I've been concerned about my hearing lately. I'm 18 and last time I checked I could hear up to about 18.5Khz (well, anything above that and my soundcard seems to produce lower tones for some reason so probably a few Khz higher).
Every so often when I mess with my hifi I show my father the changes and he really likes to crank it
and we listen for about 15 minutes. During this time it gets pretty loud, usually not far from the "pain" barrier, but sometimes loud transients hurt a bit. This concerns me a great deal but it doesn't happen very often, the worst case being once a week at the most. Another thing that worries me is that when breaking up wooden palettes for firewood, sometimes the springy planks make obscenely loud bangs when you hit them with a hammer which actually makes my ears ring for a few seconds. This happenes every other day, and has been going on for a couple of weeks (but not for long hopefully due to the weather getting better)
I've had tinnitus since around 7 or 8, and after the extended loud listening sessions it gets slightly worse for a few hours. This really worries me. I'd estimate this has happened about 20 times over the past 8 months
however, the longest I'm exposed to the SPLs is about 15-20 minutes and I don't go to loud clubs or parties. These are the only loud things in my life.
Basically, I'm really worried that what I'm doing will ruin my hearing. Last summer I could hear bats in the evening, and I'm scared to think this summer I wont be able to (not that listening to bats gives me much of a thrill but the fact that I wont be able to hear them any more is significant)
Every so often when I mess with my hifi I show my father the changes and he really likes to crank it
and we listen for about 15 minutes. During this time it gets pretty loud, usually not far from the "pain" barrier, but sometimes loud transients hurt a bit. This concerns me a great deal but it doesn't happen very often, the worst case being once a week at the most. Another thing that worries me is that when breaking up wooden palettes for firewood, sometimes the springy planks make obscenely loud bangs when you hit them with a hammer which actually makes my ears ring for a few seconds. This happenes every other day, and has been going on for a couple of weeks (but not for long hopefully due to the weather getting better)I've had tinnitus since around 7 or 8, and after the extended loud listening sessions it gets slightly worse for a few hours. This really worries me. I'd estimate this has happened about 20 times over the past 8 months
however, the longest I'm exposed to the SPLs is about 15-20 minutes and I don't go to loud clubs or parties. These are the only loud things in my life.Basically, I'm really worried that what I'm doing will ruin my hearing. Last summer I could hear bats in the evening, and I'm scared to think this summer I wont be able to (not that listening to bats gives me much of a thrill but the fact that I wont be able to hear them any more is significant
)
A good pair of earplugs is one of the best investments you can ever make (right up there with some good safety goggles). I always wear both were appropriate as I can't imagine loosing / damaging my hearing or sight. Grab a pair of Etymotic earplugs or similar and keep your dad's fingers away from the volume knob.
Hope you can still enjoy the music, and take steps to keep it that way.
Hope you can still enjoy the music, and take steps to keep it that way.
Anything over 85db is not good for the ears. Like velmeran said, wear ear protection, whether ear muffs, or ear plugs, and tell your dad to lower down the volume.
Hear is some literature on hearing impairment.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hearing_impairment
Hear is some literature on hearing impairment.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hearing_impairment
Hi,
Don't start worrying about it excessively. But do get some ear plugs for the crate smashing! I'm often too lazy to wear ear protection when using power tools and things, but I never do anything continuously for very long.
Remember it's not transient bursts of loud noise that causes damage so much as it is sustained abuse. Things like rock gigs and distorted club sound systems are the worst. I went to a club a few weeks ago that seemed to have cranked the system way too far and we all came out 90% deaf. Even the next day my hearing was subdued. That's a sign of damage for sure, you want to avoid that. I keep meaning to get some ear plugs for clubbing...
Don't start worrying about it excessively. But do get some ear plugs for the crate smashing! I'm often too lazy to wear ear protection when using power tools and things, but I never do anything continuously for very long.
Remember it's not transient bursts of loud noise that causes damage so much as it is sustained abuse. Things like rock gigs and distorted club sound systems are the worst. I went to a club a few weeks ago that seemed to have cranked the system way too far and we all came out 90% deaf. Even the next day my hearing was subdued. That's a sign of damage for sure, you want to avoid that. I keep meaning to get some ear plugs for clubbing...
Certainly loud bursts of sound energy can damage hearing. Damaging the "hairs" inside the inner ear and surrounding tissue that connect to the auditory nerves. This can be a slow process and not be noticed until it is too late. I hear people all the time booming their car stereos and sometimes it is even loud in my car sitting in traffic beside theirs. I can only imagine what is taking place inside their ears sitting right in front of the speakers. I like loud music but there must be common sense involved. If it hurts, it is beyond too loud.
Target practice with firearms is a good way to release aggression and to hone in skills. However, safety is always first and MOST important. This certainly includes hearing safety. When firing large caliber firearms, one MUST use ear plugs or hearing gear. Try firing my brother's .50 cal Desert Eagle without ear protection and you would be in quite some pain. Would someone PLEASE answer the telephone ringing in my head?
Same goes for rock concerts such as the Pantera, Metallica or Slayer concerts I have attended.
(ear plugs recommended for these shows)
Peace be to Dimebag D.
Target practice with firearms is a good way to release aggression and to hone in skills. However, safety is always first and MOST important. This certainly includes hearing safety. When firing large caliber firearms, one MUST use ear plugs or hearing gear. Try firing my brother's .50 cal Desert Eagle without ear protection and you would be in quite some pain. Would someone PLEASE answer the telephone ringing in my head?
