Just had a tube inserted into my eardrum yesterday

[beasleybodyshop]

I asked them if I could have a black plate RCA as I prefer its smooth midrange, the ENT doc just looked at me with a blank stare

In all seriousness, I have had fluid behind my ear since last october. It felt like someone draped a blanket over my left ear.

Getting your eardrum lanced is probably the weirdest damn feeling in the world. After they pierce it and suck all the fluid out (the sound of which is akin to a demon screaming inside your head, now I know how crazy people feel) they stuff a small tube that pretty much looks like a fender style eyelet. I resisted the urge to request a double lug turret as it is more useful, for I was still recovering from the demon scratching noise in my head. lol.

It is amazing how much that stuff affects your hearing. Doc told me I have some mild permanent hearing loss above 11Khz and now with that tube in my ear high frequency is back. I can hear people whisper, I can hear the TV from my bedroom, hell, I can turn the radio up to five and it doesnt sound mushy. It's kind of an emotional thing, like waking up and opening your eyes after not seeing anything in a long time. Made me really value what hearing I have left.

[skyboltone]

I have severe hearing loss in my left ear and profound loss in the right. You can hear 11Khz? You lucky bastard. In my case it's industrial noise damage and a pretty bad set of genes. My Dad and all of his siblings, 6 of them, had severe to profound hearing loss and only two had industrial or construction exposure. The rest were classroom teachers. So, who knows if I could have avoided it. I had an ex wife that loved to scream at me over the phone. I use my right ear for phone conversations. Yup, that's the reason.

Dan

[Leo_Gnardo]

Eleven K, why you're only missing the top octave. Join up with (us) ol' geezers & geezerettes.

Compare with my 94 y/o neighbor. I just took him to his audiology test last week. Flat line, both sides, 110 dB down. He has a hearing aid, and it's a miracle it punches thru that sort of deafness to any extent. No matter, most all commo with him is done in writing. So you ain't too bad off, yet.

Plenty of rest & relaxation, & use ear protection. One of my customers, a young man in his 30's, remarked he noticed his hearing was indistinct after a day of using not-too-loud power tools. When you're young, your hearing acuity springs back in hours or days. Not so much the older you get. My neighbors used to give me such a look, years ago, when I wore shooters muffs while mowing the lawn. Now THEY do it... geezers!

[Meat&Beer]

I've probably had about 3 sets of tubes installed in my head cabinet when I was younger. Recently, I went in for a check up and the nurse looked at me completely dumbfounded and said, "There's something blue in your ear!"

Yea, that's a remnant from a tube that didn't come all the way out. Of course 2 other doctors and an audiology test later and my hearing is completely normal for my age. But oh, we need to take that tiny piece of rubber out of your eardrum that's been in there over a decade and never given you any problems!

...No thanks, I'll just leave it there. Probably shouldn't, but, we get more and more stubborn as we age I guess. I think as hearing deteriorates, thick-headedness increases at a directly proportionate rate.

Someone could probably make a neat chart outta that. Straight outta the RCA manual lookin even!

[Smokebreak]

In all seriousness, I have had fluid behind my ear since last october. It felt like someone draped a blanket over my left ear

I feel your pain buddy. I had to get a tube in my left ear about 4 months ago due to the same blockage. I always had ear infections as a kid, but they stopped decades ago, only to come back with a vengeance a couple years ago. This last time my eardrum exploded in the middle of the night, which normally actually relieves the pain, but all the fluid still wouldn't drain, and I spent about 3 mo with the biggest "conjunctive filter" in my left ear. As you know it can be quite emotionally taxing too when it's hard to keep up with conversation, and grow tired of saying "What?" . So, it was tube time, once again. In my case, I've got Estaucian tube dysfunction, coupled with severe allergies , that cause the fluid buildup in the first place. Now I'm on allergy drops, which is the modern, more pleasant alternative to the shots. Life is great now, and I can hear what my amps sound like again, albeit with a fucking hole in my eardrum
My point is, I hope you get to the bottom of what caused the buildup in the first place, as it can act up again , at any age. Oh yea flying is a breeze(literally) with tubes, if you ever had that knife in the ear feeling at 10,000 ft.

