Hearing Loss Maybe? Oh no!

TangoEchoAlpha

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So yesterday, I a flight lesson and the instructor provided some Telex headsets which I think had ANR. They were comfy and all and I though the sound quality was good. Since I don't have any point of reference, I can't judge the ear seal or noise canceling but my glasses probably didn't help.

towards the end of the flight, I noticed by right ear feeling a bit funny but it wasn't muffled. It just felt off. I didn't think much of it. Later that night when I went to bed, I thought I heard the sound of power tools (something like a power saw) in the distance. After plugging my ears with ear buds, I still could hear them which proved that this is probably the result of some hearing damage (hopefully temporary) in my right ear only. Well, it was a bit annoying but I didn't have any problem falling asleep. I was hoping that the sound would be gone the next morning.

Now, today, it's still there but only noticeable when there is no noise around. Also, I have no previous history of tinnitus.

So the question is this. Is the noise inside a Piper Warrior somehow loud enough to do any damage even though I was wearing an ANR headset? Does this seem like permanent damage or is it temporary? Anyone else have similar experiences?

In any case, this made me nervous. I've heard of the horror stories of those folks affected by severe tinnitus. I never did heed my dad's warnings to be extra careful around really loud noises and now I really do realize the potential danger.
 
Oh, also, I'm thinking of getting a personal QT Halo headset that fits inside the ear. With promised 30-45 db of attenuation at such a low price, it seems very attractive. I'm rarely scared in buying stuff but the hearing loss is real and I really do want to make sure it doesn't happen to me.
 
I suffer from hearing loss, the flight deck, and noisy cockpits when good hearing protection was available has taken its toll. My Dr says the noise canceling headsets will help. but the inner ear isn't the only thing that needs protection, the large cushion type pads that will cover the hard bone behind the ear are also needed. I bought the stage 1 Bose way back in the 90s and I believe they helped save what hearing I still have.
 
......

towards the end of the flight, I noticed by right ear feeling a bit funny but it wasn't muffled. It just felt off. I didn't think much of it.
.....

Holy chit man!

Doesn't sound like tinnitus, sounds more like leprosy
 
My Dr says the noise canceling headsets will help. but the inner ear isn't the only thing that needs protection, the large cushion type pads that will cover the hard bone behind the ear are also needed.

I would like to hear more about this. I have a Clarity Aloft which is an in the ear type and it attenuates noise better than my ANR set.
 
Oh come on, if ya can't take a joke...
 
To the OP, get a good headset, I've had good luck with light speed Zulus
 
I can take a joke. I just didn't get it.

Back to the topic. Did I just get tinnitus? Temporary or permanent? It's got me worried.
 
Misread, thought you self fell off lol


I would think it would take more then one flight to get tinnitus, that said I'm no MD nor did I stay at a holiday inn.
 
I am no doctor but for what it is worth. I flew my first 100ish hours without ever wearing a headset. Not super smart but my instructor didn't use them and not many people I know did back then. I wouldn't say my hearing is perfect but it isn't bad for my age. I seriously doubt one time would do any real long term damage. I would suspect the years of running lawn mowers and snowblowers without hearing protection were worse than flying.
 
Interesting article.
http://www.businessaircraftcenter.com/articles/private-aircraft-pilots-hearing-loss-art0312.htm

The say in the article the cabin noise runs about 86dB.

The decibel (dB) is the unit used to measure sound intensity. To give you an idea of the average decibel level of some everyday sounds, consider the following:
  • A whisper – 30 dB
  • A quiet room – 40 dB
  • Normal conversation – 60 dB
  • Busy traffic – 70 dB
  • Gas lawn mower – 106 dB
  • Jackhammer – 130 dB
  • Jet engine – 140 dB
Keep in mind that permanent hearing damage can occur from sounds louder than 85 dB, physical pain occurs at around 125 dB, and an eardrum may burst at 140 dB. The Occupational Safety and Health Organization (OSHA) states that the maximum level of "safe" exposure to loud sounds is 90 dB for up to eight hours, or 100 dB for up to two hours. OSHA requires that workers exposed to noise levels higher than 85 dB must use hearing protection equipment.
 
I am no doctor but for what it is worth. I flew my first 100ish hours without ever wearing a headset..
Same here. Crank up the volume on the radio so you could hear it from the overhead speaker.

Back to the topic. Did I just get tinnitus? Temporary or permanent? It's got me worried.

If you are developing a hearing problem, it's from your MP3 player - not one hour in an airplane with a headset on.
Loud music, guns, power tools... You get way more exposure to damaging noise from these than on hour in an airplane.
 
Same here. Crank up the volume on the radio so you could hear it from the overhead speaker.



If you are developing a hearing problem, it's from your MP3 player - not one hour in an airplane with a headset on.
Loud music, guns, power tools... You get way more exposure to damaging noise from these than on hour in an airplane.

From what I'm reading here, I'm still hoping this is temporary. I honestly don't think I've done anything that would really cause hearing loss.
 
I would like to hear more about this. I have a Clarity Aloft which is an in the ear type and it attenuates noise better than my ANR set.
I would like to hear more about this. I have a Clarity Aloft which is an in the ear type and it attenuates noise better than my ANR set.
I'm no Dr, I simply take their advice.
 
I can take a joke. I just didn't get it.

Back to the topic. Did I just get tinnitus? Temporary or permanent? It's got me worried.

You're probably experiencing a temporary threshold shift. The lingering tinnitus is akin to a "noise hangover." It's your body's way of saying you got too much. Your ears don't care whether the exposure is from something pleasant, like music, or something noxious, like a jackhammer, or a 100dB airplane cockpit. If the levels are too high, you're damaging very delicate tissue in the inner ear. Google "outer hair cell damage images" for an illustration. Keep the level on your iDevice at 50% or below.

