The importance of Ear protection when clubbing & Dj'ing
"You what mate? Speak up, I can't hear you!"
Ringing in your ear? Sign of a great night out isn't it? The system must have been at maximum high voltage, just how it should be! BOOM!
...erm, nah. It's the sound of a decibel dying in your ear, you halfwit. The only thing going "BOOM!" is your eardrum. And guess what? You'll never hear the little bugger again...1-love to deafness.
We give you the low down on the damage you're doing, what you can do to prevent further damage, and a brilliant Christmas present idea to suit all wallets...
Our parents generation never really exposed their ears to the noises we do. There just wasn't the technology. Nowadays, we have our mp3 players, nightclubs, and personal sound systems, all throbbing at full capacity, day in, day out.
At the rate we're going, we're destined to know our local otolaryngologist (that's oh-toe-lair-in-GAH-luh-jist) like our best friends.
Ever heard ringing, clicking, hissing, buzzing, crackling, roaring, humming or popping coming from within your ear after a night out? Yeah, us too. And like you, we've thought to ourselves "that place went off, system was amazing, and this is just the small price I have to pay for a wicked night. In fact, this almost makes the night complete".
Unfortunately, this is in fact the beginning of a BIG price to pay, and in time, could have you struggling to concentrate in the day, difficulty with sleeping at night, and potentially, deafness.
Do you hear these noises on a regular basis? Perhaps even every few weeks? Does it grate on your nerves like a geminy of baboons?
If the answer is yes to any of these, you may be suffering from tinnitus (tin-NY-tus).
Reasons for tinnitus.
Loud Noise. Too much exposure to loud music can cause noise-induced hearing loss and tinnitus.
Medicine. If you have tinnitus and you are currently taking medicine, consider asking your doctor or pharmacist to see if the two are related.
Other health problems. Even problems you might consider unconnected can cause tinnitus, such as allergies, tumors, problems in the heart, jaw, and neck.
What should you do?
The most important thing you can do, is go to your doctors. They'll be able to see what is causing your tinnitus, and check to see if it is related to blood pressure, kidney function, diet, allergies or something else.
Is there a cure?
Although there is no cure, there are several ways in which you can block out the noises, and gain some relief. Obviously a bit of trial and error is needed to see which techniques work best for you, so don't go shooting your mouth off at us when you say "that one" or "this one" didn't work... fuck RIGHT off :) (7th swear word of the website...go on my son).
Treatments can include:
• Hearing aids. Many people with tinnitus also have a hearing loss. Wearing a hearing aid makes it easier for some people to hear the sounds they need to hear by making them louder. The better you hear other people talking or the music you like, the less you notice your tinnitus.
• Maskers. Maskers are small electronic devices that use sound to make tinnitus less noticeable. Maskers do not make tinnitus go away, but they make the ringing or roaring seem softer. For some people, maskers hide their tinnitus so well that they can barely hear it.
We found an online version of a masker called http://www.simplynoise.com/
Even if you don't have tinnitus, but have issues sleeping, this website sends you into a peaceful slumber with a low, mid or high static frequency of your choice.
Even if you don't have tinnitus, but have issues sleeping, this website sends you into a peaceful slumber with a low, mid or high static frequency of your choice.
Medicine or drug therapy. Some medicines may ease tinnitus. If your doctor prescribes medicine to treat your tinnitus, they can tell you whether the medicine has any side effects.
Tinnitus retraining therapy. This treatment uses a combination of counseling and maskers. Otolaryngologists and audiologists help you learn how to deal with your tinnitus better. You may also use maskers to make your tinnitus less noticeable. After a while, some people learn how to avoid thinking about their tinnitus. It takes time for this treatment to work, but it can be very helpful.
Counselling. People with tinnitus may become depressed. Talking with a counsellor or people in tinnitus support groups may be helpful. Or one of us...we're always here for you at DB (aww).
Relaxing. Learning how to relax is very helpful if the noise in your ears frustrates you. Stress makes tinnitus seem worse. By relaxing, you have a chance to rest and better deal with the sound.
What should I do when I go out clubbing/DJ'ing?
Invest in a pair of earplugs, simpleton! And it doesn't even need to be taxing...
Scale: CHEAP - OUTRIGHT AUDIOPHILE
Cheap as chips:
If you're out clubbing, and have forgotten your plugs, stuff a bit of tissue in your ear. Just a tiny little strip rolled into a ball will fit nicely in your ear, allowing you to still hear people speaking and the music. People won't even notice it's in there.
We recommend 'Kleenex' or 'Aldi' own brand.
A little more:
You can get some joe blog foam plugs for as little as £3/$6AUS for a multi pack from your local pharmacy. I find these muffle the music too much, which is great if you've been dragged out to a night your friends love but you detest, but pretty poor when you actually want to listen. Tissue, in our opinion, is better!
We recommend you don't.
Even more:
You can get a good enough pair of earplugs for a mere £20/$40AUS. These can be purchased from the same suppliers
offering the more expensive mould earplugs. The reason for the price difference is not because of the quality, but merely because of the mould fitting. With these ones, you get a "one-size-fits-all". With the mould ones, you have to go to an audiologist to have your ear shape checked, a mould created, and then have the mould fitted with a filter.
Make sure if you're going to buy the mid-range/expensive plugs, they have a filter (as opposed to the non-filter plugs). Filter based plugs don't block out the sound, they just lower the volume, keeping as much of the sound quality as possible.
We recommend the 'Alpine Music Safe Pro' plugs.
Audiophile:
For the audiophiles among us and within, you might want to try a more upmarket pair, which you can have fitted to your ear shape for added comfort. I'd recommend these to serious clubbers, DJ's, artists, and musicians in general. They'll set you back
between £80 to £150/$160AUS to $300AUS for a pair, which sounds a lot, but is very much worth it in the long run. Some brands even offer a discounted replacement if you loose them! Do some scouting around, see what you can find.
We recommend ProGuard.
Thank you DB, you've been most educating :)
A pleasure brothers and sisters, an absolute pleasure.
We recommend the 'Alpine Music Safe Pro' plugs.
Audiophile:
For the audiophiles among us and within, you might want to try a more upmarket pair, which you can have fitted to your ear shape for added comfort. I'd recommend these to serious clubbers, DJ's, artists, and musicians in general. They'll set you back
between £80 to £150/$160AUS to $300AUS for a pair, which sounds a lot, but is very much worth it in the long run. Some brands even offer a discounted replacement if you loose them! Do some scouting around, see what you can find.We recommend ProGuard.
Thank you DB, you've been most educating :)
A pleasure brothers and sisters, an absolute pleasure.
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