Ear ache

[leif]

Hi folks,

About a month ago I tested what my stystem is good for when it come to playing loud. I have a pair of 4430 and a B460, with nuff power in the amps.

I did not play loud very long. Pink Floyd "shine on you crazy diamond" was on for about 2 minutes or so, and belive me when I say it was LOUD.

But afterwards, I got pain in my ears. Physical pain.
Now, a month after, it is still painful. I have been to my regular doctor, but she did not find anything wrong. So she sent me over to an ear specialist. He did not find anything either. At least not yet. But I have a new appointment tomorrow.
I am having pain when playing loud now. Even on not loud levels it is painful


Anyone experienced the same thing? Did the pain disappear?

[Zilch]

You've done the right thing to get doctor's care, for sure. Follow their advice. I think it will get better with time.

Please buy a hand held SPL meter and use it. These speakers can cause permanent hearing damage. I rarely let it get over 90 dB on the "C" scale, and 80 dB is more typical. It's easy for it to get out of control if you don't know what the actual levels are.

Interestingly, it's my subwoofer that causes my ears to tense up more than anything else. There's HUGE energy there, and if the room is tight, a lot of air compression involved. B460 can reproduce subsonics you don't even hear. Maybe tone that down for the duration, or disconnect it for now....

[JBLnsince1959]

Is it painful all the time, or only when you play music..

is there a ringing in your ears(?) or just pain....

10-4 on what Zilch said about the sub, I too experienced "pressure" from subs at times, particularly when I had my 4430's

[leif]

It is no no special sound ringing in my ears, like the sound you may hear after you have been to a consert or so. It is just pain.
The pain is not there all the time, but it come and goes. And it come even when I watch tv at regular levels.
I still feel that I hear well, and will get a confirmation on that tomorrow.
I also think that the sub may be the problem. But at the time that I played loud, it was the guitar sound that made me feel uncomfortable and turn down the volume.

Leif

[Titanium Dome]

When I used to regularly play bass guitar in a band, sometimes those SPLs would get pretty intense. I loved standing in front of the speakers! I can remember a few instances where my ears would bleed a litte. I'm sure there are other times I can't remember at all. ;)

I was lucky that my ears' tympanic membranes didn't rupture, but I recall one case where physical pain was a side effect of too much SPL. Apparently it somewhat dislodged the organ of Corti, which then started sending voltage pulses of action potentials that caused pain until the darn thing went back into place. Unfortunately I don't quite recall how that was acheived.

Here's a graph of an action potential. What's it look like?

[JBLnsince1959]

Man, not sure of what it is. I've played my speakers ( including 4430's with custom 2235 subs(2), redone C-35's with E series stuff, Cabaret Series , and 300's and more etc) well beyond what is sane and I've had no problems. In fact it's only the last 8 years or so that I've had a sound meter. Maybe I've just been lucky.

best to just continue seeing the doctors until they get it taken care of.

good luck and let us know what it is.

take care.....

[Zilch]

I don't need an SPL meter.

If it drowns out the continuous whistle in my head, it's too loud.... :biting:

["Duke" Spinner]

my hearings about average for my (old) age, i guess ...

i can hear to 14k, maybe 15k on the right day

don't know why after years of standing next to that 100w Marshall stack

anyways ...once after a concert that probably was Waaaaay to loud
my ear hurt for about 6 mo

it did go away, but "crackles" on loud noises

[pelly3s]

Im only 22, and I get all sorts of weird things happening to my ears. Nothing like having your head next the a BH-800 when lagging it to the floor in a club and having someone fire up the rig without knowing you are there. Or sound checking before some of the hiphop shows I do when you are at 128dB for like 2 hours i hate working those shows. but it pays the bills

[Lawrence HF]

Pelly, please, at your age when at loud sound work use ear plugs before damage is done that is not reversible.

[boputnam]

... shows I do when you are at 128dB for like 2 hours i hate working those shows. but it pays the billsCaution, dood. :scold:

Damage is irreversible, and your ability to creat a good natural (neutral) mix will be compromised and your engineer status ruint.

Please research, carry and wear noise-reducing ear plugs that don't alter the sound too much, and preserve your hearing. Furthermore get those master gains down to not exceed 105 dB. You are not helping your clientele...

http://www.shure.com/otws/tech/safe_listening.asp

http://www.dangerousdecibels.org/hearingloss.cfm

[leif]

Well, I went to the ear specialist again today, and he did not find anything wrong with my ears. He took hear test as well, and I had exellent hearing he said.
I find it odd that I have pain in my ears, but they can not find nothing wrong.
And as one of you said, you were bleeding from your ears. So was I.
Right after the loud playing, I found blood in my ears. The doctor thought that was too much to be true, and did not belive me on that. But it is true. Of course, it could be a coincident that I was bleeding right then. I don`t know...

Anyway, as expected, he warned me not to play so loud anymore. And of course, I won`t.

[Dynacoman]

I've been to quite a few concerts lately where the mix was pretty bad. I don't think it was the system.Gotta wonder if the board guys have some damage that precludes a proper mix.

[pelly3s]

I am lucky that i havent caused any major damage. its guys like when I did the Kanye West show where his tour manager wants to see the level that high durning sound check. I just make them happy. I ran a brief tour with George Lynch and the guitar's stage volume alone was 117dB at mix position at the Chance in NY. Yeah needless to say that wasnt the best time Ive ever had.

[Rolf]

Well, I went to the ear specialist again today, and he did not find anything wrong with my ears. He took hear test as well, and I had exellent hearing he said.
I find it odd that I have pain in my ears, but they can not find nothing wrong.
And as one of you said, you were bleeding from your ears. So was I.
Right after the loud playing, I found blood in my ears. The doctor thought that was too much to be true, and did not belive me on that. But it is true. Of course, it could be a coincident that I was bleeding right then. I don`t know...

