Hearing and Ear Test

uncledick

Unlike vision, correcting poor hearing is very crude even with multi band digital setups.  If you regularly gig/work with machinery/ride a motorbike etc. protect what you have.  If you think you need a test, chances are you've already damaged your hearing.  

I speak from experience

fastonebaz

I have tinnitus and  have lost hearing of high frequencies in both ears.  Got prescribed nhs hearing aids 3 years ago which do make a huge difference.  But I'm too embarrassed to wear them apart from at home watching a movie.  It's a struggle hearing people's words in crowded environments.   I wish I'd worn hearing protection when i first started playing in bands as a teen. I'm only 42 now.   

OilCityPickups

fastonebaz said:

I have tinnitus and  have lost hearing of high frequencies in both ears.  Got prescribed nhs hearing aids 3 years ago which do make a huge difference.  But I'm too embarrassed to wear them apart from at home watching a movie.  It's a struggle hearing people's words in crowded environments.   I wish I'd worn hearing protection when i first started playing in bands as a teen. I'm only 42 now.   

My right ear is more or less f--ked ... I had a series of three Harley street consultations/tests by a guy who knew a bit about musicians and music in general ... and he only had to know that I was always on the left of stage with a 100w Marshall behind me (cranked mostly flat out) for a large chunk of the late 70s/80s to nail what caused my issues!
My right ear is surprisingly very good for a geezer pushing 60 so there's a plus side. I suppose I wish to hell I'd had ear protection ... but hey, that was rock and roll. Like @fastonebaz I struggle to make sense of conversations in pubs ... but hey, most pub conversations are crap :-)

Neil

dean111music said:

Harley Street in london seem to be the best but i'll try going to boots first. 

We are all born with hearing where one ear is different to the other. The whole think about balance etc is to do with your ears and they have to be different to keep yourself from falling over. 

If you have an ear infection in one ear often people lose there balance. 

Ears aren't just for hearing! 

Balance is controlled from your inner ear. An infection of the inner ear is what causes problems with balance.

As an occasional sufferer of vertigo I can attest to it being absolutely horrible.

dwheeldo

At 35, my ears are pretty shot, probably from a combination of almost 20 years of gigs and genetic factors. I wrote a blog about it a while back: http://static-in-my-head.blogspot.com/2017/12/and-you-may-ask-yourself-how-did-i-get.html

So yeah, if you're worried about your hearing, get a hearing test. A freebie from Boots will only measure four or five frequencies across the spectrum, but it'll give you an idea of whether you need to investigate further. If you've got the kind of problems I have, that's when to start desperately searching for someone who understands the complex hearing needs of us musicians!

kt66

Lestratcaster said:

I try to go to the Clear Ear Clinic in London every year to have my ears cleaned. They use a microsuction technique instead of blasting warm water in a bid to get the wax out. Safer, quicker and easier it cleans them thoroughly and feels amazing after being able to hear more clearly!!

roughly how much do they charge please ?

NelsonP

You can do a freebie hearing test here
https://www.specsavers.co.uk/hearing/free-online-hearing-test

You have to sign up to get the report, but you can always opt out of being bombarded with emails.

I did it last week - basically plug in your headphones or earbuds and it will play different frequencies at varying volumes. You have to count how many you can hear. It convinced me that my ears are OK enough that I don't need to follow up.