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For the past 56yrs of my life, I NEVER paid attention to the health of my hearing. Until I started learning the violin I just never realized what sensitive and critical instruments they are.
For the past 30 yrs, I've been punched and kicked in the head more times than I can count, with the inevitable fuzziness/ringing that accompanies that type of contact; I've used q-tips the way mothers & teachers beat you for using Q-tips; I never thought anything of swimming and going out in cold weather.... all the things that people normally do.
But in the past 3 mo.s I've become VERY protective of my ears and fearful of hearing loss as I age.
Anyone else with the same concerns???? What precautions do you take????
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I'm not too worried Fred, if you can hear too good you can hear what everyone is saying about you.
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I started protecting my ears about 10 years ago when I first got tinnitus. I have these specially formed earplugs with different filters that the orchestra purchased for anyone who wanted them. They are expensive because you must have the form made to fit your ear at the audiologists office. Today they offer do it your self kits that you send to the manufacture but I haven't tried that. It is much cheaper. I posted a link somewhere on this forum quite some time ago.
Our ears are one of the things that we cannot have fixed or changed. Protect yourself when you can.
Last Saturday and today I am playing a rock opera and sitting right next to the drummer. You could not imagine the volume. Like sitting right next to fireworks. Often you have a clear plexiglas cage around the drummer.
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
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Fred sed.....
"For the past 30 yrs, I've been punched and kicked in the head more times than I can count, with the inevitable fuzziness/ringing that accompanies that type of contact "
Aha! That would explain it!
(Guess I have been lucky, just the one kick that made my vision dissappear, but only for a second or two and I stayed on my feet. It was delivered by the guy that coached the German national team, but tbh I didn't even see it, which was the worrying thing)
I'm more concerned about having spent 2-3 years as a roadie for a local rock band when I was 19. I wonder what long term damage that did to my hearing.
I'm more careful now, when my G/F talks to me I only half listen thus protecting what hearing I have left.
I am amazed at how old people of my age are.....
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I'm more careful now, when my G/F talks to me I only half listen thus protecting what hearing I have left.
That might be good for your hearing. Not so good for other stuff...
“It is more fun to talk with someone who doesn't use long, difficult words but rather short, easy words like "What about lunch?"”
--Winnie the Pooh
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I've had tinnitus since I was very young, so protecting my hearing has always been a priority!
I have a cheaper version of the fitted ear plugs that FM mentioned which seem to work good! They have the removable filters in them that cancel out the extreme high & low frequencies that can damage your hearing. The thing I love most about them is that they don't muffle the rest of the sound! You can hear perfectly with them in!
I've actually used them at metal concerts and fests! The only thing I don't like about them is that after prolonged use (usually after a few hours) they tend to itch. But they use a universal fitting (small, medium, large, et.) which to me, is worth the itch! lol I think I payed in the neighborhood of $30 for them 10 years ago.
“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” ~Benjamin Franklin
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Lmao Tony! You're not worried about what people say about you do you, lol.
Yeah FM, your hearing is your livelihood! I'd like to check out the link to those filters when you find it.
Yeah Terry, you knew there had to be a reason for my dumbassitis right! And yeah, if you were a rock band groupie [lol] for 2 - 3yrs, that would destroy your hearing! Btw that's probably a good deal you've got with your GF; she probably only wants you to hear half of what she's saying! 
Okay, so far, only FM has answered my question with any degree of seriousness, lmao,,, anyone else who is concerned & somehow protecting themselves?
HEY! Where'd my pencil, clock, scissors, & note GO!
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They dont hand out ear plugs when you shoot rifles and artillary at other people... so my hearing is somewhat damaged in the right ear, maybe 60% of what it should be... I'm guessing, the left is pretty good, I'd guess maybe 80-90% and now I'm pretty aware of the excessive noise around me, in the shop and at the range.
I wear muffs when running a gas engine, the dragster engine (very loud), grinding, or anything louder than yelling at me from 10' away.
That's the best I can do and the hearing seems to get a little better with the years, maybe just wishful thinking.
"If you practice with your hands you must practice all day. Practice with your mind and you can accomplish the same amount in minutes." Nathan Milstein
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My hearing is probably damaged already by clubbing and loud music in walkman/ipod and now the violin! OMG why is this instrument so freakin loud? Not much I can do and I dislike wearing ear plugs because with them I hear my heartbeat so loud it's creepy lol. FM, next rock opera say the drummer smells or farts and pick the position far away from him? 
"It can sing like a bird, it can cry like a human being, it can be very angry, it can be all that humans are" Maxim Vengerov
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I am not one to typically go to loud concerts, but the other night I accompanied some friends to an imitation Beatles performance. The concert was quite good, but it took place in a rather small bar-type environment. The speakers were already getting to me by the end of the concert, but what really put me over the edge was the screaming of the crowd at the end for an encore performance. My hearing felt "foggy" for nearly 2 days after the concert.
Having just started learning the Violin, and still being quite young, I am not more fearful than ever of doing long-term damage to my hearing. I know that I probably lost some high-frequency hearing the other night, but from now on I will be wearing earplugs to any concert that I go to. As a matter of fact, I have tickets to go see Queen Extravaganza this summer and know that the sound levels will probably go through the roof. I am going to have to find some good earplugs before then, because I really want to enjoy the show without screwing up my hearing any further.
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Denny, if your hearing is getting better as you get older,,, I want some of whatever you're smokin! lol
Okay, so nobody seems too worried about it; ya just go about your business as usual and try to be somewhat conscientious of it. I know I'm going to be more careful about what I subject my ears to in the future.
It really has surprised me how much better my hearing has become when it comes to tones in just 4 months.
Oliver said
Some old timers wear an ear plug in the left ear only.
Guess i'm the old timer then, LOL! I put a cotton ball in the left ear, when play without the mute =)
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That might be great for me also just one earplug! ok I'm adding this to my case, I still have some new ones somewhere.
"It can sing like a bird, it can cry like a human being, it can be very angry, it can be all that humans are" Maxim Vengerov
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What?
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everyone else asks for earplugs when I start playing!
this is a trial
set I'm going to try on my cat later......
I am amazed at how old people of my age are.....
Honorary tenured advisor
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"It can sing like a bird, it can cry like a human being, it can be very angry, it can be all that humans are" Maxim Vengerov
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