Ear has been ringing for 3 weeks (3 Viewers)

[E-Z Glider]

Went to see a band about 3 weeks ago. They played in a back-room with brick walls that was built for acoustics. The band was SOOO LOUD that is was unbelievable. Unfortunately, they were so good that I stayed to listen. It wasnt until the next morning that I realized the damage was done. Its now been 3 weeks and I can still hear the ringing in my left ear. Its pretty damn depressing to realize that Ive done permanent damage to my ear and may have to deal with this the rest of my life.

Anyone ever have this happen, and then have it go away (or at least get somewhat better)?

 

[Andy Dufresne]

You have Tinnitus and have permanently damaged your hearing. Congratulations.

TreatmentMany treatments for tinnitus have been claimed, with varying degrees of statistical reliability:Objective tinnitus:Gamma knife radiosurgery (glomus jugulare)[37]Shielding of cochlea by teflon implant[38]Botulinum toxin (palatal tremor)[39]Clearing ear canal (in the case of earwax plug)[40]Using a neurostimulator[41]Subjective tinnitusrugs and nutrients Lidocaine injection into the inner ear was found to suppress the tinnitus for 20 minutes, according to a Swedish study.[42]Older benzodiazepines, e.g. diazepam, are sometimes used for tinnitus;[43] however, there are significant risks associated with the long-term use of benzodiazepines.[44]Tricyclics (amitriptyline, nortriptyline) in small doses[45]Avoidance of caffeine, nicotine, or salt can reduce symptoms,[46][47][48] but, tinnitus can also be induced by reducing caffeine and/or quitting smoking.The consumption of alcohol has been found to both increase and decrease the severity of tinnitus. Therefore, alcohol's effect on the severity of tinnitus is dependent on the causes of the individual's affliction, and cannot be considered a treatment.[48][49]Zinc supplementation (where serum zinc deficiency is present)[50][51][52]Acamprosate[53]Etidronate or sodium fluoride (otosclerosis)[54]Lignocaine or anticonvulsants (usually in patients responsive to white noise masking)[55]Carbamazepine[56]Melatonin (especially for those with sleep disturbance)[57]Sertraline[58]Vitamin combinations (lipoflavonoid)[59]Electrical stimulation Transcranial magnetic stimulation or transcranial direct current stimulation[60][61]Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation[62]Direct stimulation of auditory cortex by implanted electrodes[63]Berthold Langguth, German neurologist, would apply an electric or magnetic current for stimulation over the head of the patient to reduce ringing sound. Dirk De Ridder, Belgian neurosurgeon, implanted electrodes to the brain of sufferers to normalise overactive neurons. Cambridge University scientists also found lidocaine, an anaesthetic, reduces the sound in 2/3 of patients for 5 minutes, but it needs another drug to suppress its dangerous effects.[64]Vagus nerve stimulation[65]Surgery Repair of the perilymph fistula[66]External sound Low-pitched sound treatment has shown some positive, encouraging results.(UC, Irvine press release)Tinnitus masker (white noise, or better 'shaped' or filtered noise)[67]Tinnitus retraining therapy[68][69]Auditive stimulation therapy (music therapy)[70]Auditive destimulation therapy (also called "notched music" therapy) uses individually designed music with the patients' favorite music altered to remove the musical tones that match the aural frequencies associated with their tinnitus. The removal of these tones alleviates the tinnitus by destimulating brain activity for these specific frequencies.[71]Compensation for lost frequencies by use of a hearing aid.[72]Ultrasonic bone-conduction external acoustic stimulation[73][74]Avoidance of outside noise (exogenous tinnitus)[75]Psychological cognitive behavioral therapy[76]

 

[Ghost Rider]

Yeah, you'll just have to get used to it. From the many concerts I have gone to, my ears are always ringing, but I never notice it anymore. It usually is pretty low in volume, except for days after concerts or particularly loud music listening sessions.

 

[E-Z Glider]

You have Tinnitus and have permanently damaged your hearing. Congratulations.

yeah, this is what my research has turned up too. :( there are some stories of people reporting it getting better after 3 months or so, but it just be a case of getting more used to it. i was hoping to hear some of these stories.

 

[bicycle_seat_sniffer]

ipod ruined my ears, I have tinnitus.

Its happens. Hardly notice it now unless I see a band play.

used to drive me nuts and keep me awake when I first noticed it

 

[E-Z Glider]

Yeah, you'll just have to get used to it. From the many concerts I have gone to, my ears are always ringing, but I never notice it anymore. It usually is pretty low in volume, except for days after concerts or particularly loud music listening sessions.

i think its more noticeable to me because its just in one ear

 

[Andy Dufresne]

You have Tinnitus and have permanently damaged your hearing. Congratulations.

yeah, this is what my research has turned up too. :( there are some stories of people reporting it getting better after 3 months or so, but it just be a case of getting more used to it. i was hoping to hear some of these stories.