[Smokebreak]

double

[Smokebreak]

Triple

[Bob-I]

Hearing loss is often not detected because people hear sound, but can't make it out. They assume people are mumbling, of the TV has bad speakers, whatever. My father-in-law has bad hearing but will not even consider seeing an audiologist because he thinks he can hear. My wife has the same hearing loss and the audiologist says she only hears 50%. She has hearing aides but won't wear them, she says she hears noises like her hair rubbing on the aides.

It's very frustrating to others because she not only doesn't hear what we say, but she asks us to repeat what others are saying, dialog on TV and movies, mixes up consonant sounds, F and S, G and T.

Protect your hearing, not only by wearing plugs but also by having regular hearing tests.

[Bob Simpson]

A ruptured eardrum, surgically repaired 40 odd years ago, is kicking up again. Result: tympanomastoidectomy with ossiculoplasty required....

Coming up in the next couple of weeks...

Sucks.

However the ENT gives me an 80/20 I'll hear better when it's done...

Then for the tinnitus...

Bob

[M Fowler]

I've had so many surgeries on my left ear since age 5 when they removed a tumor and graft on the ear drum. Also, again at age 12 more surgery for infection losing the anvil and stirrup with more grafting, no swimming that summer.

Hearing worsened in the Marines from light weapons fire and 155 howitzers along with tinnitus.

Then I really hurt my ears playing loud Rock & Roll and the tinnitus is now on overtime these days.

Sounds like your tubes are working good.

[boots]

Getting hearing aids is the best thing I've done for myself - wish I would've got them 10 years earlier. You don't realize what a disability poor hearing is until you get it corrected.

I ruined my hearing partly from growing up on a farm and working around loud machines, then later drill rigs, etc. Oh yeah, and from being around loud music. Don't forget this fact, you can't get it back. Your hearing won't grow back if you ruin it, so wear your plugs.

[skyboltone]

<snip> My wife has the same hearing loss and the audiologist says she only hears 50%. She has hearing aides but won't wear them, she says she hears noises like her hair rubbing on the aides.

It's very frustrating to others<snip>.

Bob, this is none of my business but I would lean on that young woman in what ever way I had to to get her to use them. She's missing life. My wife has loss and has told me basically to FO because she's not getting an exam and will not wear aids. I have to. I won't play that "what'ed she say" crap with her until she at least gets tested. I suspect she's missing 20db or so above 1500. She's willing to let others suffer for her disorder.
As to your wife, all that background amplification stuff drops to insignificant with time. Sometimes restaurant and other crowded venues get tuff but I just act old and difficult in those situations and I'm fine. Dan

[xtian]

I am digging my new in-ears from 1964ears. Took me years to justify the expense, but as you say, hearing does not grow back. I've played only two gigs with these, but am already impressed. The sound is great. I like what I'm hearing WAY better than floor wedges.

But the only way this works in a band setting is to have a sound guy you trust to get the mix right. I mean, I can hear myself so well, I have to fight the sensation that I'm playing and singing WAY louder than my bandmates. On the other hand, I have never had a night of singing like I did on Saturday--hearing myself this clearly really cuts down on tuneless caterwauling.

I bought the cheapest wireless setup I could find to try to ease into this financially: Galaxy AS-900. Used on eBay, $130. The noise floor is higher than I'd ever listen to at home, but in a band setting, it's fine. No dropouts. Still on the same set of batteries after about 10 hours.

[JoeCon]

xtian

... tuneless caterwauling! One of my favorite bands of the 60's man. LOL.

[NickC]

xtian,

Is your whole band using in-ear monitors?