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my poor ears : \

i have recently noticed that it takes me longer to recover my hearing from going out to clubs and i am wondering if anyone else has noticed this problem over time.

i think part of it could be due to the fact that i have gotten used to good quality speakers and headphones so my ears are much more sensitive to harsh sound...[clubs around here have bad systems] or could it be that i listen to music too loud on a normal basis? personally i don thtink i lisent to music that loud but compared to normal people i guess i do. i hardly go out... maybe once a month or so becuase i am so busy with school... someone please enlighten me becuase its starting to scare me when my ears are still not fully recovered two days after being at a club.

i know what you mean about the clubs sound systems! most up here think the speakers dont matter as long as they go LOUD! which is bollocks really! they should get decent speakers instead of burnt out amps every weekend!

Re: my poor ears : \

quote:

Originally posted by DjJade i have recently noticed that it takes me longer to recover my hearing from going out to clubs and i am wondering if anyone else has noticed this problem over time. i think part of it could be due to the fact that i have gotten used to good quality speakers and headphones so my ears are much more sensitive to harsh sound...[clubs around here have bad systems] or could it be that i listen to music too loud on a normal basis? personally i don thtink i lisent to music that loud but compared to normal people i guess i do. i hardly go out... maybe once a month or so becuase i am so busy with school... someone please enlighten me becuase its starting to scare me when my ears are still not fully recovered two days after being at a club.

It is mostly due to the fact that you are listening to loud music on a regular basis. When you goto the club, try wearing some ear plugs to help lower the sound a little bit. If the music is really loud then the ear plugs will only lower the sound down, you will still hear it without a problem. The frequency of times that you go out has nothing to do with it, if you listen to loud music a lot then that is what is causing this. Only where the ear plugs at the club and when you are home spinning just turn down the volume some. This is all just a suggestion.

Re: my poor ears : \

^^^ Bear's suggestions are very good, ear plugs are definitely a bonus and are not dorky... just laugh at the people who are ruining their hearing.

quote:

Originally posted by DjJade i have recently noticed that it takes me longer to recover my hearing from going out to clubs and i am wondering if anyone else has noticed this problem over time.

The problem isn't so much that you should be taking longer to recover, in fact it's the other way around. When you notice that it takes LESS time to recover, and when you feel as if you're "adjusting" to the sound (i.e. your ears don't hurt for a few days after - instead, they feel normal-ish on the next day, and completely regular the day after that) - THEN you should be worried, because you are causing damage to the receptacles in the cochlea (I'm pretty sure that's what it's called) in your ear. That's basically the place that transforms the sound into electrical signals. You don't want to damage that.

I'm no expert on this matter though! Because, on the other hand, I can easily see the ear getting infected or the ear drums getting damaged, then one could carry pain with them for a longer time afterwards.

Certainly, if you feel pain in your ears the next few days after going to a club, then I would definitely say that you should go see a doctor.

Otherwise, take Bear's advice. Just generally listen to things at a lower volume. Here are a few hints and tips that I've learned over a while:

1. The proper volume to listen to music is at JUST the level when you can hear the music properly. (!!) The first time I learned that I was quite shocked, because it seemed way too soft for me. The way to do this is, on your CD player for example, turn the volume all the way down until you can't hear anything. Then slowly increase the volume until you get to the point where you can hear the music adequately, and can make out all the details etc. You probably will feel uncomfortable, because you WANT to turn it up a bit more - but your ears will eventually adjust.

2. If you're listening to a CD player (or MD, or MP3, or whatever) in a bus or car or any other noisy environment, try to "preset" the sound level *before* you enter that environment, and keep it at that level throughout. This is because when in a bus (or subway etc.), the amount of volume that is present can get very deceiving, due to the interference of outer noise. However, this might seem absurd because, if you keep your CD player at a "regular" volume while in a bus, you probably will barely hear anything at all!! When I'm in that kind of a situation, I just don't listen to my CD player anyway. Be warned - although you might think that you're listening to a safe volume, when you get back home (or in a low-noise area), just check your volume level. You may be surprised that it's set at an immensely loud level that you normally wouldn't listen to at home! And you were exposing yourself to that throughout the entire bus trip! (or wherever) Certainly an eye-opener! (or EAR-opener? )

When in a bus, your headphones are giving out the same amount of volume as they would anywhere (like at home, etc). So if you have to increase the volume - beyond what you would usually be listening to - in order to hear the music properly, then it's not a good idea. Your ears will usually ache after a while, which will clue you in.

3. Club advice, just read Bear's post above. Ear plugs and another key thing - try not to be too close to speakers. They are designed to provide adequate sound to the entire club, meaning that they are more powerful and louder (than you should be listening to anyway!) the closer you get to them. So if you're right up to them, that's an insane amount of volume right there. If you find (or anyone else) that you can bear that punishment (at "point blank range"), then it's a very good sign that you've damaged (destroyed, even?) your ears. Of course, it depends on the sound system itself. In a smaller club it could be more tolerable.

