Ear Health

[toddd]

I'd just like to get some advice/opinions from some of you guys who are renowned for having 'good ears' on how you look after them over the years? Apart from the obvious (ie. low level monitoring, don't go to rock shows and dance clubs every night of the week etc...) any kind of health professional check ups or personal routines or anything like that.

Cheers.

[otto ruiter]

available from your local pharmacy, this gear works well for keeping the buggers clean without using cotton buds.

http://www.audiclean.co.uk

[chris p]

(1) Keep the sound levels to OH&S limits, walk out if you have to

(2) Clean em daily (as Otto says) - or go for a daily ocean swim for a free saline wash.

(3) Listen to quiet classical music regularly (yes, I'm serious. it helps).

(4) Get an audiologist to give you a hearing graph (a freq vs spl graph for threshold hearing) every 5 years or so - see how it bends down at the higher frequencies? Especially as you age? If you wonder why microphone companies make millions selling hyped top end mikes to people of my age, now you know.

Seriously, people spend $$$$$ getting their room fixed and monitors EQ'd, and forget that its the ears that make it all count. Know how well your ears hear at differing frequencies is important.

[Mark Bassett]

I remember reading a 'natural remedy' book chapter on tinnitus/ear care. Among other things the author stated that caffeine isn

[Martin]

i play live quite alot and got sick of the ears not feeling 100% afterwards...

its earplugs all the time at gigs now, and even just at the pub/loud place

you have to totally re-learn how to sing and have a lot more faith in what your hands are doing!

i like being able to mix on saturday morning, and hear the clock radio 3 rooms away quietly burble away at night

my right ear is definately lacking, i've started to notice i turn my head to the left when listening hard to balance the stereo image up.. would like to see whats going on there

mark, anywhere in sydney you would recommend for an ear check?

[chris p]

Hey Martin

Get a referral from your GP to the NSW Health Audiology Unit at your nearest friendly hospital - as Mark said, its free (well, its paid for by your taxes and Medicare levy).

[Kris]

I just got a pair of custom moulded in ear monitors from the guys ar Ear Monitors Australia. First Sunday using them was the first Sunday in 6 years I haven't had ringing ears after playing. I'll be getting them to make me a set of plugs when I get some more cash. Great investment.