Serious question. Hearing

[Barry]

I read somewhere that firing only three rounds from a Lee Enfield .303 rifle, would (could?) cause permanent hearing damage.

But to reply to the OP, as long as you continue to enjoy music just live with it. As Ali has said, the brain has a remarkable ability to compensate for shortcomings in the various senses.

I can't hear pure tones over 10kHz, and have very mild tinnitus in my right ear - yet I can hear the effect of a 10kHz low-pass filter applied to, say a violin recording.

[walpurgis]

I read somewhere that firing only three rounds from a Lee Enfield .303 rifle, would (could?) cause permanent hearing damage.

A session on the range would leave your ears ringing for hours.

[dave2010]

Before rushing to get hearing aids maybe have other things checked out. I suffer from wax in my ears periodically, and recently it's been bad in one ear. Also colds and other problems - maybe allergies can affect hearing - for example by blocking the eustachian tubes, and if the ears become infected that's not good. I'm somewhat older than others have declared, but I'd prefer to continue without hearing aids for as long as possible. I have also used headphones quite a bit sometimes - and recently in the last couple of weeks, but I am firmly convinced that extended headphone listening makes problems such as earwax and infections worse - perhaps because the ears tend to become warm, and maybe there are bacteria which affect the ears which get in via the headphones.

However, I wouldn't dismiss severe hearing problems completely. One of my younger friends suffered quite severe hearing loss about a decade ago - I'm not sure if he ever found out why it happened - but he can't hear what is being said sometimes without the help of his hearing aids. I occasionally also have problems due to the wax, but so far it has always cleared up eventually.

If you discover you really do need hearing aids then go for them, but I think that some of the commercial outfits have an interest in convincing customers that they need hearing aids so that they can keep their businesses running.
Even doctors get things wrong - probably quite often. My mother - at the time she was over 80 - had earwax problems, and on one occasion went very deaf indeed, particularly in one ear. Her GP tried gently to tell her that she needed hearing aids, but she insisted she didn't and wanted her ears flushed out. In the end she had the wax cleared out, and it was clear that her hearing improved dramatically in a matter of minutes. She never did have hearing aids, though she did eventually have other problems.

With advancing age I think that things do get worse. One late musician friend of very advanced years became quite frustrated with several very expensive sets of hearing aids, as he said that they put out the tuning of all the music he listened to, and also of his piano. He commented that some were better than others, but in the end I don't think he liked them much in his last years.

I also recommend reading this book by Bella Bathurst if you want to know more about the kinds of problems some people have had - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sound-Memoi...s=books&sr=1-6 Sound - a memoir of hearing lost and found

[BDD]

If you are thinking about hearing aids to better enjoy your music, I’d think twice. My aids only serve to make it sound tinny, harsh and very sibilant. My high frequency range is all but gone. If you need them to get on with life and actually converse with people,then get them. I only use mine when I absolutely need to, ie in work meetings and social settings with lots of background chatter where I have to interact. To be honest, working from home has really suited me as all work meetings are virtual and sticking on headphones makes hearing people so much better.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[chrisph]

An NHS hearing aid user here as I have moderate hearing loss and tinnitus.

Everyday life and listening to music has been enhanced by the use of the hearing aids, so I would recommend getting checked out and giving them a try.

[Pharos]

I have severe hearing loss in my right ear, nothing much above 5k, and some in the left. In my last job as a BT field 'engineer' I had to trace lines using a detector which produced at maximum a level of 131.5 dB in the headphone, and high levels were necessary when in a noisy environment, eg. 105dB at London Bridge.

irony, after litigation I purchased my current loudspeakers which go up to 50kHz.

At the BBC in '70 we used to clean uniselectors, and used an aquarium full of Inhibisol with our arms emerged in it up to the elbows; it is not unlike carbon tetrachloride.

At the Lab of the Gov't Chemist I used to maintain gas chromatographs, lined with asbestos, and on the notice board were the three types, white, blue, and brown, listed as a serious hazard to the lungs.

I do think that hearing aids are a no no for me because they are unlikely to be transparent, and as with glasses, I insist on making myself work to maintain what I have, and, although briefly, listening at 130dB at 30 ft on ATC 100s which I did in about '98 does not improve intelligibility. I restrict myself to about 75 max now, and hear everything, (except due to hearing loss, the ding bells on Enigma).

[Pieoftheday]

I have severe hearing loss in my right ear, nothing much above 5k, and some in the left. In my last job as a BT field 'engineer' I had to trace lines using a detector which produced at maximum a level of 131.5 dB in the headphone, and high levels were necessary when in a noisy environment, eg. 105dB at London Bridge.

irony, after litigation I purchased my current loudspeakers which go up to 50kHz.

At the BBC in '70 we used to clean uniselectors, and used an aquarium full of Inhibisol with our arms emerged in it up to the elbows; it is not unlike carbon tetrachloride.

At the Lab of the Gov't Chemist I used to maintain gas chromatographs, lined with asbestos, and on the notice board were the three types, white, blue, and brown, listed as a serious hazard to the lungs.

I do think that hearing aids are a no no for me because they are unlikely to be transparent, and as with glasses, I insist on making myself work to maintain what I have, and, although briefly, listening at 130dB at 30 ft on ATC 100s which I did in about '98 does not improve intelligibility. I restrict myself to about 75 max now, and hear everything, (except due to hearing loss, the ding bells on Enigma).

If you dont fancy a regular hearing aid you could look at a bone conductive one,they can fit on your glasses I tried a cheap Chinese one and found it incredibly natural, I lost it when we decorated

[Pigmy Pony]

If you dont fancy a regular hearing aid you could look at a bone conductive one,they can fit on your glasses I tried a cheap Chinese one and found it incredibly natural, I lost it when we decorated

Mrs. P would have spotted the lump under the wallpaper straight away. She not only has hearing like a bat, she has eyes of a hawk

[paulf-2007]

A friend got hearing aids, audiologist said hearing loss was without doubt caused by power tools at work. Hearing is now great but he could no longer listen to his oris horns with lowther dx4. Had to move them on.

[Pigmy Pony]

If someone who develops severe hearing problems has to alter his system to suit, I bet it would sound bloody awful to a partner with good hearing.

I once bought a record, "Space" by Magic Fly from a work colleague who was profoundly deaf. Apparently it was the vibrations he "listened" to. Pity his neighbours. Anyway, the record was so crackly it was unplayable, so went straight in the bin