4. Spinning at home - read Bear's post above as well.

quote:

i think part of it could be due to the fact that i have gotten used to good quality speakers and headphones so my ears are much more sensitive to harsh sound...[clubs around here have bad systems] or could it be that i listen to music too loud on a normal basis?

This reminds me - it's ok if you listen to music at a normal level most of the time, then listen to it at above normal levels at infrequent opportunities. For example, if you go clubbing once every one or two weeks, exposing yourself to super loud levels (without ear plugs) then I don't think there should be much of a problem. The problem occurs when you prolong exposure.

quote:

personally i don thtink i lisent to music that loud but compared to normal people i guess i do.

Like I said above, what you think is "normal" can be very deceiving, depending on where you are!

quote:

i hardly go out... maybe once a month or so becuase i am so busy with school... someone please enlighten me becuase its starting to scare me when my ears are still not fully recovered two days after being at a club.

That's not a problem... if your ears recover fully two days after being at a club, then you're getting slight damage. I remember when it almost took me a week to get back to normal. Now, I recover the next day usually. Bad sign.

You know what, based on reading up on your situation, I wouldn't worry at all. I think you're just getting a placebo effect of sorts. I mean, ear damage is a serious issue, but it's not like ears are THAT fragile.. the human body is well designed. Of course, it wasn't designed to withstand 110+ dB of clubbing goodness, but then again, if you don't go out every other night and stand next to the speakers, you should be fine... (usually)

If there's one thing that you should remember from all this, it's:

Pain And Discomfort Are Your Friends!!!!

If you ever feel pain, or any discomfort in your ears, either stop listening to the music or turn it down, even if you think you're listening at a safe volume! Pain is your body's way of telling you, "Stop, you Fool!!!" Remember, your body knows what's good for it better than you do. Listen to it.

Pretty much Alccode summed it allllllll up!

Clubs are notorious for pushing levels too hard and having poorly balanced systems.

A general rule of thumb is, if you have to raise your voice so that people can clearly hear you the music is on the loud side. You'd expect this at a club, but not at home!

A word on ear-plugs: be careful about what you buy.
The very best are specially made and custom moulded to your ear, often known as musicians earplugs. These have excellent noise rejection characteristics and are pretty comfortable. You'll almost certainly have to travel to an audiology department (e.g. hearing center, hospital) to have these made, and they are expensive. But, continued good hearing is an investment worth making.
Cheaper ear-plugs don't have such an even (or powerful) sound dampening effect, meaning the music sounds different rather than just quieter. And they're almost always less comfortable for long use.

just another piece of advice when you go clubbing:

take frequent breaks. dun stay out on the dancefloor for the whole time...go get a drink, go to the bathroom, smoke near the exit, whatever. as said before, prolonged exposure is one sure-fire way to damage your ears, so give them a break. wut i usually do is, like for example, at PvDs 6 hr set last week, whenever he'd play a song that i wasn't going nuts to, i'd walk to near the exit where the sound wasn't as loud to rest my ears. ended up i'd take a break every hour or so for like 10-15 minutes. probably still not enough, but better then not doing anything at all about ur ears y'kno?

magnesium

get more magnesium in your diet.
its like vitamin C for your eyes

ear plugs........hahahaha

quote:

Originally posted by deejay2002 ear plugs........hahahaha

this is no joke, I wear them

http://www.etymotic.com/info_exchange/FAQ_Earplugs.html

i'm gonna be deaf by like 22...

I've been considering earplugs lately...I do feel embarrassed though.

I wear the etymotics everywhere I go.
well..all bars, be it loud or not, its loud enuf to hurt me.
its kind of goofy, but i was careless long enuf to do perm damage to one ear(thank you Crystal Method)

I dont need it to be worse

speaking of which, you still have to order me a pair of those jason

i'm not ashamed to wear earplugs
i'll happily wear them
i'd rather wear a little earplug now than a big hearing aid later

good advice

i never have sore ears after a long night clubbing, i find this worrying? ive only been going out regularly for 6 months too...

what do you guys think?

hey ive wanted some ear plugs for a while now, can i just ask do you have to goto a audiologist and get special moulds or are there more 'generic' ones, i dont really have alot to spend on these plugs i just want something that will protect my ears, allow me to hear comfortably and clearly... what should i look out for?

Why in God's name would anyone be embarassed about wearing ear plugs? That's like saying you are a cop and you feel stupid for wearing a bullet proof vest. Earplugs save your ears! If you are really serious about becoming a proffesional Dj, then it's part of the job to wear earplugs! You can't mix anymore once you can't hear all the frequency ranges without decent accuracy, and you surely can't when you develop tinitus and loud noises do nothing else other than make your ears resonate with a horrible ringing noise.

