So I made the dumb decision to stand right next to the stacks at a Jack White show last night without wearing ear plugs. I haven't been able to hear anything out of my left ear since.
Has anyone here ever experienced this? I am looking for some assurance that this will indeed go away, but I'm starting to worry. Every loud sound I hear hurts and I am seriously half-deaf.
That doesn't sound good. If it doesn't clear up soon, go to the dr. Maybe he can make the pain go away. I didn't wear earplugs at the Alpharetta Show except during BoH. My ears rang for several days afterward. Penny and I were right in front of a speaker. But your problem sounds worse. I hope it clears up.
Thanks for the well wishes, Fully!
Hasn't improved at all throughout the day but I'm reading online that sometimes your ears just "shut down" when they are exposed to ridiculously loud noise for a prolonged amount of time, and that it may take a few days for my ears to get back to normal. I hope this is the case because if I can only hear outta one ear for every MMJ concert from here on out, I'm gonna miss the hell outta those panning effects!
I went a NYE show a few years ago at a local blues club. I was next to the speaker as well, and my left ear was ringing for days and would hurt a bit when exposed to high-pitched or loud noises, such as a person clapping next to me. My hearing would improve, but for 2 or 3 years my ears would be really sensitive to certain noises. Even today, someone clapping right next to me can irritate my ear drum. Now I always wear earplugs.
However, it sounds like you have a worse case of hearing loss than I did. As Fully stated, see a doctor if it doesn't improve in a couple of days. All the best to you.
I had the same problem after the Jane's Addiction show last August as I was 2nd row. My right ear hurt for a couple of days and was sensitive to loud noises as well. Thankfully it cleared up after a few days since the MMJ MPP show was the following Saturday! I was worried about how my ears would handle the MMJ show and totally forgot earplugs. Luckily my ears were fine during and after that show, I think being in an open air venue helped.
I know I need to protect my ears. How do the earplugs effect the sound of the show? I know there are different earplugs for different occassions, just curious what other people use.
We had a discussion on ear plugs not long ago. Many Jacket fans, including myself, use Etymotic ones, which are excellent. They don't distort the sound a great deal but definitely reduce the bass and loudness of shows. You can find these ear plugs on Amazon, although you don't need to buy the $400 pair.
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=bl_sr_hpc?_encoding=UTF8&field-brandtextbin=Etymotic%20Research&node=3760901 (http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=bl_sr_hpc?_encoding=UTF8&field-brandtextbin=Etymotic%20Research&node=3760901)
Thanks for the suggestion! :thumbsup:
I have a Deftones show coming up in a club and I'm pretty sure this is what I'll need to avoid the experience I had at the JA show.
Ditto all the suggestions including the Etymotic ear plugs. I have 3 pair...a pair in the car, a pair at home, and a pair in the office. You never know when music might happen.
I went to a Drive by Truckers show with PennyLane and rode the rail very near the right stage speaker. The whooshing sound lasted for 4 or 5 days after the show and once my hearing came back, the slightest loud noise hurt. A good friend of mine developed tinnitus when he was still in his 20s. Don't let that happen to you. Get some earplugs and use them...the night of DBT, my earplugs were in the car and I was too lazy (and stupid) to go get them. A mistake I won't make again.
It's amazing Penny can hear anything as often as she's on the rail.
o is there a high pitch ringing at all? sounds like you roughed up your ear drum. my hearing is slightly worse in my left ear because I use to be in a rock band and we practiced in my friends basement. if standing a foot away from a bunch of symbols and drums and being surrounded by huge stacks and loud amps doesn't make you deaf, most people should be fine at a rock concert.
earplugs are for people who fear the zone. the best part of leaving a good show is the feeling in your ears from the huge speakers. during wordless chorus at meadowbrook I had my ear on the stage. your ears get stronger. it's those high pitched mic feedback screeches that wreck your shit for the long term.
loud bass makes my ears hurt the worst. gang starr opening for RATM was the only band to ever make my ears fucked. too much deep gut busting bass.
Sticky, no.
