Protect your ears!!!!

[kirk]

I think I am about to become the "you're going to go deaf" guy. Never listened - now I might not ever again!

Anyhow, after a gig on Friday night I was on my way home and my left ear and jaw...basically the whole left side of my head hurt. Doc said it was an infection. Went to practice last night and after about 10 minutes of playing I was wincing in pain.

I stuffed cotton in my left ear, and noticed something strange. Everything in my right ear sounded completely muffled. Took out the wadding in the left ear and I can hear nothing but higher frequency sounds.

I am making an appointment to get the ears tested, but I am pretty sure I have damaged them. Hopefully the infection is just messing with me......but learn from my mistake please.

[JJEMMER777]

Kirk, do yourself favor and get some custom hearing protection, ASAP!

they are expensive, ($ 200 or so) but what's your hearing worth???

This is just one of many options:
http://www.etymotic.com/ephp/erme.aspx

It's worth it

[andy7jem]

I sincerely hope it is just the infection. Best wishes and good luck Kirk.

[Eco]

Good luck man, hope its just a temporary thing.

[Algiman]

Originally Posted by JJEMMER777

Kirk, do yourself favor and get some custom hearing protection, ASAP!

they are expensive, ($ 200 or so) but what's your hearing worth???

This is just one of many options:
http://www.etymotic.com/ephp/erme.aspx

It's worth it

Absolutley, even consider the non-fitted ones:
http://www.etymotic.com/ephp/er20.aspx

Dirt cheap but pretty good. I use them, whenever the volume requires it.

[brothersnowgone]

Hopefully it's temporary, but I remember hearing that once you have an ear infection (or everytime you do) your hearing isn't quite as good as it was before the infection.

[bammbamm]

What'd he say?

[Rotti]

Some people practice and play so loud. I've learned years ago to keep it to a reasonable level. Now I never leave a rehearsal or gig with my ears ringing. We play loud enough but not stupid crazy loud.

[luvuvibanez]

That sounds like something I had once, it was called Labyrinthitis. I don't completely understand it but it has something to do with your equilibrium and balance centers. It causes the balance center of whichever ear it attacks to detereorate. Though you only need one balance center to maintain your overall balance.

[kirk]

Originally Posted by Rotti

Some people practice and play so loud. I've learned years ago to keep it to a reasonable level. Now I never leave a rehearsal or gig with my ears ringing. We play loud enough but not stupid crazy loud.

We always start the night out at a reasonable level, but somehow the bass player gets louder....and eventually the other guitarist. I never touch my volume, which usually means my leads nearly get drowned out. I think the bassist cranks his amp and turns his volume on the bass down and as the night goes on he covertly turns it getting louder & louder. It is actually bothersome.

One night he set up with his amp pointed directly at the opposite side of the stage. That meant it was going to blast past me first. I was like "you're not serious are you?" He said he was going to do it so that the other guitarist could hear him. Fortunately the other guitarist said - "I never have a problem hearing you."

Love them to death and we sound great, but we do play way too loud.

[RG1820X]

The best investment I ever made was marrying an audiologist!!!!
I highly recommend custom musician plugs - they have a pretty flat response so they drop all frequencies evenly. I have ones with 25 dB attenuators.
Custom In Ear Monitors also give at least a 20 dB attentuation.

[mi2tom]

I hope that's temporary... I'm permanently approx 40% deaf on my right ear, I need to get an earplug asap.

[bammbamm]

Originally Posted by RG1820X

The best investment I ever made was marrying an audiologist!!!!
I highly recommend custom musician plugs - they have a pretty flat response so they drop all frequencies evenly. I have ones with 25 dB attenuators.
Custom In Ear Monitors also give at least a 20 dB attentuation.

What does a set run?
Is there a certain brand that works better than others?
I;ve paid 29-40 for plugs, but to me they still drop out the important frequencies and I lose the vibe while playing.
It's such a PITA.