Anyway, as expected, he warned me not to play so loud anymore. And of course, I won`t.
Well, sorry, but you are "one of us" I to have something in my erars. Nothing to do about it.
Rolf

ps. send email hvis du vil...finner du på "avitaren"

[Maron Horonzakz]

I think you need to find another dockter if he didnt believe you were bleeding from the ears. A good audioligist would have sent you to a Specialist. In the mean time keep sound levels low for the next couple of months. I have my suspishions on what happend. Your lucky dont push it.

[Earl K]

I have my suspicions on what happend. Your lucky dont push it.

- Yea, so do I. A ruputured ear-drum the size of a pin-prick . That'll cause a tiny bit of bleeding . This used to happen to soldiers all the time who were around artillery pieces .

- Leif,,, if I'm correct, you should avoid swimming underwater for sometime ( indoors or other / so you'll need to avoid that temptation of a quick dip in the North Sea ;) ) .

- Underwater pressure can cause the tiny pin-prick opening to reopen . This is quite a painful condition to be forced to endure while underwater ( to say the very least ) .

- Painfull lesson ??? Hopefully it's now over and done with :)


Right after the loud playing, I found blood in my ears. The doctor thought that was too much to be true, and did not belive me on that. - Never discount the apathy factor of any Doctor working for "The State" or the corporations' HMO . :p

[tomt]

leif-




Anyone experienced the same thing? Did the pain disappear?
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i never cease to be amazed how many things heal while on a vegetarian diet

no kidding

[sonofagun]

Huh?

What?

:blink:

[Ian Mackenzie]

Well, I went to the ear specialist again today, and he did not find anything wrong with my ears. He took hear test as well, and I had exellent hearing he said.
I find it odd that I have pain in my ears, but they can not find nothing wrong.
And as one of you said, you were bleeding from your ears. So was I.
Right after the loud playing, I found blood in my ears. The doctor thought that was too much to be true, and did not belive me on that. But it is true. Of course, it could be a coincident that I was bleeding right then. I don`t know...

Anyway, as expected, he warned me not to play so loud anymore. And of course, I won`t.

Are you married? That could do it:D:blah: .,

Gaffa tape her mouth and see if it helps!

Seriously, it might pay to see several specialists, ie not just an ear nose and throat surgeon and get a full health check up..you might have high blood pressure or some other problem that is referred pain to your ears such as sinus pain. Air travel can also cause ear problems. Try chewing peanuts and see of the pain goes away.

[Ken Pachkowsky]

Leif

I hope it all works out and goes away. I have been lucky as well. Anyone here ever suffer mussel blast from a shotgun? Jesus! that will ring your bell. I have had it twice while duck hunting from a boat. The compression from the blast is hard to describe. I never had any bleeding. I had my hearing tested last year and feel lucky to get up to just shy of 16k

Anyway, I wish well in your recovery.

Ken

[scott fitlin]

Leif

I hope it all works out and goes away. I have been lucky as well. Anyone here ever suffer mussel blast from a shotgun? Jesus! that will ring your bell. I have had it twice while duck hunting from a boat. The compression from the blast is hard to describe. I never had any bleeding. I had my hearing tested last year and feel lucky to get up to just shy of 16k

Anyway, I wish well in your recovery.

KenKen, dont you have a pair of shooters muffs, or good ear plugs?

Hearing protection is essential.

[Ken Pachkowsky]

Ken, dont you have a pair of shooters muffs, or good ear plugs?

Hearing protection is essential.

Scott, I am of Polish decent and thats far to obvious for me to come up with.

Ken

[scott fitlin]

Oh, well, that explains everything!

Next time your at your local gun store buying ammo, buy a pair of shooters muffs, they look like a set of headphones, and your ears will thank you!

Just dont spend a whole day trying to figure out how to turn the music on!


:)

[Titanium Dome]

I had this big McCulloch super pro gas chain saw in MI that could rip an ear (in more ways than one). I soon learned the need for ear plugs. I think that's the third-most deafening sound I've ever heard.

[lodoc]

I find it odd that I have pain in my ears, but they can not find nothing wrong

typical for what's called 'barotrauma'. seen with high volume music, percussion blasts, scuba diving, etc. if you would have been checked initially would have probably revealed bleeding around edges of tympanic membrane (ear drum) from small tears. if your hearing is fine it should heal as the TM is intact. if it still HURTS it's still HEALING. don't abuse them for a while. and remember, hearing damage is cumulative over the years. too bad the ENT's in your land don't communicate better. do you have HMO's or socialized medicine ? just kidding...

[John]

You know guys I don't care what kind of health system you have in any country anywhere in Europe or North America finding a good doctor is just like trying to find a good reconer.:(

Very hard, but if if by chance you do you hang on to him.:applaud:

[Regis]

Wow, good lesson to be taken to heart. I'm sorry you're having these troubles and the responses by our fellow members with info has been very intruiging to me. Having subjected my ears to a variety of abuse including the USMC (105 MM howitzer's, 45 ACP, M-16 with no protection, boy was I young idiot) and the NHRA drags, the Jet Car Nationals and of course my JBL's, I'm lucky. BTW, the Jet Cars are on this Saturday night at Los Angeles County Raceway, located just minutes from me in Palmdale.

Lief, I hope your hearing heals fully so that you enjoy your JBL's once again and I know you'll have learned this lesson the hard way (always the worst way, but you never forget those lessons, that's for sure). Good luck and let us know how it goes.

Regis