ringing in ear... too much headphone mixing?

[rutgermuller]

Take enough rest and and of course ALWAYS wear (professional) earplugs if you feel the sound is too loud.

[stringtapper]

The source of your problem may actually be in your forum name.

You may have been jesting but this can actually be true. Compacted ear wax can indeed cause ringing. Getting your ears cleaned could be a first step.

[ethios4]

^ Putting a vacuum to your ear may not be the best way.

[channelite]

Ditch you headphones because before you realize, the music is cranked too loud. Also, keep some ear plugs for when you're in a loud environment like a club or concert or rocking out on a drum set. I get ringing in my ears every once in a while for like about 10 seconds, then it goes away.

[Lord Kahn]

Go see a doctor about this, it may just be an ear infection

[mr.ergonomics]

rikhyray:

Is this just your opinion or do you have facts? I've never read a serious source that closed headphones are bad. The only problem I can confirm is, like you said, the reduced oxygen air flow and therefore more bacteria (more earwax and risk of infection from the outer ear). But that's no sign that it damages you hearing self.

I really would like to have a opposition from a specialist about this, I hate guessing. hmm... where to get one?

[stringtapper]

rikhyray:

Is this just your opinion or do you have facts? I've never read a serious source that closed headphones are bad. The only problem I can confirm is, like you said, the reduced oxygen air flow and therefore more bacteria (more earwax and risk of infection from the outer ear). But that's no sign that it damages you hearing self.

I really would like to have a opposition from a specialist about this, I hate guessing. hmm... where to get one?

It's absolutely a fact that sustained high volume levels going directly into your ear canal will cause permanent hearing damage. Those iPod earbuds? Worst invention ever. One hour at high volumes with those things can cause permanent damage. Wear them every day at high volumes for more than an hour? You're fucked.

Even with "pro" headphones you're going to experience loss when exposing your ears to high volumes for long periods. Exposure to volumes in excess of 100db for more than fifteen minutes or so can cause damage. Now put the sound source right next to the auditory canal where the intensity is bound to be more constant. Bad news.

rikhyray said take them off every two hours. I'd go less than that. In fact I rarely use headphones for anything anymore. But I'm psycho batshit paranoid about losing my hearing.

[mr.ergonomics]

It's absolutely a fact that sustained high volume levels going directly into your ear canal will cause permanent hearing damage.

true and I've said this in my last post, but I speak about the difference between open and closed headphones at low volume.

[rikhyray]

.

rikhyray said take them off every two hours. I'd go less than that. In fact I rarely use headphones for anything anymore. But I'm psycho batshit paranoid about losing my hearing.

Better be the psycho paranoid in advance than regret later.
The breaks I meant for everything, headphones or no headphones. Regarding headphones, the physical pressure, oxygen deprivations are just add ons. It is not any particular headphone, or any single of the factors but their combination.
Regarding the question of other poster, these are not speculations, but what I learnt from docs and painful personal experience and (that is the good part) getting out of it.
I think it took a year till I was able to use HD-25 ,any closed headphones. In first few months of recovery putting on closed cans, at any volume felt like getting hit by Wladimir Klitchko right in the ear. It took some time to be able to work even with monitors for longer without taking break of silence. First half an hour, then 45 minutes, then after many months things got back to normal.
It is not that closed headphones are bad per se, it is the way we (ab)use.
Proper medical assistance, self discipline to change working habits can get you out of it. All that remain is that I get the noise sometimes (mostly after some heavy work- exceeding 10-12 hours daily for couple of days in a row). However once you learn to listen to your body you know how to handle. That "noise" is nothing else then warning , stupid if we dont take it for real.
Oh, another remain is the hyper sensivity to some high pitched sounds like dropping, hitting plate etc in the kitchen. After Dom told me about having same problem I asked my doctor about it and he explained me why and how it happens- really interesting, ....I just tried to explain it but damn it is bit too complicated to explain here nad I got to get back to my work (break over)

[Earwax69]

Thanks all for your kind answer. Hey I got that too, sensibility to high pitched noises. Dishes, bicycle breaks not oiled, kids... I physically react to that kind of noises. All my body contract.

Also I cant ear a person talking clearly if there is loud ambiant noise.

Im gonna relax on the headphones and start using my cheap logitech x230 speakers again (its not that bad really) for a while.

My sinus are quite full since a month, I'll check that too. Maybe it's the culprit.

Life is a bitch sometime... I wish we had more education when we are kids about thoses health issues.

