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Am I hearing things (you don't) ????

About 5 years ago I started to notice a ringing in my ears. This is not a debilitating condition and I have learned
to tune it out. More disturbing however is an inability to tolerate high frequency "Noise". An example would be
the sound of plates clanging against each other as you remove them from the dishwasher. This type of sound
feels somewhat painful. At the RMAF last month after day one I found I could no longer listen to anything and enjoy it
as my ears felt fatigued. ( stayed too long at Raidho). I had a pair of ear plugs but failed to employ them at all times. Normally I listen at an average of 70 db. per my free phone app readings. 
I seem to notice during quiet moments a very low frequency off and on rumble sound. I thought it might be a piece of equipment in the home so I shut everything down, walked outside around all sides of the home thinking it might be emanating from a neighbor. No go. Its in my head. 
At age 60+ I have probably been subjected to my share of excessive noise but have never been an artillery man or Navy Gunner for example. 

Anyone else have similar experiences?
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geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
It’s perhaps one of the biggest ironies, among many ironies in this oft bizarre hobby of audio, that those who claim to have no hearing issues or problems can’t hear what they’re listening to whilst those who do have issues such as hearing loss can hear plain as day and know the difference between this and that.
djones51
4,947 posts
 
I’ve only noticed the ringing the last couple of years as my hearing is getting worse. My wife has had it longer and is coping with it better. The ENT she saw who worked at the same University she does and also does research on this told her in simple terms, your brain expects sound and as you lose hearing it compensates by providing sound hence the ringing. My ENT says my hearing is only lousy at high frequency which in normal for my age 62. I also have dizzy spells and they have been testing for meniere’s disease though I don’t have classical symptoms it also could be a neurological problem. In other words it sucks getting old. Should know more when I go back in Jan. The OP mentioned artillery, my father was in artillery during the Korean war and suffered hearing loss about 70% in one ear and small amount in the other, he had tinnitus most of his life and always talked about how certain noises , like the plates clanging, were actually painful. We always had heavy stoneware dishes as they didn’t seem to clang in a way that bothered him.
prof
3,469 posts
 

Trust geoffkait to show up and troll even a thread devoted to hearing health.

D'ya ever think of taking a break?  Maybe try buying a puppy?

geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
prof, you’re firing on all four cylinders today! A little testy, are we? I thought we were buds. I hate to judge before all the facts are in but I suspect I know a little bit more about hearing than you do, professor. Is this another thread you supposedly own?
prof
3,469 posts
 

geoffkait,

Yes I'm rather a bit sensitive about this issue.  These are quite serious for some people (including me right now).  Your remark, clearly one of your usual digs at people's hearing perception of the type you always throw up in the controversial tweaks threads, is the type of thing that makes people here feel less comfortable about discussing hearing issues that can affect us audiophiles.

It's just a d*ck move on your part to import that crap in to a thread like this. 

If you want to add some of your authoritative content "about hearing" that you think *might actually help someone* why don't you go ahead.  Just...try!...not to be a d*ck about it by moving things to your usual hobby horse of taking the p*ss out of everyone.  

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