Hearing Loss Even After Hearing Protection

AzHeat

AzHeat

Platinum Member
Well, I just learned with all the care I've given my ears over the years, I have lost hearing typical with those in noisy environments. Granted, I've not been able to afford IEMs or fancy protection, but I've never exposed my ears to loud environments. Most of the time, I'm the only one with hearing protection of any kind and yet, here I am with 18db loss at 4k and above. Kinda chaps me, but doc said it's pretty typical that even with hearing protection, bone induction still does damage to hearing over time. I guess perhaps a glass bubble was more appropriate than hearing protection.

Anyone make the same discovery?
 
I’ve lost some high end but not 18db down at 4k. Mine seems to kick in at around 14k. I haven’t been to an audiologist, though. But yeah, through living life, we do lose some hearing along the way. Industrial noise is also a major culprit. Traffic can be especially bad for hearing during Bike Week ;)
 
AzHeat said:
Well, I just learned with all the care I've given my ears over the years, I have lost hearing typical with those in noisy environments. Granted, I've not been able to afford IEMs or fancy protection, but I've never exposed my ears to loud environments. Most of the time, I'm the only one with hearing protection of any kind and yet, here I am with 18db loss at 4k and above. Kinda chaps me, but doc said it's pretty typical that even with hearing protection, bone induction still does damage to hearing over time. I guess perhaps a glass bubble was more appropriate than hearing protection.

Anyone make the same discovery?
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Lots of things can cause hearing loss. Heater fans/computer fans road noise etc. It's the cumulative exposure.

I find my hearing can vary a little bit, dehydration too much caffeine, not enough b vitamins, too much msg. Other physiological problems maybe blood pressure. Essentially the hair cells in the ear, might not be dead, they may just be sick or frayed at the ends.

I've found I can at least make the tinnitus go away, if not improve my hearing, by tuning in to my ears. If I hear ringing, basically my ears are not happy, maybe get some sleep etc, drink some water layoff the salt and coffee take a b vitamin.

I had self testing app, I would test weekly, though it was difficult to find a quiet enough place to do the test.

OH and don't forget ear cleaning. I use one of those squeegee things in the shower.
 
AzHeat said:
Well, I just learned with all the care I've given my ears over the years, I have lost hearing typical with those in noisy environments. Granted, I've not been able to afford IEMs or fancy protection, but I've never exposed my ears to loud environments. Most of the time, I'm the only one with hearing protection of any kind and yet, here I am with 18db loss at 4k and above. Kinda chaps me, but doc said it's pretty typical that even with hearing protection, bone induction still does damage to hearing over time. I guess perhaps a glass bubble was more appropriate than hearing protection.

Anyone make the same discovery?
Click to expand...

I have lost some hearing and I can not hear parts of conversations clearly in noisy environments like restaurants, bars, etc..
I am going to use ear plugs, and if that is not enough also an ear muff headphone at the same time to get as much protection as possible. It is inconvenient, but I guess it is better than the alternative of loosing more hearing.
 
cbphoto said:
Welcome to the club. I’m -12dB @ 5kHz. Tinnitus will end when I die.
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Thankfully I don’t have tinnitus at this point. Was pretty much oblivious to the loss until the wife and I were sitting on the same end of the table at a restaurant and she was carrying on a conversation across the table and I was like :unsure: eh?
 
My hearing loss is due in part to genetics. My father was hard of hearing as he got older. He finally got one hearing aid, and told me it didn't work, so he probably tossed it out.
 
Like anything in health, hearing loss can happen at any time to anyone, for a variety of reasons.
Obviously drumming in itself is damaging to hearing.
Using power tools like mowers, whipper-snippers, leaf blowers etc are also damaging.
 
I kind of expect it as part of the deal - I've used hearing protection for as long as I can remember but I assume that's only going to limit the damage rather than eradicate it🤷‍♂️
 
Sorry for the hearing issues. We get our hearing checked by the company every year and my degradation is proceeding as expected. But yeah, it’s the cumulative effects over time and aging too. Some people degrade faster than others. Look on the bright side, you said a loss at 4K. That’s still pretty high in the frequency range. When I’m mixing audio, changing things in the middle frequencies really messes things up. So you still have that.
 