[The Carpet Cleaner]

it's about how loud, and how long. 100 db for 10 minutes shoud be ok. 110 db (club) for like 3 hours straight and you can damage you ears. That's why when you work you need breaks.

3 or 4 months ago now, I went to a nighclub. Then I though the volume was loud. Then sudently I felt that the volume was way too loud !
I just left and noticed a small ringing in my hear. 2 days later it was still here. And also I had some hyperaccoustic problem - hight pitched sound were clearly painful, I couldn't do dishwashing anymore with plates hitting each other !

I was really scared, went to see an ENT specialist. Nothing much to do (some vitamin maybe that was bullshit).

I think my ears at that time were weaken because of the intensive use of my open headphone (beyer dynamic 990). I was normaly using them few hours every day non stop... for two years...

So after my little incident, I took 2 weeks break with my hear. No movies, no music, no party. No tea, no coffee, no achool and stuff like that. Windows closed when I was driving. I was living in a calm world.

Off course, I stopped using any headphones.
After those two weeks, I slowly reintroduced sound in my life, at a very low level.

So now it's been 3 or 4 months and I don't really notice the ringing in my ears. Just small noises that I always had and that probably everybody has. Maybe it's just my brain that filters out the signal, or maybe there was no serious damage at the beginning, I dont know.

So, just take some rest, dont work with headphone anymore. I personally think using them often, over years, can affect your ears. Open, closed, it's the same problem.

Also, don't focus too much on your ringing tone. The more you think about it, the stronger it becomes.
I forgot : earplugs. I wear them everytime the music is loud. Even when I go to movies. In my city, I dont know what's wrong with them, but the volume is as loud as in a night club.

[arctic ranger]

it's about how loud, and how long. 100 db for 10 minutes shoud be ok. 110 db (club) for like 3 hours straight and you can damage you ears. That's why when you work you need breaks.

3 or 4 months ago now, I went to a nighclub. Then I though the volume was loud. Then sudently I felt that the volume was way too loud !
I just left and noticed a small ringing in my hear. 2 days later it was still here. And also I had some hyperaccoustic problem - hight pitched sound were clearly painful, I couldn't do dishwashing anymore with plates hitting each other !

I was really scared, went to see an ENT specialist. Nothing much to do (some vitamin maybe that was bullshit).

I think my ears at that time were weaken because of the intensive use of my open headphone (beyer dynamic 990). I was normaly using them few hours every day non stop... for two years...

So after my little incident, I took 2 weeks break with my hear. No movies, no music, no party. No tea, no coffee, no achool and stuff like that. Windows closed when I was driving. I was living in a calm world.

Off course, I stopped using any headphones.
After those two weeks, I slowly reintroduced sound in my life, at a very low level.

So now it's been 3 or 4 months and I don't really notice the ringing in my ears. Just small noises that I always had and that probably everybody has. Maybe it's just my brain that filters out the signal, or maybe there was no serious damage at the beginning, I dont know.

So, just take some rest, dont work with headphone anymore. I personally think using them often, over years, can affect your ears. Open, closed, it's the same problem.

Also, don't focus too much on your ringing tone. The more you think about it, the stronger it becomes.
I forgot : earplugs. I wear them everytime the music is loud. Even when I go to movies. In my city, I dont know what's wrong with them, but the volume is as loud as in a night club.

dude you are a smart man...i am basically doing the same thing. i work a heavy industrial job. i wear my earplugs 99 percent of the time. i dont care if i have to say "what you just say". beats doing it when you are in a quiet room.

we all have way too much money invested in this racket to lose something this precious.

[Earwax69]

If you had to loose one, which of thoses would you choose?

Your ears,
your eyes,
your dick.

I think I would choose the latter.

[the girl next door]

Sounds like you need some decent cans
Get "AKG K 701" you will never look back.

[rikhyray]

Thanks all for your kind answer. Hey I got that too, sensibility to high pitched noises. Dishes, bicycle breaks not oiled, kids... I physically react to that kind of noises. All my body contract.

Also I cant ear a person talking clearly if there is loud ambiant noise.

I am sorry to tell you this but if you have those symptoms it is really serious, you must see specialist- try to find good one, with some experience with musicians- in any case must let him/her understand that it is different then in case of "normal" people. It is really worth it, can go as far as having the printouts of your tests you can adjust your monitoring environment or even EQ to compensate for unevenness or "holes" in your hearing spectrum.It is worth to get friendly with the doc and get maximum out of it.