Ears Ringing after using Machinery

[Labradorian]

I woke up about a year ago and noticed my hearing was lower than it normally is. Turned out I had a hole in my ear drum, not sure how it happened. But I blame it on sometimes doing things in the garage without hearing protection.

My ears ring like a ***** sometimes and it's enough to drive one crazy. Now when im exposed to a loud noise it will cause my ears to ring more. So now whether it's an impact gun, mitre saw or cordless screw gun, I wear my muffs.

So wear your hearing protection, you don't want a to wake up one day with bad hearing and ringing in your ears, it's no fun.

Doctor is to operate soon to fix ear drum, so see how that goes.

 

[rburke65]

Even a HF ear muffs set on the mower....a pair by the chain saw.....a pair by the weed wacker. Inexpensive.

 

[BuffettFan]

As for the HF vs expensive muff debate going on here- Remember the old Bell advertisements?

If you have a $10 head, wear a $10 helmet.

I would say the HF is better than nothing, but not for everyday exposure.

 

[zendriver]

Same old, same old.

Hearing muffs, are plastic cups filled with foam and have vinyl padded foam around the edges to seal.

What justifies paying $35-$60 more for a "namebrand", other than the name? The HF products at least claim to meet certain standards for noise attenuation.

I'm already half deaf from using nothing over the years and have several pairs of the red HF muffs, I way when doing anything noisy.

I had a pair of the yellow ones, and they fell apart the first time I used them.

The HF foam earplugs, are just that - foam plugs. They probably aren't as good as the more expensive ones either.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[jetrep]

I've never understood why people haven't been more educated on hearing damage and hearing protection. Everybody seems to know when to wear safety glasses.

Tinnitus can be pretty bad...people have actually committed suicide because of it.

 

[n20junkie]

Day 1 has passed and the numbness has subsided with almost all the ringing nose gone. Seemed to be somewhat temporary, either that or I have gotten used to it.

Called "temporary threshold shift" and yes, it will subside, the damage will remain. Hearing damange is cumulative and will **** when you get older.



I have bad tinnitus from years as a helicopter crewmember. The HGU-56 flight helmet didn't do enough in the noise suppression field, and the sound a a chinooks driveshaft forever plagues me.

I wear ear muffs the entire time I am in my shop. There is no reason not to.

 

[rayra]

"Nothing I haven't done 100 times in the past."

Well there's your problem right there.

Hearing damage is often accumulated. Whether you find a loud noise 'tolerable' or not, it's doing damage. So guard against it as often as possible.

And in this era of affordable noise-canceling / -enhancing ear muffs, there's no excuse not to.

 

[iamhomeless]

This weekend I had to explain to my 6 year old that when we are in the garage, that he needs to speak louder, because my hearing isn't as good as his, because I spent a lot of time around racecars and machines and guns and punk rock shows without ear protection.

Granted he has a very soft voice, and I get my ears checked at work every year and I don't have any significant hearing loss yet.

But I've started wearing ear pro in the shop and for yard work.

Don't do what Donny Don't Did

 

[joseywales]

I got tinnitus from a football concussion, before concussions were "popular". My one ear has been ringing over 30 years. There was one or two times where it got worse. Once was a broomstick falling on a concrete floor. It's just the right pitch.

Get it checked
Wear hearing protection
If it's permanent, just ignore it. It can drive you mad if you don't.

 

[LS6 Tommy]

My occupation isn't what I'd consider loud, but yup, I've had Tinnitus for about 4 years. I'm told mine may be due to trauma or nerve damage from my motorcycle accident. It started out as an intermittent low pitched hum that I only heard when it was really quiet, but now it's to the point now where I hear the high pitched ringing all the time. Fortunately, I usually only notice it when I go to bed at night.

Tommy

 

[dreamingmuscle]

Well duh

Well duh!!!!

You could have locked the thread right there.

Glem

 

[BuffettFan]

Same old, same old.

Hearing muffs, are plastic cups filled with foam and have vinyl padded foam around the edges to seal.

What justifies paying $35-$60 more for a "namebrand", other than the name? The HF products at least claim to meet certain standards for noise attenuation.

I'm already half deaf from using nothing over the years and have several pairs of the red HF muffs, I way when doing anything noisy.

I had a pair of the yellow ones, and they fell apart the first time I used them.

The HF foam earplugs, are just that - foam plugs. They probably aren't as good as the more expensive ones either.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

IMO, the price difference comes from the cost of the quality of materials used, the R&D to develop the ergonomics of the products, testing, certification, etc.

Cars are just and engine and some wheels, right? So a Kia and a Ferrari are the same thing, right?

Not picking on you, just not in agreement regarding the effectiveness of HF muffs vs a higher quality brand.
Not to mention, the more ergonomic the muffs, i.e. more comfortable, the more likely they are to be worn. Same with the foam plugs. The cheaper plugs I have used are harder, more coarse and don't seal as well. The better plugs are softer, seal better and are more comfortable.
As someone with noticeable hearing loss and constant ringing, I hope there will be some folks who will heed the experiences shared by all of the members here and learn to use whatever hearing protection works best for them.

