Live rock music and hearing loss.

Posted by: warwick on 08 April 2006

My doctor and the audiologist have diagnosed my with mild hearing loss in one hear: upper midrange/lower treble range. Advised not to go to a rock gig unless wearing ear plugs and not to get an ipod. Well it was Saturday night April 1st and hey you don't think about going to Boots the chemist then do you?
Very Unusually I went to rock gig then (April 1st).
1st band just plain rubbish: massively distorted and loud. I stood at the back for the 20 minute set. The 2nd band were good.Not distorted so I stood closer to the stage, say 10 feet away (plenty of people in front of me). Could feel the bass in my chest.Sometimes I had my finger plugging my bad ear.
One week later my bad ear still feels, while not painful, uncomfortable, which never has before for longer than a few minutes. Feels swollen.
I hope it's not physcosomatic but I think I've had to ask people to speak up louder more than I usually would (usually only in the middle of a loud room, e.g a pub with music).
Haven't listened to music much this week as a precaution.
Wore earplugs on tube today.

I'm basically more worried about the problem because I'm a music lover and audiophile.
I thought that 1 week later my ears would be back to normal.
Posted on: 08 April 2006 by Bob McC
What?
Posted on: 08 April 2006 by NaimDropper
Invest in a really good set of plugs for your concerts.
Etymotics, who make the great "earbuds" many of us use, also make good hearing protection.
I use a set of them when I play out (bass player) if the band is even slightly uncomfortably loud.
Don't lose your hearing over "rubbish" music played too loud. Not worth it!
David
Posted on: 09 April 2006 by Alexander
afaik, if your ears sizzle afterwards, it means you can count on there being some residual hearing loss, only it's usually not enough to notice.
This is different...
Posted on: 09 April 2006 by NaimDropper
I am remiss in my reply. Here is the best advice you’ll get for a medical issue on the internet:

GO SEE A DOCTOR AND TAKE THEIR ADVICE.

David
Posted on: 09 April 2006 by u5227470736789439
Dear Warwick,

Hearing loss is not something only caused by loud rock music. It happens to orchestral players too. A good friend of mine who played most of his life in the pit at Covent Garden had completely gone deaf in one ear as he had the trombones directly behind him on that side.

A couple of years ago, I was diagnosed with an incurable retinal disease [currently stable]. I told the nurse that this alright then, as at least I could still listen to music! She was staggered. I meant it. Take the greatest care with your hearing, and see a doctor as soon as possible, I would think.

Good luck with it from Fredrik
Posted on: 09 April 2006 by Tam
quote:
Originally posted by Fredrik_Fiske:
Acouple of years ago, I was diagnosed with an incurable retinal disease [currently stable]. I told the nurse that this alright then, as at least I could still listen to music! She was staggered. I meant it. Take the greatest care with your hearing, and see a doctor as soon as possible, I would think.


I can sympathise with the sentiment - in that losing my hearing would be one of my worst nightmares (fortunately, aside from glasses for distance stuff, my vision is fine too).

Interesting anecdote, I am told that the situation is so bad in the Sidney Opera House that many players have to wear ear plugs in order to protect their hearing!

regards, Tam
Posted on: 19 April 2006 by warwick
Just back from GP's. Told her how I went to loud gig on April 1st and felt discomfort for a week after.Plus some discomfort on Sunday morning after listening to 3 lps on Saturday night (sounded great-maybe new glass shelf on turntable table helped: ooh I am an audiophile)

She put that down to me pressing my ear in during the gig and wearing an earplug on the tube regulary this month. Said it will get better over time and not to put anything in my ear.
Ok I suppose as I can still, after headache this morning, feel some discomfort in area around left ear.

Back to normal I suppose. Not going to any rock gigs anytime soon.
Posted on: 21 April 2006 by full ahead
Just returned from a short course here at my workplace about "noise protection"The course thread was that damage caused by sustained high level noise of whatever type, can not be reversed.
Youv'e been warned. Eek
george
Posted on: 21 April 2006 by Wolf
I'm glad I got out of going to dance halls and rock gigs as I didn't have much money. Now I listen mostly to classical and accoustic stuff. Your hearing is very important. My mom wears 2 hearing aids, wonder if I'll get that in the future. Her Dr siad he sees more and more young people now that are club goes and wearing earphones wich directs and intensifies the sound into the ear. Be careful.

