Protect your ears

[Inversible]

Hello,

I noticed something yesterday: Very very rarely do YouTube producers remind people to protect their ears. Yet this is such an important topic.

So here's a little reminder that it's crucial to protect your ears in your home studio, however small it may be. The same goes for concerts etc.

Since last year I have had a beeping noise in my left ear. At the time, I was still mainly using headphones. I was always careful with loud music, also because I was very afraid of it. So now the beeping annoys me a lot at some points in life. According to the doctors, the eardrum is fine - no damage. Maybe it's also due to neck tension that I'm not aware of or something is wrong with my jaw joint, I need to have that clarified.

But enough from me. How do you protect your ears? Do you take regular breaks? How loud do you listen to music?
Do you already have tinnitus due to music production?

Have a nice week!

[mjolnir]

thanks for the reminder. earplugs help.

[an-electric-heart]

I'm 43 and have no tinnitus or anything, so I'm very grateful for that... being a musician and all!

But this topic allows me to tell a story. A couple years ago I had wax in my ears, and in my desperation trying to get out I actually compacted it in, and I'd say I lost 90% of my hearing due to the wax. I made an appointment to see an audiologist, but it took 2 days to get in. Lying in bed trying to sleep the night before my appointment I envisioned a life without hearing, and realized being deaf is "spending my life trapped in my head with nothing but my own thoughts" and then I had the thought "what if this is permanent?"... and suddenly I had my first ever panic attack, I was 40 (or 41) and had never experienced one before. I was wired and up all night after that. The next day I got my ears cleaned out, and it was no big deal but the audiologist said "that was really bad, you've bruised your eardrums", but I got my ears checked several times and the bruising quickly dissipated... but, after that I developed an irrational fear of losing my hearing, not only that, but after my first panic attack the flood gates opened and I developed panic disorder and started having them all the time. I had to quit my job as a event manager because I suddenly couldn't handle any stress at all without having a panic attack.

I worked a stress free, minimum wage job for a year, but eventually felt I was ready to go back to management... and I did.

But long story short, I really REALLY look after my ears now. I mix at low levels and wear earplugs at gigs.

I'd also better acknowledge that the above story might be a little insensitive to those that have lost their hearing.

[Uncle E]

When you monitor at low levels, you hear less of the room, your speakers are flatter and distort less, and your brain doesn't get tricked by the bass sensation. Turn down to a whisper and notice how easy it is to detect problems.

I have tinnitus. You don't want it.

[Cavey Arrgh]

I have tinnitus as well. I wore earplugs a lot in my youth (still do), and at nearly every rave I ever went to. The audiologist I went to most recently implied that even low level noise, if it's day in and day out can be harmful. She said for example if your job is in customer service and you're always on a phone headset, 8 hours a day, five days a week. However she is not an ENT doctor so take it with a grain of salt.

All this is to say, there are many factors at play, and everyone's physiology is different. I know ppl who were very careless and have no issues.

[empphryio]

Medications are a primary cause. Just even a lot of aspirin. Also probably a diet lacking in some nutrients though no idea which nutrients.

[revvy]

Ah yes indeed, what we need is a bit of unsubstantiated 'medical' bollocks.

For my part, I ate chives a lot as a kid and now have pretty bad tinnitus. So, go figure.

[empphryio]

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4025186/
"Salicylate's ototoxic properties have been well established, inducing tinnitus and a sensory hearing loss..."

[revvy]

Yes, what most have to worry about in terms of tinnitus is their daily aspirin usage, yes, yes



(Not the case, of course, https://tinnitus.org.uk/understanding-t ... -tinnitus/)

[osiris]

Too late. Too many nights at the club on party drugs standing in front of speakers.

[foosnark]

I have low-grade tinnitus that is usually easy to ignore. I do think there's an anxiety factor with it... or else, noticing and worrying about it makes me notice and worry about it more in a feedback loop

I use headphones or earbuds a lot, but not loudly. When I do turn things up a bit more (when mastering for instance) I try not to push it too much and I take frequent breaks from it.

[Constructed Identity]

I'm really greatfull I don't have tinnitus at this point. I do have some hearing loss on my left due to one night in particular going to a rave in a basement years ago. So, yea, protect your ears.

[Inversible]

@an-electric-heart
Thanks for sharing your story. That also worries me when I read it.

[Inversible]

When you monitor at low levels, you hear less of the room, your speakers are flatter and distort less, and your brain doesn't get tricked by the bass sensation. Turn down to a whisper and notice how easy it is to detect problems.

I have tinnitus. You don't want it.

Do you have it on both ears? Or on "only" one?
An for how many years now? That really sucks. I am sorry for you

[Inversible]

Ah yes indeed, what we need is a bit of unsubstantiated 'medical' bollocks.

For my part, I ate chives a lot as a kid and now have pretty bad tinnitus. So, go figure.

Did your comment refer to the post above?