Phil O'Keefe Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 Do you live in a first-world or developing country? Are you fairly young? Do you like going to concerts and listening to music on your phone? If so, you could be at significant risk of developing hearing loss. Check out the link below - and learn to be aware of your exposure levels! Get a SPL meter app for your phone and use it, and wear hearing protection when you're going to be exposed to high SPL conditions. Protect your hearing - because once it's damaged, you can't get it back! http://www.audiomediainternational.com/news/over-one-billion-at-risk-of-hearing-loss-who-reports/04194 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Buttcrust Posted March 4, 2015 Members Share Posted March 4, 2015 what ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members 1001gear Posted March 4, 2015 Members Share Posted March 4, 2015 lol. Very odd that music venues aren't subject to audio safety regs. You regularly see 'music lovers' basking in the warmth of FOH stacks to say nothing of the employees regularly subjected to all manner of loudness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Preacher Posted March 4, 2015 Members Share Posted March 4, 2015 lol. Very odd that music venues aren't subject to audio safety regs. You regularly see 'music lovers' basking in the warmth of FOH stacks to say nothing of the employees regularly subjected to all manner of loudness. Pretty sure a lot of places (maybe locales in the UK?) have pretty strict noise-level standards, oft derided by gigging musicians. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members 1001gear Posted March 5, 2015 Members Share Posted March 5, 2015 Probably varies from state to state but bars and certainly big arena concerts in the US are considerably louder than most factories. Not that I've attended any factories... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted March 5, 2015 Author Share Posted March 5, 2015 Pretty sure a lot of places (maybe locales in the UK?) have pretty strict noise-level standards, oft derided by gigging musicians. That's an interesting point. We have OSHA regulations in the USA that set noise exposure levels vs exposure time. The higher the levels, the less time you can be exposed to it. 85dB A SPL is acceptable for up to 8 hours of exposure per day. Compared to concert levels, it's not that loud. If you're in a bar, the normal level (without the band playing) might be near that, or maybe even exceed it... so for the band to be heard, they have to exceed it. I think that has a lot to do with why musicians deride and lament the strict enforcement of maximum SPL regulations. Maybe if people were more interested in listening than in talking, we wouldn't need such high SPL's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members AJ6stringsting Posted March 6, 2015 Members Share Posted March 6, 2015 After playing live or practicing, if your ears are ringing ..... you're on your way to earning a hearing aid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MesaMonster Posted March 6, 2015 Members Share Posted March 6, 2015 A lot of my hearing loss happened while I was in the military. I now get a check every month because of it. Also, going to a lot of concerts didn't help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted March 7, 2015 Author Share Posted March 7, 2015 Whenever I am using firearms, I double up on the hearing protection - I wear in-ear plugs and muffs over that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members airship71 Posted March 8, 2015 Members Share Posted March 8, 2015 I give up, who? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members 1001gear Posted March 8, 2015 Members Share Posted March 8, 2015 Correct. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Temple of Light Posted March 11, 2015 Members Share Posted March 11, 2015 f-ing Smart meters are more damaging to hearing ,health and sanity than f-ing Rock & Roll fvck PGE. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members tshapiro Posted March 22, 2015 Members Share Posted March 22, 2015 Hearing loss is not the big risk... tinnitus is... a comstant 24 hour a day whining sound in your ears that never goes away as a result of hearing damage. Pete Townsend has iT as do I. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted March 23, 2015 Author Share Posted March 23, 2015 f-ing Smart meters are more damaging to hearing ' date='health and sanity than f-ing Rock & Roll fvck PGE.[/quote'] Do you have any data or research that supports that theory - especially in regards to negative effects on hearing? RF is way above the audible frequency range. If you're concerned with radio frequencies, you probably shouldn't be using any electric / electronic musical equipment, a microwave oven, a cell phone, etc. Short of building and living inside a Faraday cage, you pretty much can't avoid exposure to RF in this day and age - and I have not seen any credible scientific studies that suggest that exposure to RF has any effect on hearing. However, there's been tons of scientific studies - and unfortunately, it's backed up by the personal experiences of plenty of musicians - that indicate that exposure to high SPL is detrimental to your hearing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted March 23, 2015 Author Share Posted March 23, 2015 Hearing loss is not the big risk... tinnitus is... a constant 24 hour a day whining sound in your ears that never goes away as a result of hearing damage. Pete Townsend has iT as do I. Tinnitus is often a side effect of exposure to high Sound Pressure Levels, and as you said, it's a symptom of damaged hearing. And from what I've heard from those who suffer from it, it can be incredibly irritating. As far as I know, there's still no "cure" for it, and some people have a hard time finding ways to alleviate it, although biofeedback and some other approaches may help some sufferers. You have my sympathies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members melx Posted April 3, 2015 Members Share Posted April 3, 2015 Tinnitus is often a side effect of exposure to high Sound Pressure Levels, and as you said, it's a symptom of damaged hearing. And from what I've heard from those who suffer from it, it can be incredibly irritating. As far as I know, there's still no "cure" for it, and some people have a hard time finding ways to alleviate it, although biofeedback and some other approaches may help some sufferers. You have my sympathies. I have tinnitus, I don't know if it's 'bad tinnitus' or just 'mild tinnitus' .... how do you know/compare? But I can't sleep without a radio, TV or something on. I don't notice it during the day but at night when it's quiet, it's enough of a distraction to stop me falling asleep easily. It's a bit like a mental thing, if I can distract myself with something else I don't 'hear' it. My hearing is not great, if I'm in a crowded pub or something like that unless someone is actually looking at me I often don't hear what they say, it just kinda blends into the surrounding noise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Preacher Posted April 5, 2015 Members Share Posted April 5, 2015 I have tinnitus, I don't know if it's 'bad tinnitus' or just 'mild tinnitus' .... how do you know/compare? But I can't sleep without a radio, TV or something on. I don't notice it during the day but at night when it's quiet, it's enough of a distraction to stop me falling asleep easily. It's a bit like a mental thing, if I can distract myself with something else I don't 'hear' it. My hearing is not great, if I'm in a crowded pub or something like that unless someone is actually looking at me I often don't hear what they say, it just kinda blends into the surrounding noise. Thanks for your thoughts/ observations, melx. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted April 6, 2015 Author Share Posted April 6, 2015 I have tinnitus, I don't know if it's 'bad tinnitus' or just 'mild tinnitus' .... how do you know/compare? But I can't sleep without a radio, TV or something on. I don't notice it during the day but at night when it's quiet, it's enough of a distraction to stop me falling asleep easily. It's a bit like a mental thing, if I can distract myself with something else I don't 'hear' it. My hearing is not great, if I'm in a crowded pub or something like that unless someone is actually looking at me I often don't hear what they say, it just kinda blends into the surrounding noise. I'd recommend consulting your doctor or Audiologist for a diagnosis regarding the degree of hearing loss and the nature of your tinnitus. I don't think anyone will be able to give you an accurate, qualified opinion online. The crowd noise covering up speech is understandable to a degree - especially if it's a very loud and noisy crowd, but if it's only mild and it's still making conversations difficult to understand (known as auditory masking), you may need to look into hearing aids. Again, an audiologist is the person to discuss this with - they can help you! Remember that hearing loss is cumulative and can get worse with repeated exposure to loud sounds, so protect what you have left by avoiding loud sounds that exceed 85 dB SPL - and if you're going to be exposed to high SPLs, always wear hearing protection! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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