Hearing loss in one ear? Or something different??

[mike577]

Please answer my question.  I really need some sort of help.  I am in a very successful rock band and have been listening to loud music and going to concerts for years. About a year or two ago, I noticed my right ear was going bad.  Sort of...  I began wearing earplugs for any loud event, but see, it's not exactly hearing loss.  It is more muffled and less clear.  And it might be slightly quieter than my left ear (which is fine), but im finding I have to wear earplugs now because things seem more piercing in it.

I have had to get my ear wax cleaned out a few times throughout my life and have experienced the temporary hearing loss that it caused and I must say this is different.  It does not feel like the same problem but it is just as annoying.

I have not gotten it checked out yet because I am very scared.  I am only 21 years old and I need to make my music.  I can't quit.  I don't understand.  Famous bands playing for years in huge arenas still seem to be fine.  And they wear earplugs of course but do the kind they wear work better?

I don't know what to do and right now as I sit in my home typing this (in complete silence) I still feel a difference.  It feels as though there is a blockage or something.  Maybe it is just earwax?  But as I said it doesnt seem like the same feeling.  It's not THAT muffled.  Just...different.  and Sounds that are loud MUST be turned down for they are more piercing than before.  I used to be able to stand it.

What is this?  From what i've read, it doesnt exactly sound like the general hearing loss.  Certain things add up to that but others just dont make sense.  I thought with hearing loss you have to turn UP the volume...not down.

I really dont want to have to get a hearing aid or something of the nature.  It would ruin my career and life at this point.  And Im not sure that is what I would need anyway.


Can someone PLEASE give me some sort of explanation and advice on what to do to preserve what I do have?  The past few days it seems to have gotten worse and I don't understand that one bit.  I havnt even been around anything loud.


So what is the answer?



Thank you,

Mike

[Wear/a/Jimmy]

The answer is you have a hearing loss. There is no real mystery here. It is simple logic, if you blast yourself with loud sound, you get a hearing loss....  much like if you stand in front of a moving train you get squashed.

The professional artist also have hearing loss

http://books.google.co.th/books?id=nDhpLa1rl44C&pg=PT1019&lpg=PT1019&dq=proffesional+musicians+hearing+loss&source=bl&ots=zKVjRXGAoR&sig=NglNBilQpYKWjjLdEtPxz5sSIUE&hl=en&ei=THwNSva2BIL06AOl7rj0Bw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=7

89% of the professional musicians have hearing loss....  the end.

Now, there has been a trend lately to try to put an end to this or at least to try to curb some of the occupational hazards of bieng a music artist, and that has been through the use of ear plugs with special valves in them, or with IEM, in the ear monitors. Essentailly every musician with any amount of fame use them.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9INf5GwiQac

You can see them in David A. ears, but you will also notice he is using one...  which is common and not appropriate but he is doing it anyways.  He is wearing one to block out the drums behind him.

a source for such ear monitors are

http://www.ultimateears.com/_ultimateears/store/custom/index.php

The idea behind ear monitors is that it protects your hearing, allows you to hear yourself and you no longer need a wedge speaker in front you blasting you.

I have a company that actually makes custom IEMs for half the price as the above mentioned link.

Like I said, you are not alone with your hearing loss, I have fitt musicians (even famous ones) with hearing aids, and they still work in the music business today.

My advice, you should learn about what you are doing to your  hearing and protect your risidual hearing as much as possible. When you reach about 60 years old, you will lose hearing naturally due to the ageing (aging) process. That hearing loss compounded to your current one will be very devastating.

Good luck

[Nancy T]

You need to see an ENT with an audiologist on staff to get your hearing tested if you need to see your hearing loss in black and white to believe it.

The "muffled" feeling though still able to hear could mean a high-frequency loss. I have severe high-frequency hearing loss in one ear (due to sneezing, not loud music), and if I plug my good ear I can still tell that people are talking--I just can't tell what they're saying. With high-frequency hearing loss, you can hear the vowels but not the consonants, and thus you can't understand words to any meaningful extent.

As for thinking it's not an actual hearing loss because things are "piercing" or you have to turn the volume down, I wonder if you have what's called "recruitment." It seems paradoxical but can go along with hearing loss, making a small increase in volume seem like a painfully huge one.

I am not an expert; W/a/J who answered your post above is an audiologist, so he will please correct me if I got anything wrong.

Take his advice! Save whatever precious hearing you still have, because once it's gone, it NEVER comes back.

[Wear/a/Jimmy]

recruitment is a symtom of cochlear damage, so yes Nancy I have no doubt he has recruitment issues.  

[mike577]

Thanks alot everyone.  I can't begin to say how much I wish this wasnt true.  But thank you anyway and I will see someone about it.

Why is it that I can actually FEEL a difference though?  Regardless of sound, even in complete silence or noise, the inside of the ear actually feels different.  Like it is being blocked or something.



Thanks again.

[Nancy T]

I'm not sure why your ear feels "different", but I know that when my sudden hearing loss occurred, it never occurred to me that it was a permanent, inner-ear hearing loss; I assumed that it was just "plugged" somehow, until I was finally sent to an ENT for hearing test.

If you see an ENT and audiologist, they will be able to tell if there is anything going on with your ear besides hearing loss.

I don't understand why there isn't more awareness and promotion of hearing protection in the rock-music world. The older musicians who can't hear anymore ought to seriously warn the younger ones! Of course that goes for other areas of our noisy lives, too. After I lost my left-ear hearing and became more aware of what hearing loss means, whenever I'd drive a carful of my kids and their friends to a concert, I handed out earplugs and MADE everyone put them in their pockets and promise to wear them. I don't know whether they did, but at least they had the option and some awareness. I would describe my tinnitus and try to scare them with the thought of having a permanent ringing in your head. If AIDS activists and health authorities can pass out free condoms anywhere, why can't musicians pass out free earplugs for everyone at their concerts!!

[Wear/a/Jimmy]

An easier and chearper sollution is, turn down the volume.....

Regarding your quest for public awareness, which in my opinion is like warning people that dog dung stinks (pretty obvious)

http://www.hearnet.com/

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/celebritynews/2448946/Mick-Jagger-raises-awareness-on-hearing-loss.html


and you can bet Bryan Adams signed a huge contract with Phonak to run around and tell people it is a bad idea to blast yourself with loud music.....  

[Nancy T]

Thanks for posting those links, W/a/J.

Unfortunately, sometimes people miss or ignore the obvious. Or just don't care, thinking they are invulnerable. And they're having too much fun.

[Guy1313]

I have the exact same thing, Mike. It's terrible. I thought it would never happen to me, because I always had excellent hearing. Didn't want to be the dork at the concert (or on stage) with the earplugs. Now, I have a high frequency loss in my left ear. Haven't been formally diagnosed, but I know it's there. Noises irritate me more (at reasonable volumes, even), when I rub my ear on the right side of my head, it doesn't sound as crisp as on the left side, I can FEEL something different like you explained too, and I have tinnitus. Happened three days ago after a show, and hasn't gone away. The saddest thing is that I didn't pay attention to the warning signs (ears would ring more often after practice and concerts, etc.) Now I'm afraid that it may be permanent. I have been taking vitamins A, C, E and drinking a ton of green tea to hopefully provide some antioxidant protection, but I don't know what the results will be.

I pray that this goes away. Since it has only been a few days, I am hopeful that some of the loss will naturally reverse itself, but only time will tell. Hearing is such a precious thing. I wish I had been more careful. I will never go with out earplugs again. I don't want to lose more than I already have.

This study may be helpful for the future: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090212093704.htm

Best of luck to you, Mike.