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ear care

I work in a loud enviroment, about 85 to 90 db. I wear foam ear plugs 29 nrr and ear muffs 30 nrr. I work a 12 hour shift but no more than 3 days in a row. I also wear hearing protection when mowing the yard, snow blower, and motorcycling.I'm 56 years old. Will probably work up to 65. My right ear is fine. The left ear rings which is probably why it does not test as well as the right ear. It has had this ring since I was about 19.I only listen to music about 4 hours a week. Peak spl about 94 db. Most of the music is below that. Listen to classical, jazz, blues, blugrass, and a little bit of rock.Any audiophiles out there that work in similar conditions and care about there ears. I'm hoping to enjoy this hobby into my 70s if I live that long with decent hearing.
saygrr
cwlondon
1,210 posts
 

My office is pretty quiet, but my commute is 90 miles a day on a motorcycle.

I hope that by using in ear headphones and not playing my iPod or HiFiMan players too loud means I am not necessarily damaging my hearing?

This is an important thread for all of us, and I think it takes less than a loud working environment to damage one's hearing.
foster_9
1,638 posts
 
I listen to my stereo for at least an hour a day and my left ear has been bothering me lately so I keep the volume down some when I'm actually in the room. Ear fatigue is real so I pay attention to it. I play drums for fun in my spare time too and wear ear protection when I do. I know some damage has occurred over the years from concerts, loud music etc. My advice is, just pay attention to how your ears feel, be aware of the volume when listening to music and do the best to protect your ears. I'm 57. I would never go to a concert anymore without at least carrying my ear plugs in case I needed them. I use the ETY plugs
elevick
2,636 posts
 
Have you tried listening in mono? Things may sound much better in mono vs stereo since you are getting such an imbalance.
Work sounds rough but better than asbestos removal...
See an audiologist about custom fitted earplugs that will prevent leaks.
roundmoundofsound
74 posts
 
I have used etymotic's earplugs for some time when mowing my lawn and using the snowblower. I also used them when I attended automotive auctions (I was a buyer for a new car dealership)where loud ambient noise is the norm. One thing I noticed is when attending auctions where 6-10 lines of auto's were going at the same time, they filtered noise to allow me to concentrate easier on the lane I was buying in.

Whether its these plugs or just foam plugs, you only have 2 ears and I have not heard of a hearing transplant!
tpreaves's avatar
tpreaves
2,686 posts
 
Invest in some custom fitted ear protecton. They're worth every penny spent,IMHO. Also,have your ears professionally cleaned at least twice a year,I didn't realize how much sound I was missing before having it done.
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