Hearing...

[Balcro]

Likewise here with the compacted earwax. Went to se Mott the Hoople on October and popped in some foam plugs (according to instructions). Almost from the time I took them out, the left ear gave up. Three to 4 wks of Earex. 7 day wait for a doctor. Your ear is blocked! Yeah. Try olive oil. Didn't work.
Wax removal was beneath him, so I had to wait another 14 days to see the nurse. Wow what a relief when it was done.

Be ready for a surprise once it's done though. The recovery in hearing can be shocking and you'll probably rediscover all the highs you haven't heard for years. I have to cover the TV speaker when I'm using teletext. Every ping is just too hard & sharp to bear.

Good luck.

Balcro.

[geilerbass]

If you don't want to wait for a week, if it's really painful and irritating and if you've got time, you could try going to your local A&E or walk-in clinic and complain about excruciating pain in your ears and hearing loss. You'll probably have to wait a while, but they're more likely to clean them out there and then rather than forcing you to wait.

[4-string-thing]

[quote name='7string' post='717358' date='Jan 18 2010, 11:37 PM']That what ex's are like.

My ex-wife still has my coveted Trace Elliot baseball jacket.

I'd rather lose the jacket than still have her around....[/quote]

I'd rather lose my testicles than have my ex around!

[Paul S]

[quote name='4-string-thing' post='718483' date='Jan 19 2010, 09:54 PM']I'd rather lose my testicles than have my ex around![/quote]

I did, metaphorically. Courtesy of the financial settlement.



Worth every penny, mind.

[wateroftyne]

[quote name='Hot Tub' post='717511' date='Jan 19 2010, 09:32 AM']Also, father-in-law is an audiologist and gave me a little piece of advice that no one ever seems to mention: When wearing ANY earplugs, take them out [u][i][b]VERY SLOWLY[/b][/i][/u]. Just yanking them out quickly can cause irreparable damage to the eardrum and beyond![/quote]
Noted... thank you.

[OldGit]

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' post='717836' date='Jan 19 2010, 01:51 PM'][url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Elacin-ER20-Hi-Fidelity-musicians-hearing-protectors_W0QQitemZ360209758878QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_MusicalInstr_Access_RL?hash=item53de2cba9e"]ER20s for £7.50 posted.[/url][/quote]


Wow Bargain! Thanks.

[Sarah5string]

Ordered some ER20's and have an appointment tomorrow afternoon to get my ears syringed. Still mostly deaf. So much so I had to call in sick and struggled through my prebooked bass lesson this afternoon. What a nightmare

[Bass-ic]

The only thing that ever clears earwax properly is warmed but not hot olive oil. 3 days max!
Ive heard some people say lemonade, but i haven't tried it!

[Daquifsta]

If you dont get on with the ER20's (as I didn't), you might want to try these little fellas.
[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SUREFIRE-EP3-SONIC-EAR-DEFENDERS_W0QQitemZ280452666482QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_BOI_ProtectiveGear_RL?hash=item414c481472"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SUREFIRE-EP3-SONIC-E...=item414c481472[/url]

NB this isn't the seller I bought from, but the EP3's are the model I have.

Couple of quid more, but I find they fit and more importantly stay in so much better and I can walk away from a practice or gig without my ears realising anything's happened :-)

[nottswarwick]

I have got some ER20s. Never really persevered with them, as I felt that they attenuated too much - all too quiet. But I am going to try them again, and see if I can get used to them.

[Bones]

[quote name='Sarah5string' post='717332' date='Jan 18 2010, 11:18 PM']Came out of rehearsal tonight and my ears are ringing more than usual and my hearing is muffled. Thing is I wore earplugs the entire time (the foam in ear ones). Surely that totally defeats the purpose of the earplugs??? I have tinitus as it is (mild) so trying my best not to make it worse!
Any tips?[/quote]
Hope you got on ok with the syringing, the last time I had that done the nurse used a machine that you could unblock a drain with. Not like the old days. My ear-plugs cost £160 but they are fantastic. I got them thru the m.u. Expensive but you can have a conversation then get onstage and they block anything over 85db without losing any sound quality. I find myself whispering lot, though

[Sarah5string]

Managed to get an appointment to get my ears syringed at 3pm today thanks to my ever patient boyfriend having some time off work and watching my kids for me. 2nd day off sick in a row now because of the nature of my work there's no way I'd be able to interview my clients if I couldn't hear them!

[NJE]

Hope you get your ear problems sorted, its scary stuff when your hearing isn't all there.

I had a bit of a scare recently with my ears. I think I have good hearing but I always have music and the TV really loud and my girlfriend thought I must have hearing problems. I thought it would be compacted wax so went to the doctor who said there was nothing above normal wax, your probably slightly deaf because of loud music and playing so go get a hearing test. I was really worried at this point but it turns out my hearing is fine I just like it loud which is not good thing but no harm done.

Anyway as a result I thought best look after my ears and got a pair of Etymotic ER20s which I cannot praise enough. Used them at a practice and a gig last week and find them superb. I can hear a good range from all instrumnets and vocals. They literally just turn the volume down a touch without any major loss (well for me anyway). When I get the cash I am going for the moulded ones, cant imagine how good they must be.

