When you develop problems with hearing

[Kalevala]

I'd definitely agree!

Good luck, @Leo K. I have my ears suction cleaned once every year or so which I find very effective. It's expensive, but it's safe and it's simple, and you don't have the trauma of your eardrums being blasted by water.

I've never had suction before.  The few times that I've had my ears cleaned out, well the first time was done with water and the doctor's assistant/nurse jammed the thing in my ear(!) and the last time was at an ENT's office in which the P.A. used a tool to carefully scrape out the buildup in my ear and then prescribed an antibiotic as it had become infected (to make a long story short).

K

[Iota]

I've never had suction before.  The few times that I've had my ears cleaned out, well the first time was done with water and the doctor's assistant/nurse jammed the thing in my ear(!) and the last time was at an ENT's office in which the P.A. used a tool to carefully scrape out the buildup in my ear and then prescribed an antibiotic as it had become infected (to make a long story short).

K

Sounds horrible. I always hated having my ears syringed, the sound and pressure on the eardrum were highly unpleasant, and afterwards it felt like having been aurally mugged or something.
Suction is really very easy, you just lie down for a few minutes while they work on each ear and it's done. There's a slightly louder sibilant sound sometimes when it's getting a tough bit out (sorry if my phraseology is not the most delicate  ), but it's nothing like the roar of water-blasting.

[Holden]

The clinic that does my suction has a big screen where you can actually see what is being done. I left my last clean far too long and the camera at the end f the suction tube clearly showed how badly blocked my right ear was. I could not see any part of my ear drum at all and after the first couple of passes I could feel the pressure being relieved.

[Irons]

I had both ears dewaxed yesterday, not before time! Looking back this is required every two years or thereabouts. A big relief and one beneficiary is music. I have not enjoyed a listening session (Arnold: English Dances) so much for a long time. The stereo not skewed to the right - left ear on cusp of completely blocked - and treble set free from the constraints of that damn wax.   

[Kalevala]

I had both ears dewaxed yesterday, not before time! Looking back this is required every two years or thereabouts. A big relief and one beneficiary is music. I have not enjoyed a listening session (Arnold: English Dances) so much for a long time. The stereo not skewed to the right - left ear on cusp of completely blocked - and treble set free from the constraints of that damn wax.   

Very happy for you.   

K

[Kalevala]

I had both ears dewaxed yesterday, not before time! Looking back this is required every two years or thereabouts. A big relief and one beneficiary is music. I have not enjoyed a listening session (Arnold: English Dances) so much for a long time. The stereo not skewed to the right - left ear on cusp of completely blocked - and treble set free from the constraints of that damn wax.   

Out of curiosity, who did it and via what method?

K

[Irons]

Out of curiosity, who did it and via what method?

K

My dentist has a chap who performs earwax removal every Tuesday. Method by suction. Charges are £50 for one ear, £75 for both.

[Kalevala]

My dentist has a chap who performs earwax removal every Tuesday. Method by suction. Charges are £50 for one ear, £75 for both.

Interesting, I would have thought that you would to have to go to an ENT for that?  Reminds me that I should make an appointment.

As an aside, I try and be really careful when I'm working with any power landscaping tools to wear protective head/earring gear.  The tools are so friggin' loud these days!  And professional leaf blowers (which I don't have one that strong)....don't get me started! 

In any event,  I'm delighted that your hearing has improved! 

K

p.s.  When I run across it, I'll post some information that an audiologist shared with me when I was getting my hearing tested (which was when my ears were cleaned out; I also had a minor ear infection then) about how long and what level you can safely listen to before hearing loss occurs.

[Kalevala]

Alright, I found my notes (I believe that I recorded the information correctly, but please feel free to double check!).  I had written it down on the back of my hearing evaluation/report about 1 1/2 years ago.

At 85 dBs, one can listen to (or hear) "X" at 85 dBs for 8 hours before causing hearing damage.

Every +3dBs to that = Double the pressure which means that you can only listen half that amount of time before doing damage to your hearing.

So at 88 dBs = 4 hours max

And 91 dBs = 2 hours max

Personally, I was quite surprised to learn that [Not that I know a ton about dBs].

