So... I got my hearing (and eye-sight) tested.

[xalama qo]

Went to the 'hearing aid technician guy' today for a free test. Had a blast!
He's got a way cooler sound booth than I do Had a great chat to him about ears and their complex inner workings... did you know that the 3 small bones in the ear actually act as an amplifier to compensate EXACTLY for the loss of volume which occurs when the vibrations are transferred from the air in your ear to the fluid-filled cochlea? Mind-boggling design!

Anyway, I went because my ears are invaluable tools of my various trades, and often I hear stuff that some others don't... and I needed to check it wasn't ego and delusion speaking louder than my eardrums. Also I'm 38 now, and 40 is when life begins (supposedly), but it's also when everything begins the slow decline, like your eyes, for instance. So I was looking for a baseline measurement to refer to before time takes its inevitable toll.

In light of the disgustingly bad health issues I've had this year, I've decided I might as well get checked from top to bottom, seeing I'm throwing so much money at doctors anyway (don't dwell on that mental image too long now... move along!).

I'm ecstatic to learn that my eye-sight is better than 20/20, and my hearing has only 2.5% damage, which the technician said is less-than-negligible, and that it would take some serious direct ear trauma (like a vuvuzela being blown directly into one's ear, believe it or not) to get my hearing trending toward the 10% damage zone, which is when you need to start thinking about being more careful.

I'll also refrain from bungee jumping, because apparently even one jump can cause tearing of the retina, which immediately excludes you from any laser eye surgery correction... apparently.

So, in light of my rougher than rough year so far, I at last have something to be truly thankful for! I know there are some regulars here who have serious sight and hearing impairments or disabilities, and my thoughts and sympathies go out to you all!

And please, fellow KVR-ians, I urge you to take care of your eyes and ears. Take breaks from the computer screen, don't monitor too loud or too long. Use a limiter on the master buss, and all that.
Don't take your hearing for granted, it will deteriorate with time, particularly in the 4-6kHz range so crucial for speech and musical definition. You however can control the rate of that deterioration by being pro-actively sensible.

All in agreement say 'aye'.

[bjporter]

All in agreement say 'aye'.

Some good advice here... it's all too easy to get wrapped up in this. It's better to apply this to all your life... office work, video games, youtube/facebook/tv... be careful people

[xalama qo]

Yup, balance and routine have been the buzzwords this year as I've been crawling out of my domino-effect health-hole. In my defense my sedentary lifestyle and the many spin-offs from that were not self-inflicted.

It all started with a seemingly innocuous back injury, which soon seized up, and over a period of 10 years the symptoms snowballed until I came to a complete halt last December.
I REALLY have empathy for guys like Theo who are largely bed-ridden due to back problems, and who have hearing impairments too.

The irony of my situation has been that my back settled into a dysfunctional-but-functioning alignment, and stayed there for about 8 years. Then after much therapy of every kind, and particularly acupuncture, it started to slowly shift.

But the shifting back to healthy alignment has brought me to my knees.
Imagine dislocating your shoulder, and then the doc says "ok, I'm just gonna pop it back into place, it'll only take 3 months."
That kind of intense incessant nerve pain drove me to the end of myself, and just when you think it can't get any worse, it does.

Anyway, a difficult year for me, of healing, but going through fire in the process. But the trend is upward. I'm all too aware of others who aren't as blessed, who have to accept the pain and frustration as a permanent fixture in their lives, short of a miracle.

Fortunately I believe in miracles, and I think I'm in the middle of one right now. There's still some more gritting of teeth ahead of me, but the trend is upward, and I'll take the pain in order to get back to full health. That's the plan, the destination.

And my eyes and ears work properly too! Yeehaw!

[Tricky-Loops]

I'll also refrain from bungee jumping, because apparently even one jump can cause tearing of the retina, which immediately excludes you from any laser eye surgery correction... apparently.

Not only this, it can also damage the blood vessels and all other organs, and it can lead to tinnitus, too.

Same applies to fast roller coasters (especially with tricky loops ) and other extreme fun rides (except ghost trains).

I think there are healthier ways in life to get some excitement, for example hiking or climbing, or maybe parachuting...

[fese]

I'll also refrain from bungee jumping, because apparently even one jump can cause tearing of the retina, which immediately excludes you from any laser eye surgery correction... apparently.

Not only this, it can also damage the blood vessels and all other organs, and it can lead to tinnitus, too.

Great, I didn't even bungee jump and still have tinnitus - something's fishy here.

[Tricky-Loops]

I'll also refrain from bungee jumping, because apparently even one jump can cause tearing of the retina, which immediately excludes you from any laser eye surgery correction... apparently.

Not only this, it can also damage the blood vessels and all other organs, and it can lead to tinnitus, too.

Great, I didn't even bungee jump and still have tinnitus - something's fishy here.

There are hundred other ways to get tinnitus, too...

You can just pass a construction site and someone is rolling around with his plate compactor, and you can get tinnitus, too...

[musikmachine]

And please, fellow KVR-ians, I urge you to take care of your eyes and ears. Take breaks from the computer screen, don't monitor too loud or too long. Use a limiter on the master buss, and all that.
Don't take your hearing for granted, it will deteriorate with time, particularly in the 4-6kHz range so crucial for speech and musical definition. You however can control the rate of that deterioration by being pro-actively sensible.

