My Hearing Condition ,Please read this

[jstuart1]

I have to wear hearing protection at the plant all the time. I found ear
plugs to be uncomfortable and actually caused problems because of the
contaminants that build up on them from your fingers or when they are exposed
to the atmosphere. They also tend to pack the wax in your ears which can lead
to an uncomfortablet trip the doctor. After the first time that happend to
me, I switched to ear muffs specially designed for hearing protection. They
are available at any safety supply store and some are quite lite. I find that
they actually protect from noise better than the ear plugs did. Since I
haven't started tuning yet, I am not sure if they would work well for that. I
have a couple of sets at home that I use anytime I am running circular saws
or other power tools as well as on the rare occasion the I decide to punish
myself by exposure to Houston's heat and cut the grass.

They might be worth a try. Vallen is the safety supply company we use. They
are at http://www.vallen.com The ear muffs I use at home are Aearo EAR Model
1000 Ear Muff They are so light that you hardly know you are wearing them.
Vallen has them for $ 11.20 I use the Vallen Profile I Ear Muff at work they
are only $ 7.90 These are a little heavier than the first set but provide a
tighter fit for my smaller head size. You will find them under personal
protective equipment then click on ear muffs. There are also many styles of
ear plugs with different protection ratings for industrial use. You might
look into those as well. Hope this helps in some small way.

Judy

Tom J Armstrong wrote:

> Sorry to read about your hearing problem.  It reminds me of a allergic
> response!  I've been sick before with various viruses, and experienced
> sensitivity to light.  People with migraines get that to, but your
> hearing problem is new to me.
>
> I have been tuning for decades.  I've noticed the "popping" ear reflex
> before.  In my reading about hearing protection, I believe that there is
> some sort of muscle response in the ear to protect from loudness, similar
> to the pupil in the eye.  There have been times when my ear "flutters",
> which I believe to be a spasm of this reflex muscle.
>
> A couple of years ago a truck battery exploded in my face.  I was
> physically OK (not my acid washed clothes, though).  The sound was
> equivalent to a shotgun blast in my face.  For three weeks my ears were
> ringing, but, thank God, it went away.  My hearing tests out fine now.
> At night I can hear a little tinnitus, but over the years I have
> gradually noticed that anyway (I am 44).
>
> I do sound-mixing at my church.  Especially if I am tired, I can be
> hypersensitive to female voices in the upper midrange/ low treble area of
> the sound spectrum.  Some days I find that certain pianos really irritate
> me, and that is when I put in the earplugs!  Then I talk to the customer
> about voicing.  I consider my sensitivity an asset to making good
> decisions about voicing pianos or EQing sound systems.  Remember, just
> like any other part of the body, ears need protection and rest.  Good
> recording studio engineers know when to take a break---or when to leave
> and come in another day.
>
> If I am "aurally" exhausted, I probably won't try to tune or especially
> voice any pianos for the rest of the day (I tune aurally).  Sometimes I
> take a day or two off and do shop or office work just to recover.  I
> don't know how some people on this Pianotech list can tune 25 or 30
> pianos a week!  I would go crazy.
>
> Tom Armstrong, RPT
> Salinas, CA
>
>