As I said though hope you get your hearing back and keep your plugs on you even in clubs, they are so handy.

[neepheid]

I've decided to grab a pair of those ER20s today. Tried cheapo foam ones and while they're good enough for attending gigs if you've got nothing better I was less than impressed with them in a band practice scenario - I felt really detached from everything else that was going on, musically. Hoping for better things from these ER20s.

[peted]

I've found with ER20s that if you start using them straight away at your own rehearsals then you will really struggle. Your best bet is to stand in the audience at other gigs with them on to start with as the pressure is off you to play while listening at the same time and you're less likely to pull them out in frustration.

I found that it took me at least a few weeks of wearing them for me to get used to the sound and for my brain to adjust. Love wearing them now and everything sounds like a painful loud mush without them in. Result!

[urb]

I know this is a real nightmare and I have tinitus myself - thankfully it's quite mild but always there - anyway the ER20s are pretty cool but seeing as your hearing is priceless I honestly suggest you invest in a pair of proper custom fitted ear plugs - once you've tried them you won't look back - and the great thing is they still allow perfect, clear sound but just get rid of all the harmful frequencies - these are the ones I use:

[url="http://www.hearingprotection.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=62&Itemid=121"]http://www.hearingprotection.co.uk/index.p...&Itemid=121[/url]

Yes they are pricey - and if you play very loud music then you can up the filters to 25db which should cope with very loud guitar/drums

[url="http://www.hearingprotection.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=63&Itemid=123"]http://www.hearingprotection.co.uk/index.p...&Itemid=123[/url]

My latest pair are so comfortable and the filters so good I almost couldn't believe they were working properly when I first got them - they were that clear - but still cutting out all those evil ear splitting noise levels...

I regret not getting these sooner but at least they've made my gigging/rehearsing life a lot more pleasurable and relaxing - knowing that my ear drums are being looked after.

Hope that helps and definitely see the hearing doctor - sorry to generalise here but most GPs don't know jack about the specifics of hearing... IME

Mike

[Sarah5string]

Thanks everyone, had my ears syringed this afternoon and can't believe the difference.. everything is so loud somethings are unbearable! lol Going to a gig tonight too so that should be interesting! Earplugs all the way from now on lol!

[Huw Foster]

I had the ER-20s for ages, and swore by them. I lost one of the first pair, so I bought another set, which was nothing more than a minor inconvenience. However, the quality control on this pair seemed below par - they both fell apart after a few months of moderate use.

I've since started using Alpine earplugs - not only do they come with three filters for different levels of attenuation, they come with a spare earplug in case one is lost/broken! Win.

[MacDaddy]

I have the ER20 Baby Blues. They are designed for the smaller ear canal, so if like me you find the normal ER20's uncomfortable they could be the answer.

Shop around and you may get them cheaper
[url="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&sku=628094&Q=&is=REG&A=details"]http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller...G&A=details[/url]

[Ou7shined]

[quote name='peted' post='720211' date='Jan 21 2010, 03:29 PM']I've found with ER20s that if you start using them straight away at your own rehearsals then you will really struggle. Your best bet is to stand in the audience at other gigs with them on to start with as the pressure is off you to play while listening at the same time and you're less likely to pull them out in frustration.

I found that it took me at least a few weeks of wearing them for me to get used to the sound and for my brain to adjust. Love wearing them now and everything sounds like a painful loud mush without them in. Result![/quote]
+100

[quote name='Sarah5string' post='720247' date='Jan 21 2010, 04:07 PM']Thanks everyone, had my ears syringed this afternoon and can't believe the difference.. everything is so loud somethings are unbearable! lol Going to a gig tonight too so that should be interesting! Earplugs all the way from now on lol![/quote]
Glad you got it all sorted.

[quote name='Huwberry' post='720253' date='Jan 21 2010, 04:15 PM']I had the ER-20s for ages, and swore by them. I lost one of the first pair, so I bought another set, which was nothing more than a minor inconvenience. However, the quality control on this pair seemed below par - they both fell apart after a few months of moderate use....[/quote]
My first set were the ones that come in that Elacin rhomboidal snappy-shut case. They did their job ok but did cut some lower frequencys so it was kind of tricky at rehearsals. They eventually started to discolour so I got some more. The next set came in a round hard plastic case (ACS printed on them) they look exactly the same but perform completely differently. They do more of what I expected - volume cut but hardly any alteration to the sound - I have joked that they are CD quality. Maybe you get good uns and bad uns.

[51m0n]

I use the ER20s too.

They are comfy for about an hour tops. I need a break then, even five minutes is enough.

To get 'used' to them I try and get them in as early as can at a gig/reheasal, straight in as soon as I'm in the door. That way at a rehearsal my brain has about 10 minutes while everyone gets set up before the volume hits. In that time it readjusts to the nature of the sound a lot, so when we swtart playing it all just sounds pretty much normal to me.

[Bones]

ER-15 ear-plugs... moulded to your ears... think bright green play-do in a huge syringe, bit of string in the middle, squirt it in your ear. Pull it out and be startled how long your ear-canal is... I love em, but you need this jelly stuff to make sure they fit ok. It ended up in my hair, on my suit, on the strings, the 1st gig but Im used to them now. £160 though...