Hearing Loss

[Wabatuckian]

I'm subbing at my kid's school today. They're having hearing tests and I'm helping out the speech pathologists.

After the kids were done, I was offered a hearing test. I've not had one since my mom retired years ago, so figured it couldn't hurt.

I listen to lots of loud music and used to shoot .22 without hearing protection.

My left ear is "very normal," whatever that means, and my right ear is -45dB at 4kHz. Thinking about it, I think I did that just a few months ago shooting a nuisance chipmunk with a .45 and no ear plugs. I used my Jeep's hood for a rest. The sound bounced off the windshield and made me deaf in my right ear for a couple days.

Anyone else?

 

[Michigan Slim]

I'm deaf as a stone. I always had a kickass stereo in my cars, gun fire with no hearing protection, loud factory environment for most of my work life. Someday I'll get hearing aids.
Until the COVID mask mandates, I never realized that I read lips to fill in gaps.

 

[KokomoDave]

Yeah, I have hearing loss mainly since hearing protection wasn't stressed in my military days like it is now especially with the technology we have today. I worked in bolier rooms and waste treatment plants which are notoriously loud db for my job as a millwright.
I am trying to figure out how to jumper my no-highs / no-lows must be Bose in my Silverado so I can add Rockford's all in one sub/amp combo and jam to my 80's adult alternatives.
So I have not been a very good steward of my hearing. I know i need hearing aids but it is fun pi$$ing off the old lady!

 

[loudgroove]

I have tinnitus (more so in my right ear) from the years of playing drums. Working as an audio engineer for the last 20 years, I have learned to compensate for it. Other than that, my hearing still has remained normal. -45dB at 4kHz ouch!!

 

[Hookeye]

Pizz her off bigtime and crank this....
Intro is boomin

 

[Hookeye]

Remember Headbangers Ball?

 

[mcapo]

Back in day we shot a lot of revolvers and the occasional 357 mag would be light off without ear protection. My ears have been ringing since the '80's. Hearing is diminished in both ears but more in my left.

I blame it on that, hunting and genetics.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

I have tinnitus pretty bad. Some days worse than others, but it would be interesting to have my hearing tested. The tinnitus doesn't seem to interfere with my hearing. It's like external sounds are on a different "channel" than my tinnitus. Hard to explain, but it doesn't seem like tinnitus is blocking out any external sounds. (Other than cicadas, crickets and tree frogs - always have to plug my ears to figure out if what I'm hearing is real or just tinnitus. )

 

[Expat]

I have some loss. I can’t understand people if there is any other noise at all. I have hunted and shot guns all my life. I never even knew about hearing protection until close to 30. Still don’t hunt with any.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

I have some loss. I can’t understand people if there is any other noise at all. I have hunted and shot guns all my life. I never even knew about hearing protection until close to 30. Still don’t hunt with any.

Yeah, we never used ear pro when we were younger either. I'm sure that's where my tinnitus started.

 

[edporch]

The largest single source of my hearing loss came in the late 1970's when I had a summer job as a Welder at Talbert Trailer in Rensselaer when I was in my early 20's.

It was REALLY loud with people pounding on things, dropping heavy pieces of steel, etc, and trying to wear earplugs lasted til the first time my Foreman needed to talk to me.
I'd pull them out of my ears, and they were then so covered in grime I didn't want them back in my ears.

I lost MUCH more hearing in that one summer at Talbert Trailer than I ever did from loud rock music and shooting guns,

 

[WebSnyper]

Back in day we shot a lot of revolvers and the occasional 357 mag was light off without ear protection. My rings have been ringing since the '80's. Hearing is diminished in both ears but more in my left.

I blame it on that, hunting and genetics.

Agreed, I can remember touching of 357 magnum outside without hearing protection when I was probably 19 or so, and immediately not being able to hear out of one ear for a couple of days.

My dad has significant hearing loss and has to use hearing aids, so I'm probably genetically doomed in that area as well as others.

 

[MindfulMan]

I lost most of my hearing in the Air Force ..... flight line jets, EOD in Turkey, and similar.
For the last 30+ years I've worn bi-lateral hearing aids. Also, I attended the Indiana School for the Deaf for two semesters .... lip reading is important.

