Hearing loss tidbits

[doctor fuse]

Hearing loss tidbit No. 1:
A German study about a decade ago, found that people who liked the music they were listening to (mostly orchestral musicians), had less hearing loss than musicians who did not like the music they listened to, at the same decibel level.
Conclusion: Hearing loss is reduced when one has a positive feeling towards the music or sounds. My take is the ear cells are more relaxed and less stressed, so don't die at the extreme volumes/durations as easily as stressed ear cells.

Hearing loss tidbit No. 2:
A new study is being undertaken (Cambridge or Oxford, I believe), trying to develop a test for hearing loss for those people who have trouble understanding speech in crowded, noisy rooms (ME!). Many people (ME!) get good results in the standard frequency/decibel hearing tests, yet display the symptoms above. The new test will try to rectify this.

That's all I got. Anyone have anything to add?

 

[Alobar]

I have the same thing as tidbit #2, I can always hear the faint things nobody else seems to where it is otherwise quiet, the phone ringing in the house when outside and well away from the house, the first thrush of the season etc. I have always been fortunate to ace hearing test, but have a difficult time hearing what someone is saying to me in a noisy environment. It isn't that I can't hear them, I can. Just that I can't understand what they are saying. I actually can hear the oven timer in the kitchen on the other end of the house when I'm playing music at approx 75 to 80 db, so I know I can hear in noisy rooms. . Just not conversation.

 

[432HzBob]

develop a test for hearing loss for those people who have trouble understanding speech in crowded, noisy rooms (ME!). Many people (ME!) get good results in the standard frequency/decibel hearing tests, yet display the symptoms above. The new test will try to rectify this.

Hey keep us posted on what comes out.
Always been mystified by this as well. Too much confusion for the timbre of a human voice.
The sound of silverware clanking or an annoying tv commercial comes through well while struggling to hear someone talking right next to you.
Maybe why I always talked fairly thunderously and from working around machinery for years,

But, flip-side is, still hear very well individual sounds and detail from a single source.
Wonder what in the mind filters that out?
Maybe our hearing has a Db slope like a dac or speaker XO?
Probably why humans universally like a tube sound?
Interesting studies!

 

[DaveVoorhis]

A new study is being undertaken (Cambridge or Oxford, I believe), trying to develop a test for hearing loss for those people who have trouble understanding speech in crowded, noisy rooms (ME!). Many people (ME!) get good results in the standard frequency/decibel hearing tests, yet display the symptoms above. The new test will try to rectify this.

That's all I got. Anyone have anything to add?

Interesting. I have great difficulty understanding speech with my right ear, which otherwise tests normal on hearing tests. On several occasions, I've had someone whisper or even speak normally in my right ear -- noisy crowd or quiet room; doesn't matter -- and I hear something like, "ystl avn ttrf wff rhhear?"

Me: What?

Them (into right ear again): Ystl avn ttrf wff rhhear?

Me: Huh?

Them (still right ear, loudly): YSTL AVN TTRF WFF RHHEAR!!?!

Me: Eh?

Them (in exasperation they switch to my left ear): You still having trouble with your right ear?

 

[Old Guy8]

I male friend had some hearing loss from shooting rifles without hearing protection. He mainly had trouble in frequencies of female voices. There can be a silver lining.

 

[gdmoore28]

Notice that these problems occur almost exclusively in men? I think most of it occurs because our brains cannot multitask the way a woman can. We focus on one thing at a time, and naturally tune out things that interfere. Since women talk all the time, we have to tune them out if we are to focus on something else.

GeeDeeEmm

 

[Todd Dodds]

OP's Tidbits #1 and #2 are possibly related. And possibly age related.
Young people are used to a lot of noise around them, and are interested in all jabber going on among their friends, classmates and co-workers. Their interest in all this chatter helps them hear it.
As we age, we don't much give a damn about all the noise around us, but when trying to carry on a conversation, we're irritated by all the fatheads blabbering around us.
So it's not so much that we can't hear, it's just that we get pissed off while we're trying to hear.
Yeah. The more I think about it, the righter I am. And no researchers need to contact me for further discussion...I don't want to hear it.

 

[Alobar]

Notice that these problems occur almost exclusively in men? I think most of it occurs because our brains cannot multitask the way a woman can. We focus on one thing at a time, and naturally tune out things that interfere. Since women talk all the time, we have to tune them out if we are to focus on something else.

GeeDeeEmm

I have heard this goes way back to prehistoric times when we as hunter gatherers had distinct roles. The males were out hunting, being focused on the task, being still and quiet so as to not scare off the game being hunted. The females were gathering, and frightening game away, mostly dangerous predators was the desired effect so learned to make noise, and later as communication developed, learned to talk. Fast forward 100,000 years and for many it is still the same!

 

[Alobar]

That particular deafness like I have (tidbit #2) where it is difficult to make out conversation or speech in a noisy room makes me wonder if something in the ear, or impulses to the brain gets a distortion of sorts similar to a speaker that has difficulty keeping up with or distorts with loud complex music. Don't know what this says about our ability to truly hear the music as it actually sounds.