Ear ringing

[WhitefalconTLE44]

my ears have been ringing for a little while and i was wondering if there was any way to help make it stop, please help.:eek:

[Kacky]

That happened to me after a show and they rang for a few days. :p Now I bring ear plugs.

What were you doing that made them ring? Loud music or something?

[WhitefalconTLE44]

yeah, my band had practice, and my ears were ringing ever since.

[Kacky]

Just wait it out - can't be any worse then standing right in front of a speaker. :p

[Incognito]

Is this the first time it has happened?


Its the first stages of hearing loss. Your ears will ring and sound like they are underwater for a few days, then it will get noticably better. The next time they will ring, but get slightly less better... and so on until you have tinnitus (constant ringing in your ears) and noticable permanent hearing damage.

This is important, so listen carefully. Damaged hearing is irreversable, and its also very easy to do. The occupational health and safety guidelines say that you can listen to sound at 80dB for 8 hours without hearing protection and not have any problems, but as the volume increases the time reduces dramatically. At 100dB, you can only listen to sound for 30minutes before permanent damage occurs, at 110dB only 10minutes. The average indoor rock concert is at about 105dB. Band rehersals can reach 120dB! A 6dB increase in volume is the equivliant of being twice as loud.

Do yourself a huge favour and turn the volume down. You don't need to play as loud as possible. Louder isn't better. At gigs, take some earplugs. If you are really serious about music, look into getting a set of custom ear plugs made. They are moulded to the shape of your ear and usually include 3 different types of attenuators (-10dB, -20dB, -30dB) so you can adjust them to your needs. They are also much more transparent. The foam ear plugs usually block out all the high frequenices and sound terrible, custom made ear plugs are nicely balanced and sound very natural... just at a lower volume.

A musician is nothing without his or her ears. Take care of them. The worst thing about tinnitus and permanent hearing damage is that you can't tolerate loud noises. As it gets more severe, the louder noises start distorting your ears and causing physical pain. Say goodbye to playing in a band, or seeing gigs... or even loud movies.

[Kacky]

Yee, that's true.

The first time my ears rang was after a show back in November. It seemed like that ringing was going for a couple days after, but it eventually went away. I now bring ear plugs to shows, just incase.

Damn, I hate when it rings like that though, it drives you crazy.

[cdejonge]

Since about the 10th gig I went to, I've worn ear plugs most times. Haven't had any problems for ages. I can still hear the gig fine and it blocks out all the talking, etc behind you.

[WhitefalconTLE44]

i am just a little worried about it since it is my first time, i'll definitely wear earplugs next time, and i'll take a little break from loud stuff. Thanks.

[Johnny_Wah]

Poor you man, hope it goes away. I remember reading here that someone (private_eye maybe?) said they went on medication and it reduced the ringing heaps. does that medication exist?

[Kev]

My hearing has been shot for ages now, mainly because I didn't wear earplugs at gigs.


Blame the high frequencies. Thats what makes your ears ring.

[damo0945]

there are some kind of tablets for tinnitus, speaking of which, my left ear is ringing right now...

[Kev]

there are some kind of tablets for tinnitus, speaking of which, my left ear is ringing right now...

Yup. I saw these advertised on TV the other day.

[Johnny_Wah]

Gonna get me some o' those then! I've got earplugs on order too, alpine they're called. They're attenuator ones too.

[Fritz]

yeah my ears ring all the time.... thats all i got sorry

[Deadcat Kaye]

Where do ya go to get ear plugs made?

I don't want me hearing fucked too badly by the time i'm in my 20s :)

[Johnny_Wah]

I guess you can go to an audiologist.

[Caiti]

I got some of the musicians earplugs and they're pretty good, if you talk to your doctor, they can probably refer you to an ear specialist to get them made.
I was kinda too late though, I have faint ringing in my ears all the time now :(

[Bec]

The worst thing about tinnitus and permanent hearing damage is that you can't tolerate loud noises. As it gets more severe, the louder noises start distorting your ears and causing physical pain. Say goodbye to playing in a band, or seeing gigs... or even loud movies.

Ah, I didn't know that! I've had constant ringing for a few months now and I thought hopefully that not being able to tolerate loud noises anymore meant I wasn't actually losing my hearing and I was just imagining the ringing. Even when I wear ear plugs to gigs now it still seems really loud.

The only advice I can give with the ringing (other than preventing it by wearing ear plugs as I know I should have done) is to try and concentrate on any other noise. The more you think about the ringing the worse it will seem.

[WhitefalconTLE44]

those alpine music earplugs are reusable right? so i can buy just one pair, and use them over and over again right?