Guys, do yourselves a favor and consider Sensaphonics ER series for musicians.
http://www.sensaphonics.com/?p=331 (http://www.sensaphonics.com/?p=331)
Sensaphonics products are used by the MMJ band and crew and are some of the best in the world. Dr. Santucci is an industry leader in hearing conservation and takes his craft very seriously. These plugs are designed to reduce frequencies across the audible spectrum at a relatively even rate, rather than just filtering out high frequencies like most earplugs. They are also custom molded to your ear and will fit infinitely better than any alternative. At $150 they are lot better deal than a lot of non-custom options. You can also select various finishes and the overall attenuation level. I recommend 12dB or more.
To order, you will first have to visit an audiologist and pay a nominal fee ($20-40) to have an impression of your ears taken. While you are there, GET YOUR EARS CHECKED!!! There is a list of qualified audiologists on the Sensaphonics website.
For the record, I do not work for Sensaphonics and this is not spam, but I do make a living using my ears and these plugs are a very worthwhile investment if you want to continue enjoying concerts (preferably MMJs)
Happy Listening!
I have a friend who played guitar in a band that rivaled My Bloody Valentine (who were once acclaimed as the loudest band on the planet) and he didn't wear ear protection for years and years and as a result the hairs inside his ears were permanently bent over (tho, luckily, not all the way). These bent over hairs are the key to temp and permanent noise-induced hearing loss. It would take him days to recover from shows and regain his hearing. Those hairs transmit the many tiny, varied sound waves that bounce through the air around us. If the hairs are lying down, they can't catch those waves and shiver the sound into the air. That's likely what happened (in the absence of bleeding, which would indicate a pierced drum).
Best of luck! Your hearing will probably be back to normal(ish?) soon.
I'm awful about hearing protection and have been standing in front of stacks for many years. I find that now, if there is a lot of different noises going on around me (walking outside with the wind in the trees and traffic up and down the road) I can't make out speaking voices well. I'm always snapping at the kids to "talk TO me! Turn around!" and, of course, "Huh?! I can't hear you. Say it again?"
Those ER earplugs look amazing and really inexpensive, considering. And they do sleeping earplugs! I would love those since Mister P snores the a mo/fo! I might get Mister P a pair of the ER plugs for his Christmas/birthday since he is still going to shows a few times a week (and listening to an infernal amount of metal in his phones).
For most people that go to shows the cheaper option should be fine as for hearing protection, I tend to wear a disposable type that resemble those pretty often for shows. The upscale models that the band wears are due to the high exposure on a routine basis where the possiblility for long term damage is much higher. If you play in a band or something similar then the more expensive option or even having fitted ones designed for your own ear canals might be preferable, but they are expensive. Overall your ears can heal from the trama to some degree, but I wouldn't reccommend exposure of high decibles repeatedly without protection of some type.
O, if your symptoms persist I would visit your PMD as soon as possible to get it checked out.
Quote from: Fully on Oct 05, 2012, 06:52 PM
Sticky, no.
uh, yes. if you went to the who or hendrix or some bullshit back in the day and wore earplugs you'd be called a pussy. and rightly so. those hairs in your ears will regrow into fine, strong, ear sensors.
maybe try popping your ear. then again that might totally fuck it up.
No, Sticky.
Quote from: Fully on Oct 06, 2012, 07:14 AM
No, Sticky.
it's not my fault you don't know how to rage.
No.
Quote from: Sticky Icky Green Stuff on Oct 06, 2012, 11:00 AM
Quote from: Fully on Oct 06, 2012, 07:14 AM
No, Sticky.
it's not my fault you don't know how to rage.
Trust me, Fully can rage. :thumbsup:
The thing you're missing is people can rage, and wear ear protection. Good ear protection is not going to affect the enjoyment, or enthusiasm of a person's show, or the sound quality. It will only affect their enjoyment of hearing clearly afterwards. :beer:
Thanks ericm, I've been raging all morning, btw. And I have proper ear protection.
Sticky - My 91 year old neighbor worked in the switching building at the telephone company for years. It made him deaf. He would love to go back in time and wear ear protection. This isn't something to be hard-headed about. They are your ears, and if you want to lose your hearing, fine. Just don't advocate it for anyone else. I know that no one takes what you said in this thread seriously, but still - no.
