For those involved with racing or other loud environment: ear damage?

[Bmachine]

I was reading this story about the singer of AC/DC who decided to quit the band because the noise from his racing hobby had damaged his hearing and he was getting ringing in the ear constantly.

Although I would imagine that standing in front of a mountain of Marshall stacks every night probably has a lot more to do with it, I was at the Long Beach Grand Prix a few weeks ago and got a bad set of ear plugs and I had my ears ringing for a few weeks after that. I imagine that those who are involved with racing all the time must be really affected by this...

 

[dang]

I have tinnitus that comes and goes in my left ear. In fact it started back up just as I wrote this. 8-\ But, I damaged it one night while listening to a friend's band play at a club. The band that came on after his was REALLY loud and my left ear popped in a painful way right after they started playing. I left immediately and remember thinking that the sprinklers were on across the street while I was walking to my car. They weren't. That was about ten years ago.

 

[Bmachine]

It make you think that anyone who has been to their fair share of rock concerts and/or auto racing during their life would be affected by this issue.

One more "first world problem" I guess...

 

[Ohmess]

What'd you say? Speak up, I can't hear you.

 

[kasbatts]

I also have Tinnitus, both of my ears a ringing as I type (has been quite bad over the last few days)
Mine is I expect from 32 years in the cabinet making trade, many concerts and 30 plus years watching and competing in motorsports
Look after them ears, because Tinnitus is a pain in the arse ( or ears, as it happens )

 

[Nicad]

I am hearing impaired from years of being a sound technician and turning the headphones up a little bit more each day. In my daily driver I have a very powerful stereo, and know it is not a good idea turning that up as well. Mostly women's voices are muted at this point in time!

 

[CSteve]

The tennis courts where I play are clay. They purchased a motor driven roller. The other day it was running while we were playing and it took a couple of times complaining before our wonderful grounds keeper(but self-diagnosed OCD) shut it down. I have downloaded a decibel meter as an app and researched hearing loss. I will be prepared the next time he cranks that baby up.

It is shocking how low the decibels can be to cause permanent damage.
And I spent too much time with the chain saw and unprotected ears.

 

[Stevehose]

At this point in our lives that has nothing to do with hearing loss ;-)

Mostly women's voices are muted at this point in time!

 

[JFENG]

For those of you who knew Dennis McCluggage, she was a poster child for how motorsports will cause hearing loss. Per several Other posters, a big planer is just as loud as a heavy metal concert, and it doesn't take many repeated exposures to start the damage. My hearing issues stem from playing with fireworks and home made explosive devices as a kid.

I now keep a set of reusable ear plugs in all my old cars (Etymotic Research ER20 ear plugs). These are not the kind that totally isolate you, but rather just take the level down significanlty while still leaving most sounds intelligible.

John

 

[Bmachine]

It is really weird how this can sneak up on you. I went to see a specialist wondering why my right ear had been so affected and it turns out I have a case of "surfer's ear" on that side, where repeated exposure to cold ocean water causes the ear canal to start closing up as a defense mechanism.

That, in turn, kept me from properly inserting ear plugs at the races which then caused the damage and tinnitus in that ear.