The key to effective protection from muffs/headsets, and even inserts, is getting a good seal. Perhaps your sunglasses prevented getting a good seal on your right ear. It's unlikely you did permanent damage, but you should consult an audiologist for baseline testing if you're concerned.
 
Same here. Crank up the volume on the radio so you could hear it from the overhead speaker.



If you are developing a hearing problem, it's from your MP3 player - not one hour in an airplane with a headset on.
Loud music, guns, power tools... You get way more exposure to damaging noise from these than on hour in an airplane.
When you are standing between Cat 1 and Cat 2 with 2 F-4S in full fourth stage burner, you can feel the noise and it hurts.
 
You're probably experiencing a temporary threshold shift. The lingering tinnitus is akin to a "noise hangover." It's your body's way of saying you got too much. Your ears don't care whether the exposure is from something pleasant, like music, or something noxious, like a jackhammer, or a 100dB airplane cockpit. If the levels are too high, you're damaging very delicate tissue in the inner ear. Google "outer hair cell damage images" for an illustration. Keep the level on your iDevice at 50% or below.

The key to effective protection from muffs/headsets, and even inserts, is getting a good seal. Perhaps your sunglasses prevented getting a good seal on your right ear. It's unlikely you did permanent damage, but you should consult an audiologist for baseline testing if you're concerned.

So is the solution eating a bunch of bread before exposure to loud noises? Well so for now, I guess I'll lay off any loud noises and try to ride the "hangover" out.
 
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This right here!
You're probably experiencing a temporary threshold shift. The lingering tinnitus is akin to a "noise hangover." It's your body's way of saying you got too much. Your ears don't care whether the exposure is from something pleasant, like music, or something noxious, like a jackhammer, or a 100dB airplane cockpit. If the levels are too high, you're damaging very delicate tissue in the inner ear. Google "outer hair cell damage images" for an illustration. Keep the level on your iDevice at 50% or below.

The key to effective protection from muffs/headsets, and even inserts, is getting a good seal. Perhaps your sunglasses prevented getting a good seal on your right ear. It's unlikely you did permanent damage, but you should consult an audiologist for baseline testing if you're concerned.
 
Any of you folks wear headsets with ear plugs for extra protection?
I did for years but I didn't have an ANR headset.

Honestly, I don't think you hurt your hearing because of one airplane flight, but I am not a doctor.

It might be more likely that your eustachian tube got blocked because of the pressure change, or maybe you have a buildup of ear wax.

http://www.entnet.org/content/ears-and-altitude
 
I did for years but I didn't have an ANR headset.

Honestly, I don't think you hurt your hearing because of one airplane flight, but I am not a doctor.

It might be more likely that your eustachian tube got blocked because of the pressure change, or maybe you have a buildup of ear wax.

http://www.entnet.org/content/ears-and-altitude

+1

Anything loud enough to damage your hearing in a single flight would have been uncomfortably loud during the flight.
 
I suffer from hearing loss, the flight deck, and noisy cockpits when good hearing protection was available has taken its toll. My Dr says the noise canceling headsets will help. but the inner ear isn't the only thing that needs protection, the large cushion type pads that will cover the hard bone behind the ear are also needed. I bought the stage 1 Bose way back in the 90s and I believe they helped save what hearing I still have.

When I got a job on the ramp at JFK after I got out of the service, it took me a few days to realize that the old timers weren't yelling at each other all the time because they were angry. It was because they were all half-deaf (or worse). Hearing loss creeps up on you over time.

To the OP: I'm no expert, but I suspect that permanent damage would be rather unlikely to occur during a single flight unless the noise was so intense that you would have been in considerable discomfort. Most people I know with noise-induced hearing loss lost their hearing over a period of many years of chronic exposure to noise that wasn't uncomfortably loud. Many people in the radio business, for example, suffer hearing loss from wearing headphones on the job for all those years. I suspect that many young people who spend their whole lives zoning out on music from their MP3 players will suffer the same fate.

Rich
 
I have always been senstive to hearing loss issues. Even back in the day I learned when headphones were not commonly in use, I wore those squishy yellow earplugs and turned up the radios. When portable intercoms became available, I bought one and my first pair of Dave Clarks and wouldn't fly with an instructor who didn't use a headset.

Of course, despite all this I have a pronounced hearing loss in my right ear.
 
I have always been senstive to hearing loss issues. Even back in the day I learned when headphones were not commonly in use, I wore those squishy yellow earplugs and turned up the radios. When portable intercoms became available, I bought one and my first pair of Dave Clarks and wouldn't fly with an instructor who didn't use a headset.

Of course, despite all this I have a pronounced hearing loss in my right ear.

Why would the hearing loss be more pronounced in one ear than the other?

Is this one of the cases like that of truck driver's where their left ear, being more exposed to the wind from an opened window, experiences hearing loss more quickly than the right ear?
 
Why would the hearing loss be more pronounced in one ear than the other?

Is this one of the cases like that of truck driver's where their left ear, being more exposed to the wind from an opened window, experiences hearing loss more quickly than the right ear?
I have significant hearing loss in my left ear from years of flying with one earplug in my right ear, and nothing in my left (under a helmet with built in hearing protection. I also spent a lot of time with my left side towards turbines. I've gotten a lot more careful, and haven't had any additional loss since. Permanent hearing loss takes repeated and prolonged exposure, I wouldn't worry too much about one or two instances. But, wearing glasses under a headset can be a problem. If they don't seal well, I would wear earplugs underneath.
 
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