Quote from: Fully on Oct 06, 2012, 12:19 PM
Thanks ericm, I've been raging all morning, btw. And I have proper ear protection.
Sticky - My 91 year old neighbor worked in the switching building at the telephone company for years. It made him deaf. He would love to go back in time and wear ear protection. This isn't something to be hard-headed about. They are your ears, and if you want to lose your hearing, fine. Just don't advocate it for anyone else. I know that no one takes what you said in this thread seriously, but still - no.
I'm just saying you guys sound like pussies that's all.
Quote from: ericm on Oct 06, 2012, 11:18 AM
Quote from: Sticky Icky Green Stuff on Oct 06, 2012, 11:00 AM
Quote from: Fully on Oct 06, 2012, 07:14 AM
No, Sticky.
it's not my fault you don't know how to rage.
Trust me, Fully can rage. :thumbsup:
The thing you're missing is people can rage, and wear ear protection. Good ear protection is not going to affect the enjoyment, or enthusiasm of a person's show, or the sound quality. It will only affect their enjoyment of hearing clearly afterwards. :beer:
1.) I do not believe fully can fully rage with earplugs.
2.) wearing ear protection shields you from the vibe. undeniably so.
No. What would make me a pussy would be if I let someone bully me into reckless behavior that could cause permanent damage. You've only got one body. Take care of it. If I didn't go to shows as often as I do, I would be fine with not wearing ear protection. But since I want to be able to hear live music until I have to roll into a show in my hover round, I will protect myself.
Quote from: Sticky Icky Green Stuff on Oct 06, 2012, 03:25 PM
Quote from: ericm on Oct 06, 2012, 11:18 AM
Quote from: Sticky Icky Green Stuff on Oct 06, 2012, 11:00 AM
Quote from: Fully on Oct 06, 2012, 07:14 AM
No, Sticky.
it's not my fault you don't know how to rage.
Trust me, Fully can rage. :thumbsup:
The thing you're missing is people can rage, and wear ear protection. Good ear protection is not going to affect the enjoyment, or enthusiasm of a person's show, or the sound quality. It will only affect their enjoyment of hearing clearly afterwards. :beer:
1.) I do not believe fully can fully rage with earplugs.
2.) wearing ear protection shields you from the vibe. undeniably so.
Hence the words "good ear protection" in my post. I'm not talking putting chewed bubble gum in our ears. :wink: c'mon man, this ain't amateur hour here!
Quote from: Fully on Oct 06, 2012, 04:01 PM
No. What would make me a pussy would be if I let someone bully me into reckless behavior that could cause permanent damage. You've only got one body. Take care of it. If I didn't go to shows as often as I do, I would be fine with not wearing ear protection. But since I want to be able to hear live music until I have to roll into a show in my hover round, I will protect myself.
it makes you the hugest blown out pussy biznatch. shit. only one time EVER have I gone home from a show my ears were fucked up for a couple days. it was alkaline trio way back in either 99 or 2000. but like the rest of my body, it fixed itself after a few days. every 7years your bodies cells regenerate. I'm not going to plan to be 100 and rocking at shows, I'm going to plan to be alive right now and I'm going to plan to rage. and one thing that hinders a mans raging is rubber gobs of dick getting crammed in your ear. sound is a physical thing. there are frequencys, and dare I say even emotional aspects you lose when you put anything between your ear and the music. it's about vibrations and pulses bruh. so fully, learn to rage and get back to me when you're deaf. the most you have to worry about is saying "WHAT?!" more often. fuck you guys are PUSSIES.
Quote from: ericm on Oct 06, 2012, 04:03 PM
Quote from: Sticky Icky Green Stuff on Oct 06, 2012, 03:25 PM
Quote from: ericm on Oct 06, 2012, 11:18 AM
Quote from: Sticky Icky Green Stuff on Oct 06, 2012, 11:00 AM
Quote from: Fully on Oct 06, 2012, 07:14 AM
No, Sticky.
it's not my fault you don't know how to rage.
Trust me, Fully can rage. :thumbsup:
The thing you're missing is people can rage, and wear ear protection. Good ear protection is not going to affect the enjoyment, or enthusiasm of a person's show, or the sound quality. It will only affect their enjoyment of hearing clearly afterwards. :beer:
1.) I do not believe fully can fully rage with earplugs.
