What’s that you said? How is your hearing? August 31, 2013
Posted by WorldbyStorm in Culture.trackback
For those of us who are concerned about our hearing, check this out. I’m okay, in that I fall into the category that I’m actually in – under 50. But man, I’m not happy to see so many frequencies have bit the dust over the years. Farewell under 40, 30, 20…
That said there are much more precise tests including apps from various companies and organisations for deaf people. And even those are only approximations.
I don`t really need to do that test, I wear two hearing aids and can hear perfectly!
LikeLike
I can hear, I can hear perfectly…
LikeLike
Ah feck. I had noticed recently in listening to some choons that they didn’t necessarily have the impact that they once had, evidently the loss of those higher frequencies must have lessen the richness of the sounds. I wonder if electronica and dance music more prone to be being age tied, after a while you just don’t get the same feeling anymore.
LikeLike
T and ER. That reminds me of this from The Church’s Steve Kilbey, a little poem about his situation, or at least the first 11 lines!
http://thetimebeing.com/2013/08/sunday-in-august/
Daniel, I’ve wondered that too, certainly stuff sounds flatter than it did, which I presume is a product of loss of higher frequencies and more importantly perhaps how they interact. But… on the other hand I still find music all the time that’s new and that I love, so that side is grand.
Electronica and dance being more prone, yeah, perhaps.
LikeLike
For me the issue in the last few weeks has been reading printed matter. I had an eye test last year, with no change to my long-standing prescription (for 30 years). Now, I find it easier to read books or CD sleeve notes with the glasses off.
LikeLike
Ah now, eyesight as well? Bifocals here I come.
LikeLike
With my aids I’m becoming a bit of a cyborg!
Herself needs a hearing aid now, sadly it gives me some consolation. Because, I have to say “people” are not sympathetic to the hard of hearing, they get irritated with you and think you’re doing it to annoy them. (Mind you my sister-in-law said that my brother, before electronic assistance, never seemed to hear if asked “shall we go shopping?” but always seem to hear perfectly well if asked “are you going fishing?”.
No such stigma really attaches to decline in vision, perhaps because even young people wear glasses and mostly only old deaf gits wear hearing aids.
However, modern technology is a great benefit as regards hearing aids, small and inconspicuous. I am in hock for years to come because I upgraded to bluetooth so I can listen to my tunes (diddly dee) without wires. Mind you I keep the streamer/controller away from herself – it has the volume control!
LikeLike
Reading your moment FergusD I find it kind of heartening, you’re listening to music and so on. I think you’re right re hearing, and it is odd the reception. That said I’m noticing a lot of people in their thirties with with fairly bad hearing and I wonder is that just coincidence or down to music listening, indeed I know someone just 31 with tinnitus which is no joke to have.
LikeLike
I went to hear my younger son in his heavy metal band some years back. Afterwards I had terrible tinnitus and I thought I was going deaf. There are many stories about rock stars having damaged hearing. Maybe Walkman (back in the day), iPods etc are a risk too, if you like your music loud (I don’t actually.
http://content.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,2011503,00.html
LikeLike
Had a similar experience four years or so back. Didn’t bring ear plugs to a gig. Hearing recovered mostly, but never been the same since and in quiet environments got a hiss in my right ear.
LikeLike
My day job partly involves looking at hearing damage: you’re probably right about the music listening. It might be coincidental, but those of us in our forties are the first generation to grow up with in-ear music. Add lots of loud gigs, and the general deterioration which happens with forty years of exposure, and it’s a wonder we can hear anything.
LikeLike