From lists@oceanbeach.com Wed Mar 16 17:30:02 2011
Subject:Re: MUSIC and Tinnitus and Hearing loss ??

For the past 3 or 4 years at NAMM I've had my hearing checked in the H.E.A.R. trailer down in the Hall E dungeon. They only test a few frequencies, and it's not the best testing environment because of all the background noise. But every year my hearing has come back normal for my age (46).

But I spoke with one of their audiologist MDs because, even though my hearing apparently tests normal, I know I'm having more difficulty understanding conversations in noisy restaurants. I'm also much more sensitive to loud noise than I used to be when I was younger. It turns out this doctor was one of the developers of a test called HINT (Hearing In Noise Test), which tests the ability to hear in low signal-to-noise-ratio environments. Not many audiologists perform this test and it's on my list of things to look into.

About 10 or 15 years ago I got a set of "musician's earplugs" - custom earmolds with Etymotic attenuators. I have 9 dB and 15 dB attenuators. They are awesome for attending concerts and I wear them all the time at shows I'm attending. But I've never been able to wear them while playing. They seem to filter out the keyboards and I end up playing much louder than I ordinarily would, irritating my bandmates in the process. Several other musicians I know have reported the same issue - they make it harder to hear your own instrument. I'll have them in for a song or two, end up fiddling with them, and then end up taking them out. Fortunately as we've all gotten older the bands I play in have a much lower stage volume, but still, hearing loss is something I worry about.