2.) wearing ear protection shields you from the vibe. undeniably so.
Hence the words "good ear protection" in my post. I'm not talking putting chewed bubble gum in our ears. :wink: c'mon man, this ain't amateur hour here!
saying "good ear protection" is the same as saying "man wearing a condon feels the same as raw doggin' it". come on, e-rock. you know what up. don't let these hoochies soften your thick, hard, manly skin.
I love it when you talk dirty to me, Sticky.
I would say Sticky going deaf might not be the worst thing in the world, except that without the distraction of listening to music he'd have even more free time to troll.
Haha Sticky, you are a funny cat, I'll give you that. I always get a kick out of your posts, and glad to have this old place back so we can see more of them.
Don't worry about me. Hoochie or hottie, it makes no difference, ain't no one gonna change this man. A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do, and this man has gotta protect his ears. After all these years, and all these shows, I know what I've got to do if I want to keep enjoying them. I sure as hell don't want to be saying "what, what" over and over when I'm rocking the rail with my grand kids. :beer:
Well, took five days but my hearing has almost returned to normal. Was getting quite worried about it for a while there. Considering how big a role music plays in my life, I don't know WHAT I'd do if my left ear was fried. Thank goodness for temporary hearing damage.
Many thanks to those who posted links for earplugs. Two very important lessons learned here -- protect your ears, and don't stand a foot in front of the stacks at a Jack White show.
I'm glad it's getting better. That would be awful if it hadn't.
Quote from: Fully on Oct 08, 2012, 01:56 PM
I'm glad it's getting better. That would be awful if it hadn't.
you need to get off your high horse until you present some kind of study or analysis of concert goer hearing damage. I bet longer term problems are minimal across the board. his ears healed, exactly like I said they would. don't fucking doubt me, sometimes I think I'm satan.
Yeeahhh I'm at the point now where I can tell exactly the level that's going to leave me buzzing after a show... I have a serious disdain for laying down trying to sleep, and hearing that buzz, fighting for silence.
My pops told me as soon as I started going to concerts that I should wear earplugs; and he worked in construction and whatnot his whole life, so he would just give me a giant bag of like 75 pairs. It took me awhile, but I gave them a try when I was probably 17 or 18, and I used to wear them and hide my ears under my assorted hats (actually cared what people thought!) I've been hooked ever since... I've got a technique down though, for sure-- It's more effort than any anti-earplugger can bear to imagine, but I wiggle the dang things around depending on overall volume level at shows. Not every 30 seconds or anything, but for slow, slow tunes and banter I take 'em out altogether. And sometimes the audience is effin' louder than the music. I find myself pressing against my ears, covering them even more during applause sometimes. (And I'm one of the loudest in the audience... guilty as charged-- I'll yelp and scream and do Mexican warcries and howling to high hell)
But there you have it, a long ramble. And who knows if the plugs have helped?? There's just no telling... sometimes I can hear surprisingly distant things (and I'm sensitive to electronic sounds and whirrs and beeps, etc... I can tell if a television is on mute 3 rooms away by the high pitch sound it emits, and I can hear if my record player receiver is left on... I can also hear my cell phone charging from across the room, if I leave it plugged in....) And sometimes I have to ask someone to repeat something so much it's annoying to everyone involved. All I can say is I've at least found where I'm comfortable at and encourage anyone to do the same, regardless of if it's wearing earplugs or not. Do whatcha gotta do :bath:
Quote from: Sticky Icky Green Stuff on Oct 09, 2012, 01:35 AM
Quote from: Fully on Oct 08, 2012, 01:56 PM
I'm glad it's getting better. That would be awful if it hadn't.
you need to get off your high horse until you present some kind of study or analysis of concert goer hearing damage. I bet longer term problems are minimal across the board. his ears healed, exactly like I said they would. don't fucking doubt me, sometimes I think I'm satan.