[Bec]

Yes :)
10 characters

[RollOn]

Wow! Can i use 10 characters with them aswell? :p

But seriously, where would one buy a pair? I could only find you guys talking about where to get custom made earplugs.

[Bec]

I got mine from a place in Kew, I can't remember what it was called though. It used to be at Kew Junction but I think it might have moved.

[WhitefalconTLE44]

http://earplugstore.stores.yahoo.net/alnasoearpl.html
these aren't the custom ones, but they're the alpine ones and they sound (ha ha, pun) like they work.

[WhitefalconTLE44]

ok, i just found custom ones on a website, but it says you can choose between three different filters, how do i know which one would be right for me?
http://earplugstore.stores.yahoo.net/er915and25pr.html
I go to concerts a lot like the living end and other rock bands, and i am in my own band, does anyone have any suggestions?

[Johnny_Wah]

I've only found them on the net and I ordered them from http://www.bandtshirts.com.au. The Alpine MusicSafe ones.

[Bec]

I'm not sure what mine are, I think either 15 or 25. Whatever they are they work well and I can still hear everything the same, just quieter.
Anything above 25 might filter out a bit too much sound and I'd say below 15 wouldn't be protective enough.

[Grumma]

Since about the 10th gig I went to, I've worn ear plugs most times. Haven't had any problems for ages. I can still hear the gig fine and it blocks out all the talking, etc behind you.

Yeah I've found with plugs you can hear the instruments more clearly as well.
Not so much a mish mash of noise compared to when i dont wear them.
Same goes when i practise drums

[Incognito]

there are some kind of tablets for tinnitus, speaking of which, my left ear is ringing right now...

There are several types of tinnitus. One being pulsative tinnitus caused by blood vessels located closely to your inner ear. Thats right, some tinnitus is actually just you hearing the sound of your blood pumping through your ears. Medication can fix it. Diet also has an effect on tinnitus. Damage through loud noises still remains irreversable.


There are actually well know comments by a famous composer about standing in an anechoic chamber. An anechoic chamber is a room where sound doesn't reflect of any surface. Its the closest you can some to actually being in complete silence. In such a room, a person can turn away from you and speak but the only sound you can hear is the sound vibrating through the back of their head and outwards in your direction. In a normal everyday room, you'd hear their voice after it reflected off the wall in front of them and back in your direction. The composer noted that when standing in such a room it feels like you are hearing a piercing sound, but really its just the unfamilar total lack of sound that your ears are sensing. After a while you adjust and you can start hear some high pitched noises and a low pitched whooshing sound. The first being tinnitus, everyone has it to some degree it just depends if you can hear it or not given the ambient noise present in everyday life. The latter being explained as the sound of the blood running through your veins. Freaky.

[Strider]

I get crackling in my ears, but I think it's related back to sinus problems.

[thelivingvines]

I was thinking yesterday if you listen to the amount of noise out there in the big bad world its not surprising so many people have hearing problems- the tyre raw in some cars is fucking loud. Coincidentally I was sat at some traffic lights in a convertible just as a fire truck came past, and the fucking driver honked the horn right past my head. wanker.

[AlinaPOW]

lol this thread is getting me worried... i never wear ear plugs at gigs and i've been goin' to gigs for quite some time now... and i listen to my ipod everyday.... lol oh well... my ears are ringing now :)

[Deadcat Kaye]

Not too late to start wearin em I spose.

I've decided i'll start wearin em more often.
Depends what sorta gig it is I spose...and if i'm plannin on doin the front line thing...

[Grumma]

Coincidentally I was sat at some traffic lights in a convertible just as a fire truck came past, and the fucking driver honked the horn right past my head. wanker.

Shoulda gotten outta the way.

And that "tyre raw" as you put it will be me someday soon :cool:

[Johnny_Wah]

Shoulda gotten outta the way.

And that "tyre raw" as you put it will be me someday soon :cool:

Hah!

Earplugs came today too.

[Grumma]

I'm sure a V10 Dodge Charger will be reasonably loud :p

And expensive if Ford muscle cars are anything to go by.

But otherwise my SS will be fine and dandy

[thelivingvines]

Shoulda gotten outta the way.

And that "tyre raw" as you put it will be me someday soon :cool:

Oh, I was outtathaway, thanks chirps mcgee, I think they did it to piss me off.

tyre raw is the noise the wheels make on the road when the car is moving... not the screech- I'm not sure if you picked up on that.... that and I'm on the wrong end of the world for you to be anywhere near me.

all sorts'a trouble there....

[thelivingvines]

I'm sure a V10 Dodge Charger will be reasonably loud :p

And expensive if Ford muscle cars are anything to go by.