Sorry that sounded so cold-hearted. Hope it gets better for you, GB.,

 

[shadyridr]

Figured with the advent of the walkman everyone has this nowadays.

 

[Socrates11]

Fellow tinnitus sufferer. Used to it now and don't even notice it's there unless I think about it or something happens to aggrevate it and it turns up a notch.

 

[SteevieG]

I've had it for over 30. A firecracker blew up right next to my ear. Most times I don't notice it, but sometimes it's pretty annoying. The worst for me is at night or when it's quiet. I've had to sleep with a TV or radio on ever since, and if none is available I don't sleep worth a ####.

Good luck and my condolences on having this.

 

[glock]

I don't know about ringing...

...but I do have this swarm of cicadas that follow me everywhere these days. Night and day.

 

[Topes]

Update?

 

[wholligans]

I have tinnutis. I have played electric guitar and been in a band for over twenty years. Many live gigs, recording, mixing, going to concerts to see other bands live. I did not wear ear plugs for many of those early years.

My tinnutis started about fifteen years ago. If you have it, it will not go away. Now you need to find ways to not make it worse. Wear ear plugs to any live concert or local band show. I have tried many styles of ear plugs over the years and the ones that work best for me are the wax based ear plugs. They are available at most drug stores. They are able to fit in your ear canal and block out about 30 db. I wear them when I rehearse and play gigs with my band.

You can also go to a hearing aid center and have custom molded ear plugs built. They are a bit costly, but work great. I had some made, but lost them. The wax based plugs work well enough for me.

Someone on the message board said it can be most annoying at night. I agree. Have some kind of low level noise in your bedroom. Fan on low, radio or tv on low. This will help distract your ears.

I do not listen to music using ear buds. That will aggravate your tinnutis. Get over the ear headphones.

I even wear ear plugs when I mow the lawn. All of the extra care I take by using ear plugs has really helped me maintain my tinnutis. It has not gotten better, but it has not gotten worse.

Best of luck.

 

[peaces]

If it's too loud you're too old.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

Someone on the message board said it can be most annoying at night. I agree. Have some kind of low level noise in your bedroom. Fan on low, radio or tv on low. This will help distract your ears.

I only notice it anymore when I'm in bed and it's completely quiet. Well, I can hear it now because of this damned thread Besides rock concerts/loud music, I have worked construction for a long time around lots of very large equipment. I think my hearing is still pretty good, regardless of the ringing.

 

[Apple Jack]

Figured with the advent of the walkman everyone has this nowadays.

Yep. I was a headphones kid before the walkman, too. Put 400 or so concerts, playing in a band and recording my own music, on top of that and it's a recipe for tinnitus. It does get a little better if you are mindful not to thrash your ears much, if at all. If shows are too loud (Dinosaur, Jr, for example), I'll just grab cocktail napkins and tear off enough to put in my ears. On top of tinnitus, I have something in my right ear where certain frequency/volume combinations cause my ear drum to distort or flap. In those cases, I have to immediately put something in there. That's freaky. But it's fine. You'll get used to it. It's not the mind-screw you think it's going to be. Just takes a little adapted. Just be more careful going forward.

 

[Reaper]

IN

I plugged in my bass amp a few months ago and the feedback almost knocked me over!

Went to an ENT and he said it was "only" bruised and it should heal...

Last week I went again and said, Doc, my ears haven't stopped ringing. He looked, said it all looks good and might go away at some point.

That's all.

 

[jon_mx]

Ear has been ringing for 3 weeks

Have you tried answering it?

 

[jamny]

I've had it for over 5 years now. It's louder than any tv, radio, conversation, whatever. I can always hear it. I got an MRI to make sure there were no issues and got a hearing test. I tried accupuncture and it actually made it worse for a short time. I really do miss going to bed with the windows open, hearing the world outside. Now I just do my best to ignore it and get by fairly well. Occasionaly it cranks up to really scary levels for a few minutes. One night it woke me up, I thought an alarm was going off. I remember being really scared that it had gone to a whole new level that I might not be able to deal with. My dentist, who was once just a funny upbeat guy had his increase to intolerable levels. He refitted all the drills to lower their noise but it didn't help and he was forced to retire. I saw him change into a really sad depressed man. From what I've heard, it has really taken it's toll on him. My friends mom tried to commit suicide after years of trying to get rid of it.

It is very misunderstoood because a lot of people will say "I have it too" and it's no big deal. Yet there are so many levels and variations that even those with mild tinnitus don't understand. Mine is pretty bad and I have experienced how much worse it can get. My concert days are over and I avoid any kind of loud noises in fear that it will make things worse. I just continue to tell myself that there are a lot worse things to have.