This is my favorite threat ever, Stick. :thumbsup:
(http://s3-ec.buzzfed.com/static/enhanced/web04/2012/10/2/6/anigif_enhanced-buzz-10185-1349172779-3.gif)
Quote from: Sticky Icky Green Stuff on Oct 09, 2012, 01:35 AM
Quote from: Fully on Oct 08, 2012, 01:56 PM
I'm glad it's getting better. That would be awful if it hadn't.
you need to get off your high horse until you present some kind of study or analysis of concert goer hearing damage. I bet longer term problems are minimal across the board. his ears healed, exactly like I said they would. don't fucking doubt me, sometimes I think I'm satan.
Look it up. Osha is the least stringent set of standards for hearing safety and they define 105dB-A for one hour as the maximum safe exposure time. Niosh standards (which are more recent) are even more strict. Most rock shows are right in that range, so an MMJ show (without hearing protection) at 3 hours is 200% over the limit of safe listening. O experienced "Threshold Shift" which is usually temporary but without sufficient recovery time can lead to chronic and permanent loss. The recovery time aspect is key, which is good for concert goers, as a loud show a few times a year probably isn't that serious, but if you are a musician or go to shows every single weekend you are putting yourself at serious risk. One study published by the NIH concluded the following:
QuoteTinnitus and hypersensitivity to sound were observed in a significant minority within a group of nonprofessional pop/rock musicians who had experienced repeated exposure to intense sound levels over at least 5 yr but with minimal impact on their lives. Moreover, hearing loss was minimal in the subjects who always used ear protection, being only 0.9 dB higher than the control group. In contrast, hearing loss was significantly more pronounced, at 6.7 dB higher than the control group, in those musicians who never used ear protection
Basically this study shows about 20% of those regularly exposed to concert levels without earplugs experienced significant hearing loss. Keep it in mind and make your decisions, but don't be bullied into thinking that earplugs prevent you from vibing out. Plenty of people with a lot of vibe wear hearing protection - Jim James, Roger Waters, and Jimmy Page to name a couple.
if you don't want to suffer extreme hearing loss in your later years as a result of excessive concert noise....y'all are a bunch of pussies :wink:. Yep. Eff that, I aint one.
"huh, can you say that louder? I can't hear you"
My parents are both Audiologists, and for some reason they have never ever suggested that I wear ear plugs, knowing how often I go to shows. maybe they just know if anything happens I'll be garunteed good, free service. :thumbsup:
seriously though, if anyone wants any professional advice (i didn't read the whole thread) I could ask my dad and he'll be so excited and nerdy about it he may just make an account and break it down to everyone.
Hey, guys, guess what? I AM an audiologist and I DO get nerdily excited when I get a chance to spout off about what I've spent years studying and working with everyday.
First:
Noise induced hearing loss is fucking permanent. The physiological location of the damage is not the eardrum, its the hair cells in the inner ear. They DO NOT grow back in humans! (Some birds and reptiles can regenerate their ear hair cells, but getting this to happen for humans is many years off, if it ever happens). Your ears do NOT get tougher with more noise, in fact the opposite is true, the more damage your ears sustain, the bigger the "weak spot" in your inner ear and the more susceptible you are to more damage. Plus, most people don't notice the permanent build up of damage until its pretty far gone. Noise induced hearing loss is insidious and I think its important for people to understand it so they can make well informed choices about hearing protection.
The damage that noise does to your hearing starts at 3000 Hz to 6000 Hz. It does not matter if the noise is low pitched or high pitched, both are damaging and they do the same damage if the sound is loud enough. What does matter is how loud it is, how long you are exposed to it and if your ears get breaks from the noise during the exposure. Also the same noise might do more or less damage to different people for reasons that are not proven.
Here's how it works: Loud sounds come into your ear. If they are really loud and/or for a long time, the microscopic hairs in your ear that bend over and then are supposed to snap back up straight get bent over or maybe even sheared off altogether. Think of it like a foot print in grass that bends the grass over. The heavier the foot and the longer the foot is there, the less the grass springs back up. If the foot is really heavy and its there for a long time, it could kill the grass in that spot altogether.
