and the pressures will roughly cancel themselves out.

Very cold weather (like 10 F and below) along with a bit of wind gets my ears ringing every time. Nothing a good hat can't overcome. Even though it can seem otherwise at times, its a good thing control and living rooms are signifigantly warmer.

[roughly]

I acccually keep a old Bruel & Kjoer meter next to me so every now and then go ...hmmmm ... maybe a i should back off this or a take a break.

jeffrey

[Gil Eva]

Hi,

really interesting stuff...

I had TMJ which is a problem with the jaw being out of wack ,caused by years clenching my teeth, particulaly at night.

This lead to terrible problems with my ears, at its worst I'd have 'attacks' were even the slightest noise woud make a huge roaring in my head, as well as insaney loud screaming tinnitus. On attack days I'd not be able to talk or hear much at all... and have trouble walking as I would be hugly dizzy. i was f**ked!

I had osteopathic treatment on my jaw to get it back in place, and pycho therapy! to figure out why I clenched my jaw up (won't go into the gory details!) and it went away totally, with no damage to my hearing.



I get tinnitus still tho, from too much coffee, stress,asprins and other pain killers, recreational drugs, too many ciggies, red wine and loud gigs.

Its worth getting your jaw checked out it you have tinnitus, some people do benefit from osteopathic treatment.

TMJ is also often confused with meniers disease, symptoms are often alike.



Gil Eva

[Alécio Costa]

Gil,
I had the exactly same problem of yours. My jaw was clicking everytime I tried to close and open the mouth quiclkly. I realized that while I was sleeping, my teeth were still moving like mad, which would provoke a premature aging of them.
This was first discovered when I was at the age of 16 and then again, at the age of 32. Stress and psycho stuff contribute for that.
There are some types of exercises that a specialized dentist can teach you, besides psycho treatment.
Very rarely I have that click. For 2 years I had to sleep with a small piece of fiber molded by my dentist so as to block me from my constant night movements.
However, a small tinitus at the left ear is still present. Probably because of shit loudspeekers from a local pub.

[David Kulka]

Good thread. Some random comments:

Television flyback transformer squeal (15,750 Hz) used to bother me but at 51, I can longer hear it.

I worked a Sly & the Family Stone concert in the 70's that was extremely loud, my ears "rang" for days afterwards. Regret that now.

Picked up a nasty flu while traveling in Burma, infection did some damage to the nerves in my ears. Some HF loss and tinnitus resulted. Regret that, but what can be done. Don't let a "cold" get out of control.

An middle aged acquaintance with very poor vision can hear clear up to 25k. Cats can hear to 60 or 80 Khz, interesting.

Had my hearing rechecked last week. They said, results were same as my test 7 years ago. Good.

Have been an avid scuba diver for 15 years. Common joke: "How can you tell a real scuba diver? They can't hear s***!" Maybe I've been a bit lucky on that one.

The House Ear Institute in Los Angeles is an amazing place, one of the largest ear specialists in the world. The waiting room is lined with shelves full of primitive mechanical and electronic hearing apparatus, interesting. http://www.hei.org/

The House Institute has held a few free ear check clinics at local AES get togethers. Maybe my timing was wrong, but I didn't see a soul there. Can you say..."denial"? :)

[Fleaman]

Originally posted by David Kulka
The House Ear Institute in Los Angeles is an amazing place, one of the largest ear specialists in the world. The waiting room is lined with shelves full of primitive mechanical and electronic hearing apparatus, interesting. http://www.hei.org/

The House Institute has held a few free ear check clinics at local AES get togethers. Maybe my timing was wrong, but I didn't see a soul there. Can you say..."denial"? :)

At the last Los Angeles AES I had my hearing checked by H.E.I., and I just barely made the list....yeah, there was a list that you signed up for and you came back for the 'hour' that you were allocated. So it may have looked vacant, but when I was there the trailer was full of people being tested and by the time we got out, there was the next group of people to be tested.

There were also quite a bit of folks that wanted to be tested, but the list was already full for the day.

H.E.I. does rock though...if you’re in the L.A. area, it's probably the cheapest place to go (being non-profit) to get custom molded musicians ear filters. They have always done a good job with me, I like the joint



Fleaman

[Paul.E]

There IS something up with my hearing as well but I can't pinpoint exactly what it is. I've had it for a year or so, got checked out by a specialist: camera really deep in my nose and the ear test. I was fine on paper but I find that i very often have to block my nose and blow out of my nose (to pop my ears) til they crack. Or i have to make them crack without the nose blocking. I feel as if there is an unequal presure in my ears. It is extremely annoying and definitely not a good sign. I also sometimes feel some warm liquid flow somewhere in my ears.

Any ideas?

Thanks in advance.

[Gil Eva]

Hi Paul,

could it be that your estatian tubes are partially blocked? (did i spell that right?) I have read that this can cause a sense of ear pressure not being quite right.

Also, check out your jaw...if you are holding tension in your jaw (clenching teeth, grinding teeth at night etc ) this can do strange stuff with your ears.

I also have troublesome ears, and know that weird pressure feeling! One thing that relieves that for me is bending over and swallowing a few times. which is strange.

my ear problems are mostly related to my jaw, (see my earlier post) and are now ok.

hope you get it sorted...


G

[Alécio Costa]

This week I started listening to a very tiny click on my jaw, close to my left ear. Probably I will have to sleep with the little mechanism the dentist did to me a few years ago.
I spent $$$, it really helped, but with time, as we are always in a hurry and stressed, we do learn a different way of making the stress went out; One of the consequences is the premature aging of the front teeth.