But otherwise my SS will be fine and dandy

one of the new v10 chargers went by me on the highway yesterday, and yes, it was bloody loud, and bloody fast.

....

I feel I have made myself sound like I am a slow driver with things roaring past me all the time... that is not the case- I was blessed with the art of bad timing.

[atomgal]

Okay, here's a really dumb question - can you start losing your hearing in one ear more than the other? I've always felt like I heard better out of my left ear, and now that I think about it, the PA speaker in band practice is always on my right. Does anyone know if that has an effect?

[Bec]

Yep, that sounds pretty much right. I'd recommend that you wear earplugs, at least in your right ear if you don't want one in both.

[damo0945]

yeah my left ear's a bit dodgy, i think it was the eardrum i burst when i was little, so that's a bit different...

[Sp0t]

well, i can't add much but ringing (or in fact, any stimulation) will automatically go away as the body becomes accustomed to the stimuli and reduce its effect.

i remember when i went to school one day, the fire alarm was busted and kept ringing non-stop. it was annoying as hell for the first hours, but at the end of the day, everybody hardly noticed. I only noticed it again after my parents picked me up and asked me what that ringing in the school was. so i guess the only silver lining in going deaf is that you get used to it...not sure if that's a silver lining after all : /

[Quakin Jake]

I heard that the ringing in your ears the day after you've been to a concert or something loud means that the frequency you can hear ringing is dying and that you'll never be able to hear that frequency again... I don't know how well i explained that...

[Neo]

thats weird. I get loud ringing in my ears randomly all the time, but the more I listen to music/attend concerts the more sensative my hearing becomes and things are generally louder, and i can hear things that other people cant, such as the high frequency hum of the air con system at a particular club, or the sound of radiation. although when i pick up my guitar and play along with my computer, or listening to music i have to have it turned up a little higher than most people to hear all the frequencies and it is loud at first but then my ears adjust and it seems normal, but when i watch tv or something its so freaking loud i have to turn it down so much cos it hurts even though everyone in my house seems to not be able to hear the tv when i turn it down and argue that the tv is at a decent volume level... and I know they are right because their hearing is fine.
is that weird? its like my ears have their own equalizer built into them or something.

[Beat Poet]

I've been drumming for eight years now and have always worn plugs for practising/rehearsals and the majority of gigs I've played/been to. My ears ring but I'm quite comfortable with it, although my right ear is a tad worse because the hi-hat is over on that side. I wear Doc's Proplugs, and massively recommend them.

[WhitefalconTLE44]

I just went to the doctors yesterday, and they gave me a hearing test, and i passed, so i guess i don't have any permanent damage yet. I still hear ringing once in a while though.

[WhitefalconTLE44]

Just got Alpine musicsafe earplugs, they really work. If your having trouble with your ears, or you play a lot of music, i'd highly suggest them. :D

[damo0945]

i know this has most likely been posted before, but how much is a good set of earplugs going to cost? i have $10 ones and they cut out a lot of treble...

[Neo]

The cheapest good ones ive ever seen were like $30

[Fritz]

screw ear plugs!!! rock and roll!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Kacky]

I bring cheap ear-plugs to shows... The ones that my dad gets from his work that come in little packages. Haha.

[Deadcat Kaye]

screw ear plugs!!! rock and roll!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hmm that's also saying
"SCREW HEARING!!"

I quite like my hearing...those foam ear plugs work fine...later on in life I'll get some proper ones made up but for now the cheap ones are fine... :D

[AlinaPOW]

yeah the cheap ones are good and i'm amazed how much sound they really do cut out... which is also dissapointing... the un-plugged sound is so much more raw and rock 'n' roll, i'm very tempted to throw away the ear plugs for ever

[Deadcat Kaye]

I always cut my ear plugs in half so it doesn't block out too much but at the end of the gig you can still hear fine..still get that good rock 'n' roll sorta sound. :D

Last nights gig wasn't loud at all...even without the ear plugs.

[Fritz]

I just use in ear monitors now.

Sure you gotta spent like $800 on a sound guy who has them but if its in the budget then its all well spent :D

You can hear everything perfectly and its not always that loud, so I doubt it hardly screws your hearing. Kinda like listening to a discman kinda quietly (cos they are foamed off aswell, so you cant hear anything from the outside world)

[WhitefalconTLE44]

The alpine ones cost me 25 bucks.

[damo0945]

do they sound good?

[WhitefalconTLE44]

yeah, they don't make the sound as distorted or muffled as the cheap kind you get in those little bag things. And they seem to work really well. I've just been using them for drumming and guitar so far, but i have a concert i'm going to saturday, so i'll let you know how they work for that.

