Re: Ear Problems??

From: Bill Fletcher (bill@scienceandart.com)
Date: Fri Jan 24 2003 - 13:35:29 PST

Next message: Bruno Deschênes: "RE : Ear Problems??"
Previous message: Herb Rodriguez: "Re: Ear Problems??"
In reply to: Herb Rodriguez: "Re: Ear Problems??"
Next in thread: Bruno Deschênes: "RE : Ear Problems??"
Reply: Bruno Deschênes: "RE : Ear Problems??"
Messages sorted by: [ date ] [ thread ] [ subject ] [ author ]

--Apple-Mail-4-712420029
        delsp=yes;
        charset=ISO-8859-1;
        format=flowed

Herb,

What we have to be most careful of in musical instrument playing, music =20=

listening and just generally in an industrial society are the =20
"transient spikes" associated, but not always measured in sound decibel =20=

levels. Using a decibel meter, one might measure 90 db overall of =20
ambient sound level, but there could be 130 db striking your ear of =20
1000 cycle transient spikes. They may only hit these levels for a few =20=

milliseconds, but they can be very damaging to the ear.

Shakuhachi by nature is going to create fairly balanced sound levels =20
where a snare drum or clapping or a gun shot can have tremendous mid =20
range transient spikes. In stereo equipment, the lower the quality =20=

of the equipment, the more it will hit you with these very loud spikes. =20=

Rock concerts are monstrous. It's just something to keep in mind =20
when considering your exposure to sound. This is just the 2 cents =20
worth from an ex-sound engineer.

Head phones are dangerous because sound pressure levels can get very =20
high without your noticing after wearing them for a period of time. =20
People tend to turn them up as time goes on. I have to admit that I =20=

love listening to solo shakuhachi on head phones. It's a perfect match =20=

of intimacy of instrument-performance and intimacy of listening =20
experience. We just need to be careful of the volume and the great =20
dynamic range of honkyoku playing. . . and perhaps not listen for too =20=

long a time.

You could probably get some good input about tinnitus without too much =20=

expense from an ENT doc. This may or may not have anything to do with =20=

you music listening past.

Bill Fletcher
________________________________

On Friday, January 24, 2003, at 10:01 AM, Herb Rodriguez wrote:

> I don't to caffeine and alcohol, so that can't be the situation in my =20=

> case. Maybe salt and sugar?
> anyway, I've not been to a doctor, so I can't tell if my case is mild =20=

> or severe. I just know its become more noticeable as time goes on.
>
> I think, in my case, it may be a result of years of listing to tapes =20=

> with headphones on. Not that I have the audio level on very loud, mind =
=20
> you. I don't like it loud. And this is a mixture of relaxtion music =20=

> and meditation tapes, so its not loud or thumping. But I think just =20=

> the sound waves and pressure being confined directly into the ears via =
=20
> the headphones may be a factor. I think I heard Don Campbell =20
> mentioning a theory on that. He (or at least I think it was he) =20
> doesn't feel headphone use is healthy for the ears. (Now I find out!)
>
> I remember hearing in high school or early college that when the ears =20=

> are subjected to loud noises that cause ringing, the ringing will last =
=20
> as long as the time the original noise lasted. IE, a 2 hr rock concert =
=20
> results in 2 hrs of ringing. Well, in the early days I tried to notice =
=20
> that and sometimes I thought that it was true. But you need relative =20=

> quiet for the ears to recover.
>
> Now days, with the constant high level of everyday ambient noise, eg. =20=

> traffic, street construction, any other background noise, there is =20
> never any quiet. So, if you're in a noisy environment for many years, =20=

> do you need the equivalent number of years of total quiet and silence =20=

> to let your ears recover?
>
> Would wearing ear plugs on a regular basis help?
>
> Herb
>
> At 01/24/2003 07:47 AM, you wrote:
>
> I have had low grade Tinnitus for many years - I probably caused =20
> damage to my ears while in the army.=A0 Believe it or not I just got =20=

> used to it.=A0 After going to several Doctors the best advice I got =
was =20
> to minimize salt, alcohol and caffeine in my diet.=A0 For some reason =20=

> these feeds add to the problem.=A0
> People also tend to be most annoyed by the noise when it is very =20
> quiet.=A0 So if you have trouble sleeping at night with it, just=A0 =
put =20
> some soft music on in the background - it tends to drown it out.=A0 =20=