This is my latest set of Widex hearing aids from the Netherlands. These were $5,000 about 4 years ago.
If any of you younger guys are looking-in, I suggest you try to take care of your hearing !

 

[jamil]

I'm subbing at my kid's school today. They're having hearing tests and I'm helping out the speech pathologists.

After the kids were done, I was offered a hearing test. I've not had one since my mom retired years ago, so figured it couldn't hurt.

I listen to lots of loud music and used to shoot .22 without hearing protection.

My left ear is "very normal," whatever that means, and my right ear is -45dB at 4kHz. Thinking about it, I think I did that just a few months ago shooting a nuisance chipmunk with a .45 and no ear plugs. I used my Jeep's hood for a rest. The sound bounced off the windshield and made me deaf in my right ear for a couple days.

Anyone else?

You married? Does your wife typically sit to your right? A lot of guys develop a notch filter where the center frequency is about the same as their wife’s voice.

 

[el_barto3]

I'm subbing at my kid's school today. They're having hearing tests and I'm helping out the speech pathologists.

After the kids were done, I was offered a hearing test. I've not had one since my mom retired years ago, so figured it couldn't hurt.

I listen to lots of loud music and used to shoot .22 without hearing protection.

My left ear is "very normal," whatever that means, and my right ear is -45dB at 4kHz. Thinking about it, I think I did that just a few months ago shooting a nuisance chipmunk with a .45 and no ear plugs. I used my Jeep's hood for a rest. The sound bounced off the windshield and made me deaf in my right ear for a couple days.

Anyone else?

Used to shoot .22 with no ear pro all the time, I listen to loud music as well and my ears have tested good sense last April. Probably right about the .45.

 

[Michigan Slim]

You married? Does your wife typically sit to your right? A lot of guys develop a notch filter where the center frequency is about the same as their wife’s voice.

My wife's voice is hard to make out most days. We have been together all our adult lives and she still talks in another room, or facing away. Get my attention and I will pay attention! Otherwise, I just ignore the noise.
And most noise is almost painful now. I get overwhelmed by too much and leave the area.
And then the tinnitus! It never stops! I started leaving the TV on low to try to cover it at bedtime.

 

[Hookeye]

Meds can crank up the tinnitus.
Some days my ears are super sensitive
But at work i wear earpro all day, so my hearing is muffled for half my waking hours.

Shifts hearing and or tolerance.

High freq is gone.

Wore earpro as a shooter. But we didnt have that electronic stuff when hunting. Did mine in.

Noticed loss of certain notes in music about 5 yrs ago. Just gone.

 

[gregkl]

I have some loss. I can’t understand people if there is any other noise at all.

When I had my hearing checked the doc said; " I bet when you are in a crowd, you don't hear so well". He was spot on. Apparently along with the tinnitus, I have some loss that the upper frequencies which causes the hearing issues when there is a lot of extra noise around. I'm no good to be in a crowded bar and try to converse with people. I may as well stay home. Which I do.

 

[JBLee]

I'm subbing at my kid's school today. They're having hearing tests and I'm helping out the speech pathologists.

After the kids were done, I was offered a hearing test. I've not had one since my mom retired years ago, so figured it couldn't hurt.

I listen to lots of loud music and used to shoot .22 without hearing protection.

My left ear is "very normal," whatever that means, and my right ear is -45dB at 4kHz. Thinking about it, I think I did that just a few months ago shooting a nuisance chipmunk with a .45 and no ear plugs. I used my Jeep's hood for a rest. The sound bounced off the windshield and made me deaf in my right ear for a couple days.

Anyone else?

Oh yes, and it’s getting worse every day. Constant ringing and a lot of frequency issues. Probably didn’t help that I was in the Car Audio industry for many years with a van that would do over 140db easily.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

And then the tinnitus! It never stops! I started leaving the TV on low to try to cover it at bedtime.

I do this too, but I never thought of it as drowning out the tinnitus. It's just white noise to me because I keep the volume so low that I can barely make out what is being said (on purpose). I've always preferred some kind of background noise for falling asleep, even as a kid (or Pink Floyd as a teen). TV is on a timer, so it goes off after I'm asleep.