[Johnny_Wah]

Yeah, they are awesome those ones. 35 bucks they cost me from bandtshirts.com.

[Aaron]

Good thread. I think unless people talk about it and realise how common hearing damage is on both sides of music (punters and performers), they aren't likely to realise how serious it is. I imagine that people think earplugs are 'uncool' before they realise how accepted hearing protection is these days. Ever since last year I've been wearing cheapo foam earplugs from work to every gig that I've remembered them for (going to 3 TLE shows and a Grates show in one weekend gave me a scary case of ringing ears..). But that's still a couple of years of sporadic gigs where I thought the pain was just park of the 'rock and roll' as Mick says.

Since I had a couple of minutes to spare at work, here's a price comparison for those Alpine MusicSafe earplugs. The Australian shop only sells plugs in a zip case with two levels of filter. The US and UK shops sell them in a hard sliding case with three levels of filters and a spare earbud, and a choice of white or grey buds.

Prices are for per set for 3 sets + shipping to Australia (give one to your gigging partner and sell another to a friend or family member for their own good).

AUS: http://www.bandtshirts.com.au/product_info.php?products_id=241
AU$116.00 = $38.67 per set

US: http://earplugstore.stores.yahoo.net/alnasoearpl.html
US$103.45 = AU$119.47 = $39.82 per set

UK: http://www.sensorcom.com/product.asp?numRecordPosition=1&P_ID=975
UK£48.80 = AU$113.54 = $37.85 per set

All pretty much the same, so unless you specifically want the 'Pro' variety or want to save a couple of dollars and don't care if you import earplugs from the other side of the world it doesn't matter much.

I'm gonna link to this thread in my signature for a while.

[Neo]

It looks like those Alpine music safe ear plugs are the way to go!!

[Aaron]

Curiously, the cheapo foam ear plugs have a higher noise reduction rating than even the high-strength filters in the MusicSafe ones:

http://www.e-a-r.com/e-a-r.com/roll_detail.cfm?prod_family=Classic%20P/Pack&ind_prod_num=310-1001001

But there's no info on frequency range. Undoubtedly, however, those cheap ones can cut out some frequencies entirely, meaning instruments sometimes disappear...

I'm still going with the MusicSafe ones.

[Aaron]

A friend of mine in a band (http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=93278095) mentioned 'Hearos' as an alternative:

http://www.hearos.com/earplugs/products-00211.html

They're cheaper...

[worry_rock]

My brother is a musician and he got a pair of ear plugs made specially for him, as he plays gigs regularly throughout the week. I can't remember where he went. I do remember they weren't cheap though :confused:

[_jimmy_]

i have these really cheap ones from the chemist that you sqeeuze and let them fill your ear hole. it's weirdest feeling ever

[Aaron]

Custom-making earplugs seems a bit frivolous when even the cheapest ones mould to the shape of your ear, like Jimmy said. By all accounts those MusicSafe or Hearos Hi-Fi ones do the job more than well enough (even for musos).

[damo0945]

does anyone have an attenuation chart for the alpine ones? those hearos still cut out a fair bit more treble

[Aaron]

Yeah, Damo, that should be in one of the links I posted on the last page.

[EDIT: Pics below]

Alpine MusicSafe Pro: (http://www.sensorcom.com/product.asp?numRecordPosition=1&P_ID=975)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v226/azfish/hearing_musicsafe.png (http://www.sensorcom.com/product.asp?numRecordPosition=1&P_ID=975)

Hearos High Fidelity: (http://www.hearos.com/earplugs/products-00211.html)

http://www.hearos.com/images/attenchart-hifi.gif (http://www.hearos.com/earplugs/products-00211.html)

[thelivingvines]

does anyone have an attenuation chart for the alpine ones? those hearos still cut out a fair bit more treble

that's because it's those frequencies which are the most dangerous at loud volumes, and the onces which you will lose first. I have those hearos and they're great. If you're serious about saving your hearing without having to fork out, get the tone right at a safe volume then crank it once you have put them in- if you'd rather be deaf for the sake of your tone then by all means go ahead

I actually though I had tinitus until a few months ago, turns out I have been living with a massive inner ear infection which has fucked up my eustacian tubes and gotten into my inner ear which is causing ringing and dullness. Hopefully mine will go away when these drugs they put me on eventually do their stuff.

[damo0945]

rightio, i guess i'll just stick with the hearos i've got then, tried them again today, they're not too bad really

[kempos2112]

My drummer uses the hearos ones, he reckons there good and he has been through allot of different types of ear plugs so im thinking of getting some. Do they have them at music stores or do ya have to order them online?

[damo0945]

i got mine at the local music shop, but they're the cheaper ones