Same goes for rock concerts such as the Pantera, Metallica or Slayer concerts I have attended. (ear plugs recommended for these shows)Peace be to Dimebag D.
Hi,
Very loud sounds are damaging, but the most damaging sounds are the short and very loud bursts (an explosion for example).
The middle ear has 2 muscles (tensor tympani and stapedius), which play roles in attenuating the energy (sound) that is amplified by the 3 middle ear bones and that goes to the inner ear. The tensor tympani acts by pulling in the tympanic membrane inwards in order to stiffen it, and the stapedius by reducing the stapes' vibrations (last bone of the chain). This is a nervous reflex which contracts these 2 muscles, and which is there for 2 main reasons: 1) to permit us to focus our hearing to a specific range of frequencies in order to isolate sounds, like someone's voice from the surrounding noise, or 2) to protect the inner ear from damages due to very loud sounds.
This does not mean that your ear is necessarily damaged; apart from the small damages to the sensory ciliated cells, there is also the fact that those 2 muscles are contracted due to the attenuation reflex in order to protect the ear from damage. Like everything else, this protection mechanism has a limit, and damage depends on the amount of exposure time, and the energy of the sound that reaches the ear.
The problem with this mechanism is that it takes anywhere from 50 to 100ms to "activate" itself, therefore the ear has no effective means of protection for loud burst which are too quick to be attenuated, and can cause serious damage (firearm shooting like previously mentioned).
Our ears are tremendous instruments, and should not be pushed too far and risk irreversible damage. Like it has been said by other members, don’t worry about it too much, but never omit adequate hearing protection when exposed to potential damaging levels. If there is ringing or a constant cottony feeling in the ears for more then a few days, a visit to your physician should be in order.
Paul
Very loud sounds are damaging, but the most damaging sounds are the short and very loud bursts (an explosion for example).
The middle ear has 2 muscles (tensor tympani and stapedius), which play roles in attenuating the energy (sound) that is amplified by the 3 middle ear bones and that goes to the inner ear. The tensor tympani acts by pulling in the tympanic membrane inwards in order to stiffen it, and the stapedius by reducing the stapes' vibrations (last bone of the chain). This is a nervous reflex which contracts these 2 muscles, and which is there for 2 main reasons: 1) to permit us to focus our hearing to a specific range of frequencies in order to isolate sounds, like someone's voice from the surrounding noise, or 2) to protect the inner ear from damages due to very loud sounds.
SimontY said:
This does not mean that your ear is necessarily damaged; apart from the small damages to the sensory ciliated cells, there is also the fact that those 2 muscles are contracted due to the attenuation reflex in order to protect the ear from damage. Like everything else, this protection mechanism has a limit, and damage depends on the amount of exposure time, and the energy of the sound that reaches the ear.
The problem with this mechanism is that it takes anywhere from 50 to 100ms to "activate" itself, therefore the ear has no effective means of protection for loud burst which are too quick to be attenuated, and can cause serious damage (firearm shooting like previously mentioned).
Our ears are tremendous instruments, and should not be pushed too far and risk irreversible damage. Like it has been said by other members, don’t worry about it too much, but never omit adequate hearing protection when exposed to potential damaging levels. If there is ringing or a constant cottony feeling in the ears for more then a few days, a visit to your physician should be in order.
Paul
How loud do you listen?Cal Weldon said:
I have a very large listening room 19' x 16' x 19' (changing a bulb is a challenge) and with fairly average Mission 752s I find that I listen casually at 1W peak (not rms) and 10W is annoying the neighbours loud. I have a 60W amp and I just don't understnd all the interest in 300W plus in this forum.
I keep blasting my ears with my cellphone by accidentally putting into loudspeaker mode.
Cal Weldon said:
So long as you keep stuff like this in mind, you can allow yourself the occasional loud listening session with out too much worry. It's mostly just keeping in mind how much potential for damage ther can be if you abuse your ears too much. I'm in my 20's and can still hear up to 20khz or better according to the tests at the doctors office (although I don't really trust their equipment all that much), but my dad has always been an example to me of why to protect your hearing. He's in his 40's and has moderate hearing loss due mostly to farm equipment, factory machinery and loud music in his youth. He's been a computer programmer for years, and most of his hearing loss occured in his earlier years.
Again, like many have said, don't get too paranoid about it, as pretty much all of us will end up with reduced hearing capacity, no matter how nicely we treat our ears, but definately take the necassary precautions where approptiate.
I have passed 40...
and I'm still the terror of some scandinavian hifi manufacturer...
-returned a preamp because of non-linearities in volume, measured the output to vary ~ 0,3dB...
If it had not been for their markeding of super-accurate chip-volume, I would not have gotten away with it.
BTW; at age 19-20, I could defintive hear the precence of 26kHz, together with 4 or 5 other classmates.
Arne K
and I'm still the terror of some scandinavian hifi manufacturer...
-returned a preamp because of non-linearities in volume, measured the output to vary ~ 0,3dB...
If it had not been for their markeding of super-accurate chip-volume, I would not have gotten away with it.
BTW; at age 19-20, I could defintive hear the precence of 26kHz, together with 4 or 5 other classmates.
Arne K
Re: I have passed 40...
I'm certain I can hear up into the mid 20khz range myself, I just don't trust the equipment at my doctors office, as everything over about 18khz starts sounding the same. I'm fairly certain their headphones don't really produce accurate sounds at that range.
Cobra2 said:
I'm certain I can hear up into the mid 20khz range myself, I just don't trust the equipment at my doctors office, as everything over about 18khz starts sounding the same. I'm fairly certain their headphones don't really produce accurate sounds at that range.
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