Fredrik, you don't have Macular Degeneration do you? my mom has that and is having results with an oxygen breathing therapy that is clearing up her eyesight, She can read again.
Posted on: 21 April 2006 by Heath
I think I damaged my hearing in my late teens/early twenties, from going to loud concerts and nightclubs with shite sound systems, driven into severe clipping through nasty horn speakers. This now manifests itself as a permanent faint tone, mild tinnitus I guess, and an uncomfortable resonance in my ears at around 2kHz, especially when listening at reasonable levels, to my main diet of guitar based rock. The strange thing is that last time I checked my hearing, I was still at around 18kHz. I had great fun at the gigs etc, and was into good hi-fi at the time, so was quite aware of what my ears were being subjected to and I really wished I'd used earplugs.
Posted on: 21 April 2006 by u5227470736789439
Dear Glenn,

It is Central Serous Retinopathy. Really a build-up of plasma from tiny leakes in the blood vessels behind the retina, which lifts the retina off the back of the eye. It is incurable, and presents symptomatically as ritinal cancer - hence I was in the hospital within three hours of seeing my optician! It is a bloody nuisance as the only thing that can be done is to refix the retina with laser. BUT my damage is very close to the optic nerve in both eyes, so it is thought best to leave it alone.

The whole thing is stable, and the attack lasted about two and a half years, which unusually long. I have been having attacks since 1994, but thought my eyes were normal so never discussed it with anyone till one day i found I was not able to aim the key into the lock without feeling it in with my fingers. Then I knew something was badly wrong. I was stopped from driving for six months, but the process settled down quite fast from the initial massive disturbamce. Six months is normally considered a long attack, and then you get what is termed remission. Not so much that you get better, but stop getting worse. Remission can be indefinate!

I was told that apart from the necessary genetic predisposition, the two real reasons are steroid abuse and stress. I have never tried steroids, but stress is part of my nature. I care too much about work, people, music, and when i was doing it my playing. I am a bag of nerves, so stress is something I am working successfully to eliminate. How? By taking it easy. If someone annoys me I take in my stride to a large degree now, even though I am not a person who takes my own mistakes nearly so eaily!

But things are fine, eye-wise now, and long may it stay so! I was signed off by my (lovely Chinese) consultant in January, which the stern advice to see her again if anything started again. It has a relationship with cancer... don't worry, I'll ask her advice if it does goes wrong again.

Thanks for the enquiry dear Glenn, and all the best from Fredrik
Posted on: 21 April 2006 by Wolf
I have a case of tinnitus also, during the day it can be quite obscure as I focus my attention on other things and environmental noise masks it. I take a bunch of drugs for my health so I believe that is the cause and it seems louder the first few hours after my taking them. But late at night it's a real pisser. I can still hear soft sounds and high pitches but have not been tested for this so don't know if I[m loosing hearing.

Fredrik, I'm sorry to hear about your problem but I understand. My mother has MD as stated abouve. It's a bleeding of the blood vessels that creates a gray area in the middle of her sight. Dad has her trying everything like supplements and blood treatments, nothing worked so she had to give up reading and even TV is annoying, except she more listens to the news and shows. Recently, dad heard about a hyperbaric oxygen treatment where they put you in a scuba type tube with windows to see out of and infuse extra oxygen into her system. in only 15 1 hour treatments she sees a difference and can read the paper again. It is an "alternative" treatment and not covered by insurance, but mom is thrilled with te results. She goes for another 20 treatments and has several other people in her retirement home going over to see about the treatment. Hope it works for them as well. I was really impressed by the Dr and the technology they have. Good to know someone's thinking outside the box.