So when you go to a show and you immediately feel plugged up, muffled hearing or ears ringing, you have definitely done some damage to your inner ear hair cells, mostly in those pitches I mentioned above. Within a day or two, much of that damage will recover, thus you might feel like your hearing is 100% recovered, but that is usually not true. Say you recover 90% of the damage after a few days. The 10% that didn't recover (that is too small and in a frequency range that is very difficult for you to notice) is PERMANENT. Now you have a weak spot in your inner ear at 3000 Hz - 6000 Hz and the next time you are exposed to noise you will not only do more damage in the same range of frequencies, but you will also start to do damage to other frequencies, like 2000 Hz and 8000 Hz. Each exposure has a certain amount of temporary damage that recovers after a day or two, and each exposure leaves you with a little bit more unnoticeable permanent damage. You can definitely do a lot of permanent damage to your ears without noticing it for many years.
There is no medicine or surgery to repair noise-induced hearing loss. The only thing you can do is to prevent it with hearing protection. There is some preliminary evidence that taking 450 mg of magnesium daily can reduce tinnitus (ringing in the ears) in some patients and maybe it might make some people a little less susceptible to noise induced loss, but that in no way means you should forego hearing protection. You should not take any supplements or medications without consulting a physician (sorry for the legal disclaimer, gotta do it, though :rolleyes:) If you want to know if you have noise induced hearing loss, you have to get a hearing test and it should probably include a test called otoacoustic emissions (OAE) that measures the function of the inner ear hair cells. It can be a more sensitive test to noise-induced loss than a basic hearing test (ie it might detect the beginnings of noise induced hearing loss even when a basic hearing test comes out normal). . Most audiologists should be able to give you an OAE test.
I use earplugs that fit my ears only (custom fit) with 15 dB Eytmotic filters that have basically a flat freq. response. The other brand mentioned above does the same thing, both are excellent. They are designed to keep the treble/bass ratio intact while bring the volume down just enough to not do damage. They aren't perfect (your own voice will sound louder when you talk or sing along) and it takes some getting used to the physical fit and the different sound quality, but they are MUCH better than foam plugs that take sound down too much (~25 dB) and worse, they take out lots of treble and let through more bass, so you get a very bass-y sound, you lose the cymbals and guitar solos in the high pitches.
If you have any questions for me, fire away. I love to get to talk about the things I know about hearing and if it helps people, then it becomes awesome.
::Pops popcorn while waiting for Sticky's response to Shug:: :wink:
Thanks for the insight Shug. That's pretty much what I've heard over the years, but nice to have it confirmed,and explained in detail by a pro. :cool: :beer:
Yes, thanks for the insight. When I visit my Dad and have to type our conversation onto a laptop connected to a TV, I know I need to protect my hearing. I forgot my ER plugs for the Jim & Carl show and was right in front of the right speaker stack. I KNOW I did damage.
If I had tinnitus I would probably kill myself. That's kinda punk, right?
That is tremendous information Shug! Thank you very much for sharing.
I plan to enjoy concerts for decades to come, so it's time to take control and start protecting the things that enable me to enjoy those concerts in the first place!
Thanks, Shug. That was really informative. I had no idea you are an audiologist. The ear protection that you use- how/where would I go about getting something like that?
Happy to share!
Custom fit ear plugs http://www.etymotic.com/hp/erme.html (http://www.etymotic.com/hp/erme.html) will run you about $200 and they will likely last a lifetime. The "one-of-two sizes fits-all" kind http://www.etymotic.com/hp/er20.html (http://www.etymotic.com/hp/er20.html) are a lot cheaper and still do a good job if you put them in properly. they bring sound down 20 dB, which is a little more than I prefer, 12-15 dB of attenuation as with the custom fit musician's earplugs is about right for most concert-goers.
To get the custom fit musician's hearing protection, as a couple folks correctly mentioned above, is to go to an audiologist or any place that sells hearing aids and have them order you a pair. They will take an impression of your ear canal (squirt a bunch of goop in there that hardens in a couple minutes) then send off those impressions to be made into earmolds. You gotta ask for the 15 dB filters (or the 9 dB or the 25 dB, depending on how much you want to bring the sound down - the bigger the number, the more the sound comes down). It'll take about a week for your earplugs to be ready. I would suggest you ask for a long canal length in your earmold. It goes deeper into your ear canal and reduces the possibility of distortion. Might be less comfortable, but for me personally, it sounds better. You want the earmold to cover the cartilagenous portion of the ear canal and end right where the bony portion of the ear canal starts. The audiologist should know what you are talking about if you ask them this.