 

[joseywales]

I have tinnitus in one ear. $50, find a company locally that makes wax inserts for YOUR ear. I use them for trap (shotgun) shooting and outdoor firearms. Indoor, it's electronic muffs all the way.

Nice thing about the wax inserts, they are customer fit to your ears. Attend a gunshow and it takes about 30 minutes total time, maybe 10 minutes in the chair. Also, they can have tiny "ports" added, so some level of noise (like voice) can easily enter. They can also be the color of your choice, or have a color dot added, so you can tell right from left.

These would be ideal for when you're using equipment for extended periods and don't like the bulk of a headset. If you're going to grind one or two items, or use a nail gun a handful of times, then a headset is just faster. But if you're banging out a room, etc. then these are great. I also take them to events where I think the music will be louder than I care for, which isn't much these days. Some of the movie theaters are just too damn loud.

In fact, this thread just convinced me to attend the gun show this week and get a couple more pairs for my garage, car, etc.

 

[Voi]

Day 1 has passed and the numbness has subsided with almost all the ringing nose gone. Seemed to be somewhat temporary, either that or I have gotten used to it.

I usually tie a pair of those ear plugs with the plastic wire between them to tools that need them. Looks like I'll be adding it to the chainsaw now...

Glad to hear it's getting better.

For what it is worth, I like the 3M tri-flange ear plugs more than the foam type.

http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/...P3001-400-EA-Case?N=5477666+3294780173&rt=rud

 

[nh_yota]

I use muffs because the plugs never seem to fit quite right.

I'm 36 now and have mild tinnitus from years of listening to loud music and not wearing appropriate hearing protection while using power tools.

When I was growing up, my dad wore earmuffs when he used his backpack leaf blower, string trimmer, chainsaw and other loud 2-cycle power equipment. He even got me a pair of my own earmuffs to wear when I was outside working with him. He taught me at a young age to wear hearing protection while using outdoor power equipment.

Problem was, we only wore the earmuffs while using the aforementioned equipment, and neglected to wear them while using lawnmowers, power saws, shop vacs and other indoor power tools that should have necessitated their use. As I got older I realized the potential hearing damage caused by everyday items and I started wearing muffs more often, and my ears thank me for it.

I have the cheap $10 muffs from Home Depot and they work fine for my infrequent use of power tools and power equipment. I love my Ridgid WD1450 shop vac because it's quiet enough to not require hearing protection like most shop vacs do.

 

[6768rogues]

I now have hearing aids because I did not protect my ears. Years ago no one thought about it.

 

[BuffettFan]

As someone who says "Huh?" a lot, USE HEARING PROTECTION!
gungatim, please let me know when you find that machine. 30years and counting in a machine shop has done a number on me.
I go to the dr 8/16 to see if they can do anything for the tinnitus and hearing loss.

UPDATE:
I was Supposed to go to the ear, nose and throat dr tomorrow to see if there was anything to be done.
The appointment was scheduled at a medical facility within a few miles of my home, 1st appointment of the morning. Great, go, get in, get out and on to work.
Last week, they call and say that they've decided to move all of their scheduled appointments for the next two months to a different facility 16 miles from my house on the opposite side of town.
Yesterday, I get a voicemail from them saying they need to reschedule my appointment. Again. And I should call them.
I tried returning their call throughout the afternoon. Nothing but busy signals.
Same thing this morning. At 11:50, I get through. TO THE ANSWERING MACHINE TELLING ME THAT THEY GO TO LUNCH FROM 12 TO 1 AND TO CALL BACK THE NEXT BUSINESS DAY!!!
So, obviously I will NOT be going to them to have my ears checked. Right now my frame of mind is, I've lived with it this long, what the hell.
Question, has anyone had any success relieving the tinnitus?
If nothing else, typing this has made me feel a bit better.

 

[Sneaky Snail]

UPDATE:
I was Supposed to go to the ear, nose and throat dr tomorrow to see if there was anything to be done.
The appointment was scheduled at a medical facility within a few miles of my home, 1st appointment of the morning. Great, go, get in, get out and on to work.
Last week, they call and say that they've decided to move all of their scheduled appointments for the next two months to a different facility 16 miles from my house on the opposite side of town.
Yesterday, I get a voicemail from them saying they need to reschedule my appointment. Again. And I should call them.
I tried returning their call throughout the afternoon. Nothing but busy signals.
Same thing this morning. At 11:50, I get through. TO THE ANSWERING MACHINE TELLING ME THAT THEY GO TO LUNCH FROM 12 TO 1 AND TO CALL BACK THE NEXT BUSINESS DAY!!!
So, obviously I will NOT be going to them to have my ears checked. Right now my frame of mind is, I've lived with it this long, what the hell.
Question, has anyone had any success relieving the tinnitus?
If nothing else, typing this has made me feel a bit better.

As far as relief for tinnitus goes: I don't think there's much you can do to get relief from it, besides avoiding any source of noise.
Best invest in some very decent hearing protection, I'd say. Your doc will probably be more specific on that ^^

 

[BuffettFan]

I would have to agree Sneaky, unfortunately for me, it's 30 years too late.
I do use hearing protection now, but 25 year old me didn't think it was necessary.
I know they could help with the hearing loss, but the tinnitus is the more annoying issue.
That, and the, IMHO, crummy customer service from the Dr's office!