All in agreement say 'aye'.

Aye!

I went into an ear test place a few months ago, i'm supposed to go back for a full test but i've been putting it off.

He said he sees a lot of guys in the music industry who haven't taken care of their hearing or not got them checked until they start to notice issues and by then a lot of damage has been done.

So yeah, look after your ears!

[xalama qo]

I'll also refrain from bungee jumping, because apparently even one jump can cause tearing of the retina, which immediately excludes you from any laser eye surgery correction... apparently.

Not only this, it can also damage the blood vessels and all other organs, and it can lead to tinnitus, too.

Great, I didn't even bungee jump and still have tinnitus - something's fishy here.

Funny you mention that. We spoke about tinnitus, and apparently it's a brain *malfunction* (sorry), not damage to the ear. He says the ear is only a receiver, so there's no way it can tell the brain there's a high pitched ringing sound if there isn't one being received, so tinnitus is actually caused by the brain telling your ears, or itself, that there's a high pitched zing going on.

I often get temporary 'tinnitus' for lack of a better word. Doesn't sound like crickets chirping, but it's a constant high pitched whine/sine tone which will seem to zoom in from the one side move over to the other, then zoom off again.
Maybe I have bat ears, or dog ears, I dunno, but I've experienced it since childhood, and it's totally random. Kinda like that high pitched whine from good old CRT tvs and computer screens. I don't have any fillings, so I know I'm not picking up radio stations!

Totally bizarre. At least now I know it's in my head and not my ears!

[Tricky-Loops]

I'll also refrain from bungee jumping, because apparently even one jump can cause tearing of the retina, which immediately excludes you from any laser eye surgery correction... apparently.

Not only this, it can also damage the blood vessels and all other organs, and it can lead to tinnitus, too.

Great, I didn't even bungee jump and still have tinnitus - something's fishy here.

Funny you mention that. We spoke about tinnitus, and apparently it's a brain *malfunction* (sorry), not damage to the ear. He says the ear is only a receiver, so there's no way it can tell the brain there's a high pitched ringing sound if there isn't one being received, so tinnitus is actually caused by the brain telling your ears, or itself, that there's a high pitched zing going on.

I often get temporary 'tinnitus' for lack of a better word. Doesn't sound like crickets chirping, but it's a constant high pitched whine/sine tone which will seem to zoom in from the one side move over to the other, then zoom off again.
Maybe I have bat ears, or dog ears, I dunno, but I've experienced it since childhood, and it's totally random. Kinda like that high pitched whine from good old CRT tvs and computer screens. I don't have any fillings, so I know I'm not picking up radio stations!

Totally bizarre. At least now I know it's in my head and not my ears!

It can have multiple causes:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tinnitus

Without brain you couldn't hear it but that doesn't necessarily mean that it were a brain damage...

[fese]

Great, I didn't even bungee jump and still have tinnitus - something's fishy here.

Funny you mention that. We spoke about tinnitus, and apparently it's a brain *malfunction* (sorry), not damage to the ear. He says the ear is only a receiver, so there's no way it can tell the brain there's a high pitched ringing sound if there isn't one being received, so tinnitus is actually caused by the brain telling your ears, or itself, that there's a high pitched zing going on.

Well, great, now it have a brain damage on top of all other things, too... This is getting better by the minute. I should've never left my mother's womb, it was downhill from that moment on...
Luckily, my tinnitus isn't too bad and most of the time I don't even notice.

[Tricky-Loops]

Great, I didn't even bungee jump and still have tinnitus - something's fishy here.

Funny you mention that. We spoke about tinnitus, and apparently it's a brain *malfunction* (sorry), not damage to the ear. He says the ear is only a receiver, so there's no way it can tell the brain there's a high pitched ringing sound if there isn't one being received, so tinnitus is actually caused by the brain telling your ears, or itself, that there's a high pitched zing going on.

I should've never left my mother's womb, it was downhill from that moment on...

If a pregnant woman is shaking her belly too much because of dancing to tarnce music it can cause tinnitus in the fetus, too, because of the monster waves in the amniotic sac...

[fese]

It can have multiple causes:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tinnitus
..

Wow, that sure are a lot of possible causes. Didn't know that. I can safely rule out "Withdrawal from benzodiazepines" but some others fit nicely.

[xalama qo]

Apparently you can go for therapy to learn how to tune it out. But the ear-guy said it's usually a long process, like 18 months to 2 years.

I'd imagine that if you're musically/sound inclined that it would be more difficult to tune it out because you're more aurally aware than the average Joe who doesn't ever think about his ears except for when he hears an annoying ring intruding.

If hearing aids are needed then they can mask the tinnitus to a degree by balancing the frequency response of each aid to counteract it... not just low passing, that would make it worse... cause it's in your head dude, it's in your head!

If you're seeing dead people at the same time, well, then I wouldn't know how to advise you!

[xalama qo]

If a pregnant woman is shaking her belly too much because of dancing to tarnce music it can cause tinnitus in the fetus, too, because of the monster waves in the amniotic sac...

Reference please.

[xalama qo]

Good wiki article... it describes my RF hearing quite accurately. At least it's not the aliens tapping into my brain and reading my thoughts. That's a relief.