Check, check and check on painkillers, (thankfully I don't need them) and no caffeine, I use quality earmuffs, (shooting style) while doing any yard work or using noisy machine tools, I am wondering if alchohol intake has any negative side effects as I do enjoy the evening cocktail or beer/wine. I actually got most of my new (used) audio gear off Audiogon for superb savings, if new I would have about 11k in my system. It's kinda heartbreaking that I can't fully enjoy it to its full potential. I do plan on seeing a hearing specialist to understand if there is anything in my daily activities that is causing a problem. I do daily morning road bicycle rides, and I even wear ear plugs as the wind noise is surprisingly loud.