I definitely wish you all the luck in the world.  I have tinnitus pretty bad in my right ear (I'm listening to the fabulous multi-tone symphony going on in my head right now).  I haven't had my hearing tested for years, but I'm sure it has suffered some.  I know what you mean about hearing the tv when the sound is off and I could always hear the alarm systems in stores as well.  Not so sure about that anymore.  Don't know if I want to hear an actual percentage number relating to hearing loss  

I've had tinnitus for about five years now, due to the result of playing in loud bands with no hearing protection.  I've got to the point of not being bothered with the constant ring in my ears for the most part, but there are times when it still bugs me.  These days, I use a headphone mix, and have it custom-tailored to my liking.  Something I should have done years ago, I know.  It's not that I'm totally impaired, but I do have a problem with hearing high frequencies these days, so I doubt that I'll attempt running the soundboard or doing any final mixing in the studio.  

The one piece of advice I give to anyone who is in an occupation, be it music or anything else, is to PROTECT YOUR EARS before it's too late.

That's one of the reasons I use my personal motto under my username on this board, along with the fact that I always used it when a club owner told me I was playing too loud.             :-)

Good luck to you, Mr. A.  Let us all know what the audiologist has to say.

Regards,
drumz1

Best wishes.

Hold on, let me say that louder.

BEST WISHES!

Just kidding of course.

I'm sure you'll be fine.

It's not like you were playing death metal for all those years.  

I can't hear anything in a crowded room either.  People talk to me in bars and I just nod my head.

You have been playing longer than me though and you have seen some pretty big venues- to tell you the truth I don't know if that is better or worse than what the average weekend warrior goes thru.  At least those sound guys know what they are doing.

Throughout college my drum teacher had to have a hearing aid.  He was very hard of hearing.

I was playing the piano quite softly this morning and my ears started ringing.  Sucks.

I need mine checked also and a full physical.

Hey, it might not be as bad as you think.  I think you will be ok  

I'm back, and breathing a sigh of relief.

The audiologist says my hearing is actually very good, particularly considering what I do for a living. I do have some hearing loss -  a noticable notch in my ability to hear high frequencies (in the 4K range). But she said that's really not too bad, and fairly common for the sort of aural abuse rock drumming puts your ears through.

During the preliminary interview, when I told her I'd been drumming for 30 years, her eyes got kind of big, and she was very relieved when I told her I'd been fairly diligent about using ear plugs in the louder bands I'd been in. She thinks that is what saved me from further, more serious damage.

Two other points I took away from my conversation with her:

The notch in my hearing can lead to increased sensitivity to loud noises, which I have noticed (when telling my daughter to turn her @$%# stereo down, and then immediately feeling like an old fart for having spoken those words). She said this can also make me susceptible to further hearing loss if I don't protect my hearing - apparently a notch like that acts as a chink in the armor, so to speak, and helps open the way to further damage. In other words, the current damage has weakened my resistance to further damage.

Also, she wanted to know what kind of plugs I had used. I told her that after much experimentation, I'd settled on the simple foam plugs, such as the ones pictured below:



She said that was an excellent choice, and that other than prescription-fitted plugs or the headphone-style mufflers worn when using firearms, that these were the best at attenuating high-volume sounds over the entire frequency range.

So I feel both lucky and relieved. And sort of a "testament to clean living" - I've played in some SERIOUSLY loud bands, but have been cautious and diligent about using plugs. Looks like that really paid off!

So kids, say no to drugs, and yes to plugs!  

THAT'S GREAT.

Oh, sorry... I mean [size=1.5]that's great[/size].  

Maybe your aversion to loudness is partly what spawned your recent, renewed acoustic jazz interest?

That's really great news!

The 4kHz drop makes sense because that's where the frequency range where all the attack is ... like in your Snare Drum. Now if you had used something other than your Acrolite, you'd probably have a drop loss around 5kHz.  

I need to get my hearing tested as well; just to know where I'm at these days.

You know, why does music have to be so loud anyway? I know that on the drums we have to play somewhat loud just to get the proper sound ... but what does the overall music have to be so @$%# loud?!  I've never understood that ... even when I was young. I guess it's a aural drug ... getting high off the volume and energy from the music.