 

[Bronson]

[QUOTEI was going to mention the "snore cancelling benefit" and the fact that my right ear is most affected so it helps in the car, but was afraid my wife may see the post....
][/QUOTE]

Women do not fart, or snore.
To say otherwise is very wrong of you.

 

[BuffettFan]

That made me laugh out loud!
Thank you for that!
Terry

 

[joseywales]

I have tinnitus in my right ear as well. My tested hearing in both ears remains above average, though my wife disagrees with those findings...

 

[6768rogues]

I have tinnitus in my right ear as well. My tested hearing in both ears remains above average, though my wife disagrees with those findings...

When I had my hearing tested before getting hearing aids they said I had lost high frequency hearing. I asked them if that is where my wife's voice is and they said that womens' voices are in that range.
That settled it, I have wife deafness. Now it has been clinically proven. Most men get it eventually. She was not impressed.

 

[MarkG]

Disposable foam ear plugs are very effective IF used correctly! When you get lazy and barely stick them in your ear, they're not worth much.

 

[KEH]

My zero turn mower is very loud. I use good , I hope, quality ear plugs and good ear muffs on top of the plugs. The HF muffs were not good enough.They are, however, fine for shooting(if I had a 300 magnum the HF muffs might not be enough, but I have no plans for getting a magnum).

KEH

 

[BuffettFan]

As for the HF vs expensive muff debate going on here- Remember the old Bell advertisements?

If you have a $10 head, wear a $10 helmet.

I would say the HF is better than nothing, but not for everyday exposure.

To quote my own self, as someone who is affected by this, if you are not yet affected, or even if you are affected, protect what you have left. You don't realize there is a problem until it's too late. I wish I could go back to 1978 or so and do it all over.

 

[Sneaky Snail]

I would have to agree Sneaky, unfortunately for me, it's 30 years too late.
I do use hearing protection now, but 25 year old me didn't think it was necessary.
I know they could help with the hearing loss, but the tinnitus is the more annoying issue.
That, and the, IMHO, crummy customer service from the Dr's office!

Indeed, you have to start early on that type of thing...
Let's just hope your doctor can help out - if they happen to be working at some point

 

[BuffettFan]

I've called three times today, still get a busy signal. Time for a different doctor!
Hmmm, just occurred to me. Maybe it's not a busy signal, just the tinnitus acting up!

 

[joseywales]

As I wrote, my tinnitus was from a football concussion at age 18. Make sure your kids know to NOT continue to play if they have a headache. I can't say for sure if that was partly the cause. All I know is I had a migraine style headache, where you can barely look at daylight, and I decided to finish our last practice drill - one on one. I went against "Moose" and we hit helmets square on. Been ringing ever since.

Also, it's VERY hard to predict what will make it worse. After shooting indoor, the range was closed and we were cleaning up. Someone dropped a broomstick on the concrete floor - bham, that made it worse. the pitch was just right. And I tell you, if one more SOB drops the toilet seat in a public bathroom, there's a good chance I'll be viewing this forum from a prison cell. It absolutely kills my ear.

My point is, unless I was wearing hearing protection all day, every day, I couldn't have prevented it from getting worse. Certain everyday noises have made my tinnitus worse. Do what you can to prevent yourself and family from getting it.

 

[MikeF2316]

To quote my own self, as someone who is affected by this, if you are not yet affected, or even if you are affected, protect what you have left. You don't realize there is a problem until it's too late. I wish I could go back to 1978 or so and do it all over.

I need to go back a couple years more. My damage came from a long flight in an ultra light airplane. If only I'd known about foam earplugs back then. Fortunately, my case is fairly mild, and I'm able to ignore the ringing, for the most part.

 

[mattygee]

I work in aircraft mtc so hearing protection has been a constant feature of my adult life.. Just wearing earplugs to keep the crud out of my ears during under car work is worth it to me. Its become an unconscious habit and I feel naked without them.

 

[4 FN 27]

I cannot remember a day or a minute of my life I have not had ringing in my ears. I am so use to it I don't even pay attention to it, never have. Well until somebody's voice is at the same tones of the ringing. Then I am constantly saying "What?".

My former Crew Chief use to get so pissed he would write things down so I could read it...frustrating for both of us. I have customer right now I can only make out about 50% of what he says in person. Over the phone it is better. Email is our best friend.

Hearing Tests involving the Head Phones and raising hands related to which ear you hear the noise don't work for me. Once the nurse thought the machine was broken.

At 18 years old I had my hearing checked at the University of Minnesota as a case study. I had the hearing for a 78 year old based on the tests because of the ringing. My case study was dismissed because they could not establish a baseline due to the ringing.

I do wear Ear Plugs when ever I do things involving lots of noise. I had 2 sets of custom Ear Plugs made and have been using them for about 15 years. They work great and are comfortable. Cost me $160 for 2 sets.

When I do things like Shooting my big Rifles I double up. Ear Plugs and Muffs.

Some times I wonder what it would be like if it just stopped for 5 minutes.