I've used protection too for many years. Giggity.
I also notice a loss at certain volumes and frequencies. Higher frequencies I don't hear until I raise to volume of my surround set. Not the first time my wife points out a sound and I don't hear it. I blame aging and playing drums for a few years without protection.

Still I feel lucky compared to a friend: he's a few years older than me (I'm 38) and he recently had to get hearing aids because he couldn't follow conversations anymore (had a loss of 42% on one ear and believe 80% on another) due to a lot of infections in the past.
 
I recently had a hearing test, I didn't get the numbers but I've lost a bit off the top end. The audiologist wasn't concerned and said it's not out of line with what he'd expect to see in someone my age and he didn't say I should get tested any more often than is recommended. I haven't noticed any issues myself so it must be those super high frequencies, I've used ear protection since being a teenager in the 80s before I knew the difference between a crash cymbal and a ride and it was fashionable to play on 11. I've got friends and bandmates who live with the constant noise of tinnitus so I look at what I could be dealing with, not at what I have lost.
 
Way before I drummed the hearing loss started. Rock concerts from 8 to 11 years old set the tinnitus. But since last year when I started playing again it has caused high frequency loss. I can't hear the handed down watch chirping it's alarm now.
 
Hearing also deteriorates with age, as bones become brittle and muscles lose flexibility. I’ve lost a bit at 4K, a bit more at 8. I can barely hear 10K - only if it’s quite loud. Some loss from drumming and conducting bands, some just from ageing. Same with my eyesight..
 
KEEF said:
I kind of expect it as part of the deal - I've used hearing protection for as long as I can remember but I assume that's only going to limit the damage rather than eradicate it🤷‍♂️
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That’s what I thought I was avoiding too. I guess the bright side is I’ve likely avoided a much greater loss, but still. I was shocked to discover this. I guess with all the Covid lockdowns and stuff, it went unnoticed for the most part. Over the last year when people got back out and venues got noisy again, I just suddenly noticed it. We’ve been out of course, but it’s always been people on each end of the table conversing and not across like my wife was. I guess I shouldn’t be shocked, but I’ve always heard the finest detail in music most missed. I just suddenly realized my audiophile days are over!
 
IMG_20221021_085120073~2.jpg

It's not easy to read the hieroglyphics, but my right is a bit worse than the left.

My tinnitus seems to be just at the top end of the human range of hearing. I really couldn't tell you. It's like the sound you hear after getting knocked out, but forever. Luckily it's not too pronounced, and hides itself well enough behind background noises.
 
Bo Eder said:
Sorry for the hearing issues. We get our hearing checked by the company every year and my degradation is proceeding as expected. But yeah, it’s the cumulative effects over time and aging too. Some people degrade faster than others. Look on the bright side, you said a loss at 4K. That’s still pretty high in the frequency range. When I’m mixing audio, changing things in the middle frequencies really messes things up. So you still have that.
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Yup, doc said hearing loss is much worse in the lower ranges. Interestingly enough I learned hearing aids do almost nothing in the 4k and up range. Not being able to make out a conversation in loud areas is just how it’s going to be. As you say, likely not as bad where I am, so glad about that bit. Good to know the deficit range. I haven’t done much mixing in a while, but will know not to lay into the 4k and up range much.

No wonder my favorite speakers and car audio were sounding a bit dull. Been a while since I actually threw in a CD, so blaming my audio files and Bluetooth. Nope…It’s me!
 
Morrisman said:
Hearing also deteriorates with age, as bones become brittle and muscles lose flexibility. I’ve lost a bit at 4K, a bit more at 8. I can barely hear 10K - only if it’s quite loud. Some loss from drumming and conducting bands, some just from ageing. Same with my eyesight..
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Same. Things are pretty flat after 4k. A bit of a climb back up to 12db loss instead of 18 in one and no recovery in the other. My eyes have been ruined by years of IT, so I guess I forgot about them. lol
 
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