They are doing some interesting studies in Australia with tone cancellation that has some promise. Don't but that product you hear advertised. It's a scam.

Good luck to all with it.

 

[DrJ]

I'd say there's a chance it can still go away. Like a lot of dudes in the ear cleaning thread, I have issues with ear wax. Tried the hydrogen peroxide method of ear cleaning about a month ago and the next day I was getting some pretty bad ringing going on. Took about 2 weeks but it's gone now. While I was freaking out (and nearly convinced myself I could have given myself a brain abscess) I did a fair bit of reading on this stuff.

Based on what you're describing, I'd say there's a pretty good chance that you damaged your eardrum. This can heal on its own, and can take several weeks to a couple of months. So there's still a chance it will just go away despite it still persisting over a couple of weeks. Sometimes it won't heal on its own though and it seems a doctor can do various things like "gluing" a piece of paper to it to help it heal and stuff.

Pretty much every piece of advice (which I didn't follow) says to go to a doctor basically immediately for this. So that's something to consider. I hate doctors, and feel like every time I go to them they have no clue and just charge me a bunch of money so I didn't do that.

I also found this supplement that I've been taking called Ginkgo Biloba. It "promotes healthy brain function and circulation" - it's supposed to assist circulation to your extremities including your ears. Also can help with memory and stuff apparently. If you do a search on this stuff and Tinnitus you'll find a few places suggesting it can have positive benefits. Not sure if it will help with a damaged eardrum, but I have to imagine improved circulation to that area couldn't be bad for the healing process either.

Good luck. I know how scary this can be - I was freaking myself out.

 

[El Floppo]

ugh. me too.

I don't know if it was a bad bike accident w/concussion or seeing U2 right next to the stage 3 times in a year, but it all happened in one year and then my ears started ringing. Of all the bands to lose my hearing to- ####### u2?!

And like the others, most of the time I don't notice it, but when it's quiet I do. Worse, when there's some kind of ambient white noise at the same frequency as my ringing, I can barely hear. Hoo. Ray.

 

[QB Bills]

Been dealing with a mild ringing in my ears for a couple of months now. It appeared out of nowhere while I was sleeping one night. It is not unbearable, but very annoying. Mine is more like a Morse Code sound than a persistent squeal.

I had a hearing test done and the specialist told me that my hearing was "perfect." I'm wondering if that means my tinnitus is caused by something other than damaged hearing.

 

[E-Z Glider]

Update?

Yep, still ringing. Mostly notice it when its quiet, but I hear it all day long. Just something Ill deal with the rest of my life. Ive avoided loud music//noise/earphones ever since. Too little, too late, unfortunately. :(

 

[Darrinll40]

I have lived with it in both ears for over 35 years, ever since I was about 10 years old. It is louder and more noticeable when I am tired or didn't get enough sleep. Surprisingly it doesn't keep me awake at any time. But I do have trouble hearing voices and other ringers that are near the same pitch/tone.

 

[Sweet Love]

Not to make people feel bad, but I am so glad I never liked concerts...went to roughly 4-5 in my college days and could not stand them (for various reasons, but the volume level, no matter who was playing, was obnoxious (on the low end) to vindictive...honestly, for "band playing guy" out there, why so loud? Do you think it is better when people's teeth rattle???

Because, of my distaste for loud music I have very good hearing for someone of my age (37) and when I do occasionally use an iPod, I always go "over the ear". Bose has a low end, noise reduction ear phone (87% noiseless), that is not only comfy, but never bothers my ears. I think they retail for something like $39.

Now, if only I treated my liver like I treat my ears...

 

[jamny]

Not to make people feel bad, but I am so glad I never liked concerts...went to roughly 4-5 in my college days and could not stand them (for various reasons, but the volume level, no matter who was playing, was obnoxious (on the low end) to vindictive...honestly, for "band playing guy" out there, why so loud? Do you think it is better when people's teeth rattle???Because, of my distaste for loud music I have very good hearing for someone of my age (37) and when I do occasionally use an iPod, I always go "over the ear". Bose has a low end, noise reduction ear phone (87% noiseless), that is not only comfy, but never bothers my ears. I think they retail for something like $39.Now, if only I treated my liver like I treat my ears...

Yeah, I was a singer in a metal band and we always played extremely loud. I also went to clubs and concerts as often as possible. Our drummers mom used to try to talk to us about hearing loss a lot but of course, we all knew better. My hearing was checked and no problems were found but I'm sure it was my fault that I have tinnitus.although there are some theories that it has to do with thinning of blood vessels in the ears.

