Ears and Earplugs

[Killerpuppies]

I'm hearing-impaired to begin with and I *already* have mild ringing in my ears - I have no desire to make it worse. Occasionally I forget my earplugs, and I always regret it when I do. It can be painful if certain things are turned up too high.

Yeah, I do too, have a 40-50% loss from birth and have the constant ringing in my ears as well. Left the hearing aids back in the hotel figuring it was gonna be loud enough as it was. And I was right. Sound didn't bother me at all, until,....

Symphony X.

Now THAT was loud. And I was sitting almost near the top of the seats on the opposite side of Romeo. So, I can just imagine how loud it must have been for people with normal hearing that didn't have the protection.

Left after both Accolades were played and probably before Odyssey kicked in but for me, it was just too late and too loud at that point and I knew I was going to go through more the next day anyway, so I packed it up at that point.

Rage smoked and I still can't believe everybody bolted out of there after Evergrey's set.

Da Pup.

 

[Ninkasi]

I don't wear earplugs because I don't like sticking ANYTHING in my ears. About five years ago, I used to wash out my ears with water, q-tips, etc. Then, at some point, I got a really bad inner ear inflamation in one ear and a mild inflamation in the other because of it (I was keeping them constantly clear of earwax and thus open to infection). After enduring over a month of it with treatment (it was very painful) it finally went away but I still couldn't get water in my ears for about six months afterwards (I did twice during that time and they got inflamed both times). Then, at that point, they started producing excessive amounts of earwax and they have been doing that ever since. If I don't have the wax removed by a doctor beforehand, the plugs will push the wax deeper in my ear canals - sometimes to the point where I can't even hear through them anymore when I remove the plugs. This happened recently except that it was because I dove 20 feet down in a lake without equalizing my ears - the pressure forced the wax really deep in my ears and I couldn't even hear through one of them at all (the other was about 50%) until I had the wax removed a few days later. The ironic thing is that the excessive wax actually helps to protect them from loud music. That is, unless I have it removed beforehand like I did when Iron Maiden played here a month ago. I should have brought a headset (what I use for targetshooting) for when Motorhead played (I was four rows back). I really don't go to many concerts, though.

 

[arnavut]

Is it possibe for a rock/metal show to be loud enough to rock but not as loud for us to not need earplugs?

 

[freakchylde]

Yeah, I do too, have a 40-50% loss from birth and have the constant ringing in my ears as well. Left the hearing aids back in the hotel figuring it was gonna be loud enough as it was. And I was right. Sound didn't bother me at all, until,....

I've got an 80%-20% loss, i had no problem standing right next to the stage. didn't even have an increase in the volume of ringing in my ears afterwards. quite happy.

 

[jaimek]

I'm not sure what the actual % loss in my hearing is, as I haven't been tested in ten years, but I'd guess I'd have 90% hearing in my right ear and 75% in the left, a result of either (or both) a nasty recurring virus when I was 18 months old that caused a very high fever, and lots of ear infections. It's nerve damage, basically.

I can *hear* for the most part, but voices in particular get garbled (I always make people stay on my right side), and if there's background noise, that makes it all the harder for me to understand what people are saying. I also get ringing in my ear at night when it's silent, so I have to have a fan running - the white noise stops the ringing.

I prefer not to lose any more of that hearing, so I use plugs.

 

[mgirishfan]

Maybe I should start....I have been to hundreds of concerts - plenty of LOUD ones too, and plenty standing near the stacks....and I still have friggin bionic hearing....someone's cell phone or reminder alarm on the PC goes off at work halfway across the building and I hear it....I'm already 40 so I dunno....maybe I should try them though - I might have lasted longer for Rage if I'd had a pair, LOL!

 

[X man]

I think that Symphony X's sound engineer will cause earplug sales to skyrocket next year-signed, "HUH?,What did you say?"