K

[Florestan]

At 85 dBs, one can listen to (or hear) "X" at 85 dBs for 8 hours before causing hearing damage.

Okay, my FiiO player has 50 levels of volume intensity, ranging from 0 (inaudible) to 50 (unbearable). I usually set it at 25 for non-vocal music and at 30 for vocal music. Am I within or outside the normal range?

[Kalevala]

Okay, my FiiO player has 50 levels of volume intensity, ranging from 0 (inaudible) to 50 (unbearable). I usually set it at 25 for non-vocal music and at 30 for vocal music. Am I within or outside the normal range?

I don't know.  I suspect that you would need to get some sort of meter in which to register the dB level(s).

And talk to an audiologist/ENT for advice.

K

[DavidW]

Alright, I found my notes (I believe that I recorded the information correctly, but please feel free to double check!).  I had written it down on the back of my hearing evaluation/report about 1 1/2 years ago.

At 85 dBs, one can listen to (or hear) "X" at 85 dBs for 8 hours before causing hearing damage.

Every +3dBs to that = Double the pressure which means that you can only listen half that amount of time before doing damage to your hearing.

So at 88 dBs = 4 hours max

And 91 dBs = 2 hours max

Personally, I was quite surprised to learn that [Not that I know a ton about dBs].

K

I actually teach that in algebra-based physics!

[DavidW]

Okay, my FiiO player has 50 levels of volume intensity, ranging from 0 (inaudible) to 50 (unbearable). I usually set it at 25 for non-vocal music and at 30 for vocal music. Am I within or outside the normal range?

It depends on the headphone! If you plug in sensitive IEMS you could drive the volume into the danger limit with ease, but plug in some 600 ohm Beyerdynamic headphones and it might be at a low volume.

[Kalevala]

I actually teach that in algebra-based physics!

Nice to know that I'm still sane!  😁  And thank you for chiming in!  😘

K

[Kalevala]

@DavidW

Well, thank you.

From,



Goddess of wisdom, amongst other things....

[Szykneij]

When I was teaching, occasionally a student with earbuds would pass by in the corridor and I could hear the music they were listening to from several feet away. I would warn them that they were probably harming their ears, but I'm not sure they paid any attention. I believe ears can become numb to loud music after a while, limiting the discomfort, but not the damage.

My ears tested normal for all frequencies except for mild hearing loss in both ears at the 4K range. This is the range most often damaged by loud noises, and I blame a guitarist I used to play next to for it. Some consolation is that I let him talk me into buying his Gibson RD Artist which has become somewhat of a collectors item today.

[Kalevala]

When I was teaching, occasionally a student with earbuds would pass by in the corridor and I could hear the music they were listening to from several feet away. I would warn them that they were probably harming their ears, but I'm not sure they paid any attention. I believe ears can become numb to loud music after a while, limiting the discomfort, but not the damage.

My ears tested normal for all frequencies except for mild hearing loss in both ears at the 4K range. This is the range most often damaged by loud noises, and I blame a guitarist I used to play next to for it. Some consolation is that I let him talk me into buying his Gibson RD Artist which has become somewhat of a collectors item today.

That's one of the things that I have been wondering and concerned about.  I've heard stories over the years too of young people's hearing being hurt by earbuds/headphones and too-high-volumes. I also knew someone who loved music and used to play in various bands who by his 60's was already wearing hearing aids.  At the time I remember *thinking but isn't that something that people in their 80's or older need?  And this was decades ago.  And no, they weren't a musician by profession. 

*Silly, young and ignorant me!

K

[steve ridgway]

Okay, my FiiO player has 50 levels of volume intensity, ranging from 0 (inaudible) to 50 (unbearable). I usually set it at 25 for non-vocal music and at 30 for vocal music. Am I within or outside the normal range?

I keep my player at a volume where I can hear outside noise through the open-back headphones (so don't use it when my wife has the internet radio on).

[Irons]

I keep my player at a volume where I can hear outside noise through the open-back headphones (so don't use it when my wife has the internet radio on).

I don't use it when the wife is talking to me. Joke!

[Florestan]

When I was teaching, occasionally a student with earbuds would pass by in the corridor and I could hear the music they were listening to from several feet away.

I read somewhere that this is a clear indication that the volume level is way too high.