Hearing Problems?

[Sigmund]

A few years back I woke up nearly deaf in one ear. LIke it was full of water. I went to the Doc and had steriod treatments to no avail. One ear is shot....the nerve is damaged. Its like a speaker with a bad wire. The other is not so hot but its ok. This wasnt from abuse but the other one has loss from abuse. As a culture we are not very protective of our hearing.

 

[orlandofurioso]

I started playing bagpipes when I was 15 or 16. That was winter of 83. Stopped playing for competitions in 2012. I never used hearing protections. I can't feel the music with the damned things in my ears. It's almost impossible to tune the instrument also with them. And none of the older pipers wore one either. Most pipers my age don't care for them. But I remember hearing protections becoming popular and all the young ones using them.

So for the hell of it, looked up how loud GHB (Great Highland Bagpipes) is. They are saying it around 108 - 111 decibel. And any long term exposure of 85 decibel or louder can cause hearing issues. Per some information, that's as loud as pneumatic drill.

I can still hear things rather well. I mean, I did develop selective hearing from my job. Too many bullshit to filter out on daily basis. But per the safe level of noise, I should be deaf as a doorknob. And I'm sure many of those who worked in construction and stuff would be all deaf!

Is it that I'm lucky to have my hearing, or is the society too careful about every little things now days?

Come again ?

 

[anotherbob]

I hate to say it but a lot of times people aren't really aware of their own hearing loss. I've met too many older gentlemen and gentleladies who have "zero hearing problems" yet a few minutes of shouting at them leaves one hoarse. Or that older gentleman who complained that all you youngsters whisper. Or that friend that has a whisper that can be heard across a busy barroom.

 

[FurCoat]

 

[BlueMaxx]

58 and just got hearing aids…Marines, VFD, EMT to Paramedic to Flight Medic.
Almost cried when I heard a bird sing.
Still cannot do anything about the tinnitus though.
I have to sleep with a fan on for white noise or go bonkers.

 

[Flatfish]

I'm 46, my left ear has developed a hearing loss. Just genetic I think. I've been offered a hearing aid, but turned it down, much to the annoyance of my wife (an audiologist).
The world seems loud enough as it is without amplification.
I will probably end up with a hearing aid at some point though. Once I notice people shouting at me, like we shout at my dad.

 

[pauls456]

Sudden partial loss of hearing in my left ear around ten years ago, and an additional sudden loss on that side around 5 years ago. The other ear is fine. I've had plenty of noise exposure, but its unclear how that figures in. I wear one hearing aid, but results have been mixed.

 

[renfield]

 

[woodsroad]

Still considered a "golden ears" by a Bollywood sound director.

There's a story there that begs to be told.

 

[JOHN72]

For mental issues, of extreme psychiatry, you can ask me. I am not licensed, but my methods of torture are natural, organic, without dyes, no artificial additives. You will come out as good as new, in a matter of hours, the cost of the baseball bat is paid by the patient. I don't speak English, so the final cure will be less painful.

 

[captainsousie]

There's a story there that begs to be told.

So, I was working in India and had the chance to work with a random dude on some school productions. He was pretty high up in the Bollywood scene but not top tier at the time. We worked a venue and there were major feedback problems that he couldn't track down. After a rehearsal I told him what frequencies were causing the problem. After some discussion about overtones and such he reprogrammed the board and amazingly the feedback was gone. He was surprised and said that only a "golden ears" could have heard what frequency was causing the problem. I had been developing a great sense of relative pitch and that helped me figure it out. I told him what I did and how. A while later he picked up a higher position and now is a big deal.

Interesting addendum, I was given a standing offer by one of Bollywood's top composers to use his studio anytime I wanted. Apparently teaching his child was a success.

 

[woodsroad]

So, I was working in India and had the chance to work with a random dude on some school productions. He was pretty high up in the Bollywood scene but not top tier at the time. We worked a venue and there were major feedback problems that he couldn't track down. After a rehearsal I told him what frequencies were causing the problem. After some discussion about overtones and such he reprogrammed the board and amazingly the feedback was gone. He was surprised and said that only a "golden ears" could have heard what frequency was causing the problem. I had been developing a great sense of relative pitch and that helped me figure it out. I told him what I did and how. A while later he picked up a higher position and now is a big deal.

Interesting addendum, I was given a standing offer by one of Bollywood's top composers to use his studio anytime I wanted. Apparently teaching his child was a success.

That’s fantastic!

 

[captainsousie]

That’s fantastic!

Sometimes it's hard to believe I made those acquaintances. A couple of the few things that made Mumbai (Bombay to the locals) worth it.

 

[captainsousie]

Despite what I've posted so far, many people accuse me of having "dad hearing.". You know the kind when I can't hear when you're talking in my ear but if you say something bad in a whisper, two rooms away with the door closed, I hear it.

 

[Rossi320]

That is what happens when you get older, you lose your hearing and start smoking pipes

 

[captainsousie]

The high frequencies and it's downhill from there. Do an online test and go from there. Over 40 and I can still hear 15000 hz no problem....in my right ear.

 

[beefeater33]

I’ve developed tinnitus over the last few years and man….. it sucks! Now I know why Picasso cut off his ear……

 

[bullet08]

I have known few gents with hearing aids. First one was my college chemistry professor. It was stadium class with something like 200 students. First thing the professor does when he comes into the classroom was to turn off his hearing aids.

Then there were few WWII bombardiers. They were snare drummers in my first pipe band. As soon as the practice starts, they stub out the cig and turn off the hearing aids.

From those examples, I learned when something important is about to happen, you turn your hearing aids off.