I hope your condition doesn't worsen. This isn't exactly a stereo subject, but the tinnitus was. Although, on a side subject refering to musicians with hearing loss, I see the LA Phol has strange black stands with a curved head piece that sits in back of the next to last row of string and woodwind players. It wraps around their head and protects them from the blaring brass and the big thumps of the percussion bad boys. Hope it works for them. I'd hate to be there with a trombone blasting away behind me and a bass drum or timpani for emphasis.

there I brought all this back around. Smile
Posted on: 21 April 2006 by u5227470736789439
Dear Glenn,

I have really good friend who used to be on the first desk of basses at Covent Garden, and for nearly forty years had the trombones behind his one ear. He is totally deaf in that ear. Very sad, and I am the only person who knows. The Opera House pit is not a quiet place. Luckily I never had a taste for loud music!

One night in Hereford Cathedral I was playing right in front of the brass in Mendelsohnn's Elijah. I turned round to them and asked them to remember they were balancing with one bass and three celli! They did, which I count a success!

I remember once playing Gerontius in Gloucester Cathdral, and this time time right in front of the combined forces or percussion and timpani. When Gerontius is briefly is blinded by the sight of God, Elgar lets them go Tuta Forza! It is the loudest sound I ever heard, and I almost fell of my stool, so unexpected was it. It is not to be heard like that in the audience, and certainly not off any gramophone record. It was viscerally terrifying!

I so am sadneded to hear of your tinitus. It would probably depress me, and I would be unconsolable. I always advise against high volumes on the gramophone, for I fear for the effects on the hearing. You have my sympathy.

To me, sight is not on the same level. My hero Helmut Walcha, one of the greatest Bachians achieved his artistic depth and greatness in spite of blindness starting in adolescence.

Fredrik
Posted on: 22 April 2006 by Wolf
Tinitis is a minor problem. Tho there are times you can focus on nothing else. I'll have to ask my Dr more about it.
Posted on: 23 April 2006 by Scott in DC
As for hearing damage, I see all these people using iPods and other portables. I wonder if we'll see an increase in hearing related problems as a result of the use of portables.

As for any of you who go around everywhere wearing your portable headphones I would take care not to play music too loud to the point of permanent damage.

Scott
Posted on: 28 May 2006 by Jack Dotson
quote:
Originally posted by Wolf:
I have a case of tinnitus also, during the day it can be quite obscure as I focus my attention on other things and environmental noise masks it. I take a bunch of drugs for my health so I believe that is the cause and it seems louder the first few hours after my taking them. But late at night it's a real pisser. I can still hear soft sounds and high pitches but have not been tested for this so don't know if I[m loosing hearing.

Fredrik, I'm sorry to hear about your problem but I understand. My mother has MD as stated abouve. It's a bleeding of the blood vessels that creates a gray area in the middle of her sight. Dad has her trying everything like supplements and blood treatments, nothing worked so she had to give up reading and even TV is annoying, except she more listens to the news and shows. Recently, dad heard about a hyperbaric oxygen treatment where they put you in a scuba type tube with windows to see out of and infuse extra oxygen into her system. in only 15 1 hour treatments she sees a difference and can read the paper again. It is an "alternative" treatment and not covered by insurance, but mom is thrilled with te results. She goes for another 20 treatments and has several other people in her retirement home going over to see about the treatment. Hope it works for them as well. I was really impressed by the Dr and the technology they have. Good to know someone's thinking outside the box.

I hope your condition doesn't worsen. This isn't exactly a stereo subject, but the tinnitus was. Although, on a side subject refering to musicians with hearing loss, I see the LA Phol has strange black stands with a curved head piece that sits in back of the next to last row of string and woodwind players. It wraps around their head and protects them from the blaring brass and the big thumps of the percussion bad boys. Hope it works for them. I'd hate to be there with a trombone blasting away behind me and a bass drum or timpani for emphasis.

there I brought all this back around. Smile


Interesting that you mention your medication. I recently started experiencing the same thing that your describing. I never had this problem before and have been wondering what brought it on. Now that you mention this I realize it started at about the same time I started taking medication to lower my cholesterol. I'm going to ask my doctor during the next visit if this can be a side effect.