> Luckily, for me, it is barely noticable.=A0 I pity the soul who gets a =
=20
> bad case of this - it must be maddening.
>
> From: Herb Rodriguez <Herb.Rodriguez@Colorado.edu>
> Reply-To: Shakuhachi@communication.ucsd.edu
> To: Shakuhachi@communication.ucsd.edu
> Subject: Re: Ear Problems??
> Date: Tue, 21 Jan 2003 17:24:50 -0700
>
> At 01/21/2003 03:58 PM, you wrote:
>
> though some people get some relief in various directions: herbals, =20
> drugs, acupuncture, Tinnitus Retraining Therapy. Some people spend a =20=

> lot of money in a vain search for a cure or amelioration, while for =20=

> some lucky others, the tinnitus spotaneously vanishes, even after =20
> months or years.
>
> Good luck.
>
> Windsor Viney Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
>
>
> Thanks for your detailed reply. Can you explain more about Tinnitus =20=

> Retraining Therapy?
>
> Herb
>
>
>
> _________________________________________________________________
> Add photos to your messages with MSN 8. Get 2 months FREE*.=A0
> http://join.msn.com/?page=3Dfeatures/featuredemail
>
> ____________________________________________________
>
> <a =20
> shakuhachi">
> =
>

--Apple-Mail-4-712420029
charset=ISO-8859-1

Herb,

What we have to be most careful of in musical instrument playing,
music listening and just generally in an industrial society are the
"transient spikes" associated, but not always measured in sound
decibel levels. Using a decibel meter, one might measure 90 db
overall of ambient sound level, but there could be 130 db striking
your ear of 1000 cycle transient spikes. They may only hit these
levels for a few milliseconds, but they can be very damaging to the
ear.

Shakuhachi by nature is going to create fairly balanced sound levels
where a snare drum or clapping or a gun shot can have tremendous mid
range transient spikes. In stereo equipment, the lower the quality
of the equipment, the more it will hit you with these very loud
spikes. Rock concerts are monstrous. It's just something to keep in
mind when considering your exposure to sound. This is just the 2
cents worth from an ex-sound engineer.

Head phones are dangerous because sound pressure levels can get very
high without your noticing after wearing them for a period of time.=20
People tend to turn them up as time goes on. I have to admit that I
love listening to solo shakuhachi on head phones. It's a perfect
match of intimacy of instrument-performance and intimacy of listening
experience. We just need to be careful of the volume and the great
dynamic range of honkyoku playing. . . and perhaps not listen for too
long a time.

You could probably get some good input about tinnitus without too much
expense from an ENT doc. This may or may not have anything to do with
you music listening past.

Bill Fletcher

________________________________

On Friday, January 24, 2003, at 10:01 AM, Herb Rodriguez wrote:

<excerpt>I don't to caffeine and alcohol, so that can't be the
situation in my case. Maybe salt and sugar?

anyway, I've not been to a doctor, so I can't tell if my case is mild
or severe. I just know its become more noticeable as time goes on.

I think, in my case, it may be a result of years of listing to tapes
with headphones on. Not that I have the audio level on very loud, mind
you. I don't like it loud. And this is a mixture of relaxtion music
and meditation tapes, so its not loud or thumping. But I think just
the sound waves and pressure being confined directly into the ears via
the headphones may be a factor. I think I heard Don Campbell
mentioning a theory on that. He (or at least I think it was he)
doesn't feel headphone use is healthy for the ears. (Now I find out!)

I remember hearing in high school or early college that when the ears
are subjected to loud noises that cause ringing, the ringing will last
as long as the time the original noise lasted. IE, a 2 hr rock concert
results in 2 hrs of ringing. Well, in the early days I tried to notice
that and sometimes I thought that it was true. But you need relative
quiet for the ears to recover.

Now days, with the constant high level of everyday ambient noise, eg.
traffic, street construction, any other background noise, there is
never any quiet. So, if you're in a noisy environment for many years,
do you need the equivalent number of years of total quiet and silence
to let your ears recover?

Would wearing ear plugs on a regular basis help?

Herb

At 01/24/2003 07:47 AM, you wrote:

I have had low grade Tinnitus for many years - I probably caused
damage to my ears while in the army.=A0 Believe it or not I just got
used to it.=A0 After going to several Doctors the best advice I got was
to minimize salt, alcohol and caffeine in my diet.=A0 For some reason
these feeds add to the problem.=A0

People also tend to be most annoyed by the noise when it is very
quiet.=A0 So if you have trouble sleeping at night with it, just=A0 put
some soft music on in the background - it tends to drown it out.=A0
Luckily, for me, it is barely noticable.=A0 I pity the soul who gets a
bad case of this - it must be maddening.