Find an audiologist: www.audiology.org (http://www.audiology.org)
Fully, don't you live near Nashville? Vanderbilt has a world class audiology program, as good as it gets. Probably more than you need for musician's plugs, but it'd be cool to go there.
Thanks for the great information Shug! I'm in the ole's catch 22 where I never had the best hearing to begin with and I love my shows real loud. I fear using plugs would prevent me from enjoying my rock shows. Perhaps a much lower db plug would be advisable? I've skirted the issue no matter how much advice I've gotten from concert going experts and wonder if my stubbornness will continue.
It takes some getting used to, but Ruckus, you might try the 9 dB filters. Some protection is better than none. I know what you mean, I like my shows loud too, but I want to enjoy them for years to come and I don't want to ever have to wear hearing aids, so I wear the ear plugs. But you can still feel the bass thumping your chest when Tommy is killing it in Victory Dance, so it feels loud even when you are protecting your ears.
And when it comes to the decibel (dB) numbers, dBs are on a logrithmic scale. 6 dB of difference can relate to twice/half as loud or soft. So the difference between the 9 dB and 15 dB is pretty big, at least the math says it should be. Everyone's perception of loudness is a bit different though. It doesn't directly relate to how much physical pressure a given sound exerts on your ears. Not sure if that makes it more confusing or less. Again, I'd recommend 15 dB filters for most folks, 9 dB for those who are worried it won't be loud enough for them. 25 dB is way too much attenuation for most concert goers. Might be right if you are onstage with the Who, though. :wink:
I've definitely noticed permanent damage and I don't even go to that many shows. My husband works in the music industry, tho, and usually goes to at least one metal show a week. I talked with him and we're going to get him a set up custom earplugs for Christmas. I'll likely get a set, too, but his exposure is way more than mine.
Thanks for all the good info Shug!
I'm also a resident audiologist and thought it would be helpful to post a chart that compares examples of different industrial noise levels. I often use this when counseling patients so that they have a better appreciation on the exact sound pressure levels of different sounds in their environment and whether it can cause hearing loss depending on duration of exposure.
Note: Live concerts on average are around 110 dB. In a work environment, someone can be exposed to roughly 85 dB during an 8 hours work shift without permanent hearing loss. If sound is measured above that, then OSHA requires a hearing conservation program be implemented and hearing protection provided to the employees. Generally, for every 5 dB increase starting at 90 dB (8 hours), you cut the amount of time in half (i.e. 95 dB =4 hours max; 100 = 2 hours, etc).
http://www.industrialnoisecontrol.com/comparative-noise-examples.htm (http://www.industrialnoisecontrol.com/comparative-noise-examples.htm)
Thanks Shug for the additional information!!!
You are both audiologists?! Cutest audiologist couple ever. :wink:
I started wearing those over the counter etymotics based on recommendations here and I've been really happy with them.
audiologists = ear pussies. /thread.
Quote from: jaye on Oct 11, 2012, 05:53 PM
You are both audiologists?! Cutest audiologist couple ever. :wink:
I started wearing those over the counter etymotics based on recommendations here and I've been really happy with them.
Awww! thanks, jaye!
Quote from: Sticky Icky Green Stuff on Oct 11, 2012, 06:09 PM
audiologists = ear pussies. /thread.
Sticky, I see you are being your usual charming self. :beer:
Quote from: Sticky Icky Green Stuff on Oct 11, 2012, 06:09 PM
audiologists = ear pussies. /thread.
Jeez man, did someone hack your user name or you going soft on us? I popped all this popcorn for that? What a letdown! I was really looking forward to one of your classic point on point Sticky responses. :wink:
Quote from: Shug on Oct 11, 2012, 06:31 PM
Quote from: Sticky Icky Green Stuff on Oct 11, 2012, 06:09 PM
audiologists = ear pussies. /thread.
Sticky, I see you are being your usual charming self. :beer:
Thanks Sticky!!!
Quote from: ericm on Oct 11, 2012, 06:32 PM
Quote from: Sticky Icky Green Stuff on Oct 11, 2012, 06:09 PM
audiologists = ear pussies. /thread.
