Tinnitus and other hearing issues...

[Voltaire]

anyone got this condition?
I have been wearing earplugs for the last couple of years as I have found the wind noise makes my head feel 'fuzzy' afterwards.
Even now with them the 'dirty' air off the fairing still creates a lot of helmet noise.
Lately I have been in a job where I used a mobile phone for extended conversations and I have noticed that this really gives me a headache.
I am going for a test and ACC have sent me a form asking me if : I have ever listened to loud music, used power tools, worked on motor vehicles, ridden motorcycles, been in a band...etc.
Geez... I'd better not mention seeing Motorhead at Hammersmith Odeon and my bones rattling....or owning a bike with Contis.
Sadly I have never been in a band...despite having a van.

[riffer]

Yeah I suffer from it from time to time.

I've played in bands. Loud ones. A lot. I have 40% hearing damage from 4-8khz and occasional and random tinnitus.

Just one of those things now. I'm used to it.

[Conquiztador]

Gives me a reason for my selective hearing...

But yes, it's there. Part of life. As the damaged neck, screws in foot, nerv damage in leg, limited hand movement and...

As long as I can see I will ride.

[Bonez]

I suffer from it too. Working around aircraft, guns and explosives didn't help much, even with ear defenders. Now work in a general engineering workshop and wind noise from riding is a lot quieter or at least appears quieter.

80+% hearing loss in one ear do to an ear infection many years ago(affects balance at times occasionally) and 20% lost in the other due the above.

I just get on doing what I need to do. Can get annoying when trying to converse with folk though.

[MyGSXF:Me]

I recently learned.. riding for only 15 minutes at 100k/ph.. (without earplugs...) is enough to give you your maximum daily noise limit quota.. before damage starts to be done

Once is done.. it's done..

[rainman]

I recently learned.. riding for only 15 minutes at 100k/ph.. (without earplugs...) is enough to give you your maximum daily noise limit quota.. before damage starts to be done

Once is done.. it's done..

Bugger. My commute is 30-35 mins. Each way. And the Marauder isn't particularly quiet, even with baffles in. And my helmet is pretty noisy.

I'm noticing less ability to hear treble sounds - should really go get a test done to see how much damage I'm doing.

[MacD]

Another one here. 30dB loss in both ears plus mild tinnitus, bad enough to be annoying when trying to get to sleep at night, otherwise I don't notice it. The hearing loss is annoying when trying to hold conversations in pubs etc with background noise. It's OK in one to one situations.

Probably due to a combination of motorcycling, diving and ear infections as a kid.

I now wear earplugs when riding, particularly at open road speed. I like the Alpine ones which have frequency filters (effectively just small holes) which allow reasonable conversations if stopped without removing them, but definitely cut the wind noise.

[CookMySock]

I'll get a bout of tinnitus if I forget my earplugs. Years of noisy cars and loud music. I have grown to like earplugs on the open road - its much quieter and I can concentrate better, but its magic to take them out now and then for around town.

I hate tinnitus. It's not a thing I want to get used to.

Steve

[chester]

think ill start wearing ear plugs from now on.

[Madness]

Left ear is 100% poked, born that way. The whale has a 4 into 1 on the right hand side, never worn a plug and haven't had my ear tested since I was a kid. I've been exposed to a fair amount of industrial noise over the years and expect there to be at least 20% loss in the good one.

Conversations in noisy environments are absolutely impossible and my hearing loss has had a big influence in my social life as a result. My partner is an incredibly patient woman, what with the 600 times she hears me say "what?" each day. It has it's upside though, when she nags about my cage driving I simply wind the drivers window down... ignorance is bliss.

Will I start wearing a plug? probably not any time soon, even though I get full protection for half the price. I'm a Kiwi male after all.

[Skyryder]

I get the ringing tones on occasions. Not often but it does happen for no apparent reason usually at night. I've been wearing earplugs for yonks but I think the damage was done in my youth.

Skyyrder

[roadracingoldfart]

We just recently had a occupational nurse test our hearing as part of the companies paranoid outlook towards OSH. I passed with good results.
I have been either in mechanical or engineering work all my life and had a V8 as a younger bloke that needed a good stereo to hear it above the V8 so it was a shocking enviroment. The reason i passed is simple , i always wear earmuffs if the noise at work rises and i have always used either moulded plugs or bluetak on the road.
I try to get the young fellas i know to stop using the ipods and crap so loud but they dont want to know about it.
The nursey lady tested the noise from the compressor at work and found it was reading 85 db and its normally running about 20 or more times a day .
Were it any noisier then it could cause defness all on its own at my place of work. Frightning aye.

Paul.

[Motu]

I've never had my ears tested...I know they are fucked without a piece of paper..although you need one for ACC.One side is worse - but I can't hear a wind up watch even with it pressed against my ear,my wife can hear the same watch from across the room.Tinnitus is my constant companion,and if I don't wear ear plugs on a ride my ears are upset for a week.

I started riding when we didn't wear helmets - you haven't heard wind noise until you've done 100mph without a helmet.I also worked on diesel engines for years,and worked on compressors for awhile - we would walk into a room with say 10 compressors going hard at it,we would shut down the one we needed to work on,and squeeze in beside a running one to work on it....never wore ear muffs,they were for girls.

Your ears are like children - you only have yourself to blame....wear protection at all times.

[smoky]

I don't bother with earplugs - and often ride with my visor cracked open so I can hear my bandit better
I have a competition pipe fitted to make it louder, sounds real sweet

I love it when you’re accelerating and ya bike harmonises with the pipe off the bike in front of you – wicked pressure waves and sound

[howdamnhard]

I am going for a test and ACC have sent me a form asking me if : I have ever listened to loud music, used power tools, worked on motor vehicles, ridden motorcycles, been in a band...etc.

Careful how you answer them as ACC will be looking for a way not to pay for hearing aids etc.
I've got hearing damage and occasionally get tinnitus(ringing in my ears).I always use earplugs when riding as I have a very noisy helmet.A lot of the noise comes in through the bottom of the helmet.Check out plugz for lugz,they make custom earplugs which may be better than the roll up foam ones.