How stupid or embarassed will you feel when you have to wear a hearing aid for the rest of your life, starting in your early 20s? I'm sure all the women will find that oh so attractive. And I'm sure you'll enjoy not being able to mix again--the one thing that you love so dearly now will cause you severe pain!

quote:

Originally posted by Dj Flesch Why in God's name would anyone be embarassed about wearing ear plugs? That's like saying you are a cop and you feel stupid for wearing a bullet proof vest. Earplugs save your ears! If you are really serious about becoming a proffesional Dj, then it's part of the job to wear earplugs! You can't mix anymore once you can't hear all the frequency ranges without decent accuracy, and you surely can't when you develop tinitus and loud noises do nothing else other than make your ears resonate with a horrible ringing noise. How stupid or embarassed will you feel when you have to wear a hearing aid for the rest of your life, starting in your early 20s? I'm sure all the women will find that oh so attractive. And I'm sure you'll enjoy not being able to mix again--the one thing that you love so dearly now will cause you severe pain!

You are right...you shouldn't give a shit what people think..it's worth saving your hearing. BUT, you must admit, it's a bit embarrasing having these wank pieces of yellow foam sticking out of your ears...especially after a couple of people make comments like.."what the hell you wearin' those for?"

quote:

Originally posted by drewfactor You are right...you shouldn't give a shit what people think..it's worth saving your hearing. BUT, you must admit, it's a bit embarrasing having these wank pieces of yellow foam sticking out of your ears...especially after a couple of people make comments like.."what the hell you wearin' those for?"

i'm never embarrased
i just tell them
"my ears are my life, my main source of income. i need to take care of them."

Get yourself a pair of musicians' plugs !

I never spin (or go clubbing for that matter) without them.

yea, eventually i'm going to drop the cash for some fitted plugs
but for now the 3m foamy things will have to do

so how many of you djs wear ear plugs when you play in clubs? what kind (musician or the yellow foam things)? and do you think that they affect your djing abilities/skills at all?

I have worn them for the past few years.

As i work on average 4 nights most weeks it would be the sensible thing to do

I use industrial standard (nuclear power station issued lol) ones at the mo which do not give the muffled effect that shitty foam ones do- ive found them to be pretty good.
I also use a pair from studiospares that are also good and quite cheap

Soon will be moulded/fitted for some custom ones (www.hearingprotection.co.uk)as soon as i can get the time to do it, as im starting to notice other problems, no doubt cause from work.

ive had tinnitus since birth, and it never goes away.....you know that whining/high pitched sound the TV gives off? I have that in my ears permanantly.

A dj i know actually ruptured one of his ear drums last year...he had been a pro dj for 12 years.. He still works, but it can be painful for him sometimes.

Hey, you guys are giving good advice but being deaf myself (i have a 90 decibal hearing loss) and I go to school for audiology so this is pretty much my area.

What you are talking about is called Temporary Threshold Shift (TTS). This is when your ears adjust to the constant high decibal level that is blasting out of those speakers. You know those tiny ass bones in your ears? What happens is there are muscles that are attached to those bones that tighten up so the bones don't move as much. This causes the bones to not push the cochlear fluids as hard, causing a decrease in hearing threshold (you hear everything softer). It's your body's own way of dealing with the constant high decibal level.

What happens is when you get out of the club, into normal levels, your muscles remain tight on the bones, causing them not to move as much and causing your hearing to remain at a lower level. Eventually the muscles ease up and your hearing returns to normal as the ear realizes that it doesn't need to take the precautionary methods to protect your hearing.

However, over time it will take longer and longer for your ears to get re-adjusted and go back to normal levels. If this keeps continuing, you will get what we call a Permanent Threshold Shift (PTS). Just like TTS you will have a constriction on the hearing apparatus causing you to be able to deal with the constant loudness. However once you get PTS, it never goes back. As its getting longer and longer for your ears to adjust to the normal levels outside of a club or your headphones, soon enough they just won't adjust leaving you with a hearing loss probably in the mild to moderate range (30-45 db hearing loss).

You will also find that the frequency of your hearing loss will match the frequency of the noise that is hurting your ears. Hence a mother listening to her baby cry all day long on her shoulder next to her ear will have a hearing loss around 1k-3k freq range since the baby's voice is that high.

The musical earplugs are definitely the way to go. While blocking out all the loudness they still allow for some frequencies to pass through so you can hear much better with them rather than normal earplugs.

As for me, when I dj or go to clubs I got hearing aids that just put a cap on the peaks of the levels im listening to so I can listen to shit as loud as i want hehe (thank god for compression!) But trust me, as cool as technology in hearing aids are, buying the earplugs and not losing your hearing in the first place is definitely the way to go.

You can pm me anytime about this stuff, its what I go to school for heh. Hope it helps you understand whats happenin in your ears.

try not to be near the speakers when u club

well what can u do...thats a thing that sucks in the club

but for me , almost every club I went to wasnt so noisy expect a sucky one who killed my ears for one day at least.

The worst thing is bass (subs) so really stay away from them

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