The New Huntmastersbbs!: Tim, your hearing test....

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Posted by Joe Manes (Member # 686) on August 13, 2005, 12:19 AM:

Tim,
In the other thread, you said this:

"My contacts work well for me, but I'm beginning to think I'm going deaf. I still score top marks on hearing tests. But if I have much background noise, I have a hard time following a conversation. It's frustrating as hell for me, and it's beginning to piss off the wife pretty regular."

This sounds a lot like the way my Dad is. They say he had something called tennitis. You can actually have good hearing, with this condition, but it messes with HOW you hear things. Dad says he hears a "ringing" constantly. And like you he has a hard time focusing on more than one noise.

He worked in plants in pre-OSHA environments. Which were abusive to workers in so many ways.

Posted by Gerald Stewart (Member # 162) on August 13, 2005, 02:16 AM:

I have the same thing Joe. My eardrums have taken quite a bit of abuse over the years and I have just foolishly chalked it up to getting old. It all started with rock and roll music in the late 60's. I had a tumultuous relationship with my Dad back then and I would hop in the car and turn up the 8 track as loud as I could stand it as I raced off to nowhere. Maybe I should sue Led Zepplin or Black Oak Arkansas or Jimmie? [Wink]

As an employee of the game call business, I used to check for distortion in our speakers by turning up the volume and holding them to my ear to listen for imperfections. We got smart eventually and put them on a scope with a 1000 cycle tone running through them and looked for the distortion on a screen.

Now my wife has to be my interpreter for me in crowded places. A waiter can be standing right next to me and I have to turn to her and wait for her to speak clearly to me. I get ragged on all the time for leaving the turn signal on with a chorus of "Dad, can't you hear that, you left the turn signal is on".

I can hear a coyote bark at two miles but can not hear someone sitting right next to me while driving down the highway. It actually has a side benefit to it if I want to ignore my wife when she is ragging on me about my family or my man toys; power generator that has been used three times in 5 years, Juicer(late night credit card cable TV purchase) that has been used less than that, etc. [Smile]

I can point to one occassion for the majority of the ringing. A 10 guage shot gun blast that happened about 18 inches from my left ear. I leaned away from the pointed gun as a friend shot a coyote in a creek bed below us and when I took my finger off of my ear when I did not see the coyote struggle to stand up, he shot again as I started to talk to him.

I have had a couple of occasions where I had ear infections due to sinus problems where I felt I had hearing loss. Doctor checked and just shrugged his shoulders saying everything looks fine. I probably should see a specialist about it.

[ August 13, 2005, 02:23 AM: Message edited by: Gerald Stewart ]

Posted by Byron South (Member # 213) on August 13, 2005, 06:13 AM:

Joe, Gerald,

Tennitis. That must be my problem as well. I know I have some hearing loss but I don't have terrible hearing. It seems (at least least to me) that I can hear quiet good when hunting with the exceptions of certain tones or frequencies. Get me in a croud though or in a building and It all drones together as an anoying mixture. Like Gerald said I have to either look at who's talking and pay close attention or ask my wife "what did he say?". My wife and kids tdo me the same way with the "DAD...BLINKERS ON" deal. I got me a couple pairs of Walkers electronic ear muffs last year and have been using them religiously ever since. My children and I shoot quiet a bit and I have never let them shoot without hearing protection. Wish I would of had these things years ago. I still listen to the Rock music load though.

By the way. I'm blind as a bat too without either contacts or glasses. [Mad]

Byron

Posted by 2dogs (Member # 649) on August 13, 2005, 07:12 AM:

I'm in the same boat on the hearing. 2-wk long [bloody]ear infection [both ears] age 14. Another bout at age 16. Scar tissue resulted. Worked in a loud factory for 5-yrs, no hearing protection.

Fire Truck sirens = frosting on the cake.

Shot many rds through various guns over the yrs. No hearing protection = more damage.

There are [micro hairs] in your ear canals, that transfer sound waves to the [inner-ear]. They can be damaged easily. As well as your [ear-drum], by loud shock or continous high decible noise's.

[deaf man walking] [Frown]

2dogs

[ August 13, 2005, 07:13 AM: Message edited by: 2dogs ]

Posted by Lonny (Member # 19) on August 13, 2005, 08:03 AM:

Byron it sounds like your hearing problem mirrors mine. Get me in a crowd with background noise and I dang near have to read lips. Like you, I don't think my hearing is really that bad. My wife will say different though. [Wink]

When I'm driving she will hit me in the shoulder and say, "Turn off your blinker Grandpa!" Now the kids say it as well. [Frown]

Posted by Melvin (Member # 634) on August 13, 2005, 08:13 AM:

Byron, you and,Gerald,seem to have the same problem that i got..I got to add one thing to that.My ear Dr. told me they don't make a hearing aid for that..He said,if i used a hearing aid to hear that frequency,then i would do damage to the frequency that i have no problem with...I'm not saying this to worry you about using the walker game ear,just think it would be a good idea to discuss it with you're Dr...Better to have some hearing,than none at all.

[ August 13, 2005, 08:16 AM: Message edited by: Melvin ]

Posted by Leonard (Member # 2) on August 13, 2005, 08:31 AM:

What we are talking about here, is nerve deafness, in plain language.

The breakthrough is digital technology, whereby they can use a computer to program your exact profile onto a miniature audio chip, blanking out some frequencies and amplifying others.

I have been using a pair for almost two years now, and I hear the turn signals, and a bunch of other things.

It's the only solution. LB

Posted by Byron South (Member # 213) on August 13, 2005, 08:34 AM:

Thanks for the info Melvin. I use the Walkers more for protection than amplification. I can turn them to where me hearing is natural and they still protect my hearing shen I shoot. Some friends and I are getting together this evening to shoot some clay birds,(Fish fry too [Wink]

) and they are perfect for that because we can still hear each other fine and still be protected from harmful sounds.

Byron [Big Grin]

Posted by Byron South (Member # 213) on August 13, 2005, 08:37 AM:

Leonard the Walkers have a frequency knob on them. They enable you to tune them to your particular needs. I'm sure they aren't as good as the doctor tuned though.

Byron

Posted by Leonard (Member # 2) on August 13, 2005, 08:52 AM:

Byron, what you have is a good alternative, near as I can tell. I had a conversation with slydog a while back, and he told me he was using the Walkers, also, with a little modification.

But, there is a lot more to programing your specific needs into an aid than a selector switch. I don't know exactly how they do it, but it's quite involved. Oh yeah, and a little more expensive.

Good hunting. LB

Posted by Gerald Stewart (Member # 162) on August 13, 2005, 02:45 PM:

What was that you said Leonard........ [Razz]

Posted by Jack Roberts (Member # 13) on August 13, 2005, 06:18 PM:

Having trouble hearing over background noise is the classic symptom of noise induced hearing loss.

Jack

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