Now I sound really old, and I haven't even turned 40 yet ... but I'm close ... very close.

I'm trying to remember, but am not completely sure. I started playing drumset when I was around 13, but wasn't doing too much loud music until my mid-20's - then I got into some much heavier music for the next decade. That has tapered off in recent years - I do a lot of quiet gigs now.

On the Travers gig I developed instincts for when we were TOO loud, and if I started feeling some pressure on my ears, I'd pop in the ear plugs between songs and keep them in for the rest of the gig. We would get so loud that I could actually feel pressure on my ears, like when you're descending in an airplane. That was my signal that some protection was needed. I used plugs a lot with Travers - we were LOUD.

I still play very hard in the studio, but don't do sessions all that often. The concert gigs I do now are what I'd call "full-volume" as opposed to flat-out "high volume," and I rarely wear plugs, unless we're playing a room with a low, reflective ceiling. But I hit hard, and use gear that projects a lot, so I always have a little case with ear plugs in it hanging from my stickbag, just in case. Looks like that practice is paying off.

Have you had your hearing tested? An audiologist can really help you figure out the best way to protect what you've got.

Good news about your hearing.

Those E*A*R plugs are the same ones I began using 17 years ago while working around F-4 and F-16 fighter aircraft.  Of course, around those beasts we are required to wear double hearing protection.

The good thing about doing flight line work in the military is the emphasis on safety, to include protecting our hearing, and the requirement to take a hearing test every year.  Music is my passion, so I never want to compromise my hearing.

Tom

I am surprised nobody has mentioned the Westone custom-fitted earplugs in detail...The problem with most 'over the counter' type earplugs is the frequency attenuation is rather distorted...Regular Foam plugs will provide quite a bit of dB relief, but the sound quality suffers BIG TIME if you are looking to still hear the nuances of the music.  It may not be so noticeable in loud rock situations, but I prefer to be able to hear my equipment as it is SUPPOSED to sound, as this helps me play better WITH the band.  A standard foam plug will provide an even attenuation (sound reduction) from 0 to 250 Hz..mostly the bass frequencies.....after that, it starts cutting out a lot of the 500-2000 range FAIRLY evenly, with a little spike at 2000.  From there it starts cutting out the 2000-8000 DRASTICALLY, which can cause a major distortion of sound in everything from toms to snares and ESPECIALLY cymbal sound. (I am a cymbalholic, so to me, this is UNACCEPATBLE    The Westone ER series is a custom fitted plug, done by your audiologist.  They take molds of your inner ears, send them off to Westone, and 2-3 weeks later you have your custom made plugs.  I find them VERY comfortable, and forget I am wearing them many times.  THe molds have an opening in the middle where you stick in this nifty little sound filter that filters out the frequecies accross the board, preserving sound quality, but making it QUIETER....ooops, quieter  
        I use the ER 15's, which just means the level of sound reduction is 15 dB all the way accross...They also make ER 9's and 25's for either extreme end of the spectrum of dynamics.   My audiologist assured me the 15 dB was enough for just about any circumstance I play in, but for those who DO play in LOTS of loud situations, you may consider the 25's....I have a set of 15 AND 25 dB filters, just in case....The filters are $35 a pair, and getting the custom plugs done runs anywhere from $75 to $150...CALL AROUND...prices vary GREATLY betweeen audiologists.  
    I have used these for about 8 years now, and I recently had my hearing checked after a bad sinus infection in which I had a lot of fluid buildup in the ear....My hearing has not declined AT ALL in 8 years of steady playing.
        I do not know if all audiologists will require a doctors referral, but mine did not.  I would SERIOUSLY recommend these to any professional musician who is commited to keeping their hearing, but also is not satisfied with the poor sound quality of standard earplugs.  Feel free to send me a message if you have any further questions regarding the plugs.  

Im surprised I can hear anything. I fly in C-130 airplanes for a living and I play drums as a hobby. Like Jeep said, I have to use double hearing protection in the plane though.

And for everyone else, most hearing aid centers will test your hearing for free.