If you are older than 25, I have a question to ask you.
Remember all those things your parents said about loud noises, particularly loud music? Well they were right. The louder you listen to things, the more problems you are creating for yourself when you are older.
Let me explain.
When I was younger, I enjoyed listening to loud music. One of the proudest moments of my young life was when I purchased my first sound system ($100 I think is what I saved to buy it). I listened to it loud. It was the 70s; it’s what you did.
Later I bought a Pioneer 8-track player for the car I drove. Music was louder then.
Fast forward to my early 50s, and the ringing in my ears is with me all the time. It never goes off, never gets quiet. Always ringing.
And yes, I know that tinnitus is not caused by to loud music as much as it is likely caused by a single extremely loud noise that affects the neurons related to the hearing process (or, in my case, since I can recall when it was not a problem with one ear, and then it became a problem in both, I suspect it was in fact two loud noises that caused my problem).
I know this, that it grows more irritating with each year.
Why is it that when we are young we feel ourselves immortal, and as we age we discover the folly of youth contributes to the slow deterioration of our senses?
Life isn’t fair.
Still I would love to be able to do a few things that would give me a break for just a bit of time from the constant hissing/ringing in my ears.
Because, you see, it isn’t enough to just have tinnitus, I think my hearing probably took a few shots by living in a constantly loud urban setting for many years.
So now I find myself hearing but not hearing it all, from my wife’s words to my workmates comments, to my child’s conversationa.
What would I do different? First, I would go back to the few things I remember that likely caused the problems, namely going shooting with a friend without ear protection. One shot was all it took to cause ringing in my left ear.
And I would not have sat so close to a speaker during a dance I went to with my daughter a few years later. That DJ owes me!
What can you do to prevent hearing trauma that impacts your hearing?
Wear ear protection when appropriate.
Turn down the volume on the earbuds and in the car.
Cause, in truth, it doesn’t matter how old you are. At some point noises that are way too loud will eventually catch up with you and you’ll miss again the things you can no longer hear.
Like silence.
That’s my thought. What do you think about hearing loss?
Update: After writing this I came across this study which indicates there might be help for those suffering from tinnitus.
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
Nice post! I agree your points and its strange also. Thanks for sharing this post with us.
You certainly are right, sir! I was in a heavy metal band for about half a decade in high school and college and then did my own “music thing” for a while after that. I’m still in my 30s, but I’m not-so-anxiously awaiting the inevitable… (Same with my “enforcer” reputation on the soccer field and aches and pains – those have already cropped up on me!)
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Age catches up with us at some point. My boss has a son who was bass player in multiple bands. He has hearing aids now…in his 30s because of it.
I’m right there with you. I am all but certain that my ringing is a result of the 1970′s, too many rock concerts, headphones, and a VW with too many speakers. I have completely lost the ability to hear the higher spectrum.
Now, here we are 40 years later wishing we could undo.
I’ve looked for solutions with no success. The doctors say it is nerve damage that cannot be reversed.
Living in a city didn’t help that either!
How right you are. I have no idea what loud noises got me. But the lack of silence is definitely a challenge. I wonder if any of your readers have found effective cures?
Isn’t it strange to long for silence?