Jeez man, did someone hack your user name or you going soft on us? I popped all this popcorn for that? What a letdown! I was really looking forward to one of your classic point on point Sticky responses. :wink:
that shit was way too fucking long I didn't read a word of it. all I could make out was "I'm an elitist and think I understand how music works". that bullshit aint for me son.
Not sure why, but I immediately thought of this clip while reading Sticky's counter posts. It made me laugh :tongue:
Airplane Movie Counter Point clip (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pn0WdJx-Wkw#)
Shug - Thanks for the information. I've been wearing the cheaper entymotics for awhile now. I find that at the first of a show I notice the sound being tamped down, but it doesn't take long to get used to it. Last night when I took them out after Jack White, I was surprised that the audience noises were so loud. Depending on how deep I place them, sometimes they aren't comfortable in my ear canal. Can you explain how we should be putting these things in? Is is similar to the way I put my in-ear monitors in - where I pull my earlobe back while I insert them?
While I'm on the subjecct of iem's... sometimes when I put them on, I don't realize that the volume is louder than it should be and it will scare the shit out of me. Will that type of loud noise that lasts for just a second or two, damage my hearing?
Also, LD is an audiologist too? How adorable. Do the two of you work together?
Quote from: ericm on Oct 11, 2012, 06:32 PM
Quote from: Sticky Icky Green Stuff on Oct 11, 2012, 06:09 PM
audiologists = ear pussies. /thread.
Jeez man, did someone hack your user name or you going soft on us? I popped all this popcorn for that? What a letdown! I was really looking forward to one of your classic point on point Sticky responses. :wink:
Maybe Sticky keeps getting distracted by the word "pussy" :rolleyes:
HOLY SHIT -- I just realized that earplugs would not only protect my ears from the overly loud music coming from the stage but would also protect my sanity from the blabbing assholes that always end up next to me! I probably wouldn't hear a word of it! REJOICE!
Quote from: Fully on Oct 11, 2012, 11:18 PM
Shug - Thanks for the information. I've been wearing the cheaper entymotics for awhile now. I find that at the first of a show I notice the sound being tamped down, but it doesn't take long to get used to it. Last night when I took them out after Jack White, I was surprised that the audience noises were so loud. Depending on how deep I place them, sometimes they aren't comfortable in my ear canal. Can you explain how we should be putting these things in? Is is similar to the way I put my in-ear monitors in - where I pull my earlobe back while I insert them?
While I'm on the subjecct of iem's... sometimes when I put them on, I don't realize that the volume is louder than it should be and it will scare the shit out of me. Will that type of loud noise that lasts for just a second or two, damage my hearing?
Also, LD is an audiologist too? How adorable. Do the two of you work together?
Fully---a few seconds will not damage your hearing. Yes, pulling back on the ear is ideal to straighten your ear canal resulting in a better fit. For as much as you frequent shows, I would really consider investing in custom musician earplugs with 15 dB attenuators. They will be much more comfortable and the sound quality is great!! And we do work together, which is a whole other topic, maybe over some beers sometime with ya!! :cheesy: :wink:
Quote from: oistheone on Oct 12, 2012, 12:25 AM
HOLY SHIT -- I just realized that earplugs would not only protect my ears from the overly loud music coming from the stage but would also protect my sanity from the blabbing assholes that always end up next to me! I probably wouldn't hear a word of it! REJOICE!
I wear the earplugs more to block out crowd chatter than to block out the music. Works like a charm...Will also keep people from trying to have a conversation with while the band is on..."huh, what's that? Can't hear you, have earplugs in." :smiley:
Shug...thanks for that note about magnesium. Have a friend with tinnitus and I'm not sure if he's spoken with his doc about giving that a try. :beer:
Hey, just a further data point: be careful with that magnesium! Not only does it help make a person sleepy (I used to use for falling asleep when I went through a bad bout of insomnia), but it has an unwelcome side effect: loose stool :embarrassed: Forewarned is forearmed!
That's why you should not take more than 450 mg a day and check with a physician first! :shocked:
Most docs will probably not know about the magnesium studies for tinnitus relief because its relatively new research and the preliminary results have only been mildly impressive, but some people do notice a subtle reduction in their tinnitus.