 

[glock]

Along with my tinnitus my doctor tells me that I am suffering some mid range hearing loss. Funny guy, doc. He tells me that there is a bright side. He says that most women's voices fall into this range. :rimshot:

:(

 

[babydemon90]

I've had ear ringing trouble for a few years now, not from loud noises though, it has not gone away ever since my stroke...

 

[Cavalier]

Been dealing with a mild ringing in my ears for a couple of months now. It appeared out of nowhere while I was sleeping one night. It is not unbearable, but very annoying. Mine is more like a Morse Code sound than a persistent squeal.I had a hearing test done and the specialist told me that my hearing was "perfect." I'm wondering if that means my tinnitus is caused by something other than damaged hearing.

It can, my was caused by an ear infection that attacked the nerve. Once it gets to the nerve, if not treated quickly, you are pretty much a ringing telephone from there on.

 

[Jojo the circus boy]

I really wish people would not start these threads. I have had tinnitus for over 10 years, you get used to it, UNTIL you see a thread title like this and then you can hear it again.

 

[jamny]

I really wish people would not start these threads. I have had tinnitus for over 10 years, you get used to it, UNTIL you see a thread title like this and then you can hear it again.

I wish that were the case for me. I do a pretty good job of ignoring it but at least a few times a day something triggers it. It doesn't matter if I'm in a crowded store, watching a movie or tv, in my car or just walking down the street.edit: It's an example of what I said earlier. People say "you get used to it". No, you got used to yours. Some people may have it 10 times as loud (or different sound/frequency)so it's not as easy.

 

[peaces]

According to DailyMail.co.uk, a British rock music fan stabbed himself to death after seeing the rock supergroup THEM CROOKED VULTURES perform left him with severe tinnitus.Robert McIndoe, 52, was unable to sleep for three months after seeing the band — made up of current and former members of LED ZEPPELIN, FOO FIGHTERS and QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE — in July 2010 at the Brixton Academy in London.His psychiatrist, Dr. Helen Stinson, said, "He accepted death as a side-effect of stopping the noise."McIndoe's wife Shirley said, "When it first happened, he wasn't too bothered about it because he thought it would subside, and the friend he had been with also had ringing in his ears that day. But it was a constant irritation. He didn't get a night of sleep after that."Tinnitus is characterized by a constant ringing in the ears, with the noise coming from inside the body rather than an outside source.

~blabbermouth.net Sorry I joked about it before.

 

[Apple Jack]

According to DailyMail.co.uk, a British rock music fan stabbed himself to death after seeing the rock supergroup THEM CROOKED VULTURES perform left him with severe tinnitus.Robert McIndoe, 52, was unable to sleep for three months after seeing the band — made up of current and former members of LED ZEPPELIN, FOO FIGHTERS and QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE — in July 2010 at the Brixton Academy in London.His psychiatrist, Dr. Helen Stinson, said, "He accepted death as a side-effect of stopping the noise."McIndoe's wife Shirley said, "When it first happened, he wasn't too bothered about it because he thought it would subside, and the friend he had been with also had ringing in his ears that day. But it was a constant irritation. He didn't get a night of sleep after that."Tinnitus is characterized by a constant ringing in the ears, with the noise coming from inside the body rather than an outside source.

~blabbermouth.net Sorry I joked about it before.

I wonder if he tried sleeping with some kind of noise in the room, like a low level TV or music. I've do that when mine is bad and it works like a charm.

 

[Copeman]

I've had it in my left ear for a while now, and just recently it has gotten worse. It is constant. I have noticed it gets a bit better with the less caffeine I have that particular day. Same with tobacco/nicotene/alcohol. All the fun stuff. Why can't it get worse with the more brussel sprouts and spinach I eat?

ETA: It does help when I have some ambient noise around, like a fan.

 

[E-Z Glider]

I've had it in my left ear for a while now, and just recently it has gotten worse. It is constant. I have noticed it gets a bit better with the less caffeine I have that particular day. Same with tobacco/nicotene/alcohol. All the fun stuff. Why can't it get worse with the more brussel sprouts and spinach I eat?

ETA: It does help when I have some ambient noise around, like a fan.

you can add the herbage to that list too

 

[Copeman]

I've had it in my left ear for a while now, and just recently it has gotten worse. It is constant. I have noticed it gets a bit better with the less caffeine I have that particular day. Same with tobacco/nicotene/alcohol. All the fun stuff. Why can't it get worse with the more brussel sprouts and spinach I eat?

ETA: It does help when I have some ambient noise around, like a fan.

you can add the herbage to that list too

Yeah, forgot about that. :(

 

[El Floppo]

ugh. me too. I don't know if it was a bad bike accident w/concussion or seeing U2 right next to the stage 3 times in a year, but it all happened in one year and then my ears started ringing. Of all the bands to lose my hearing to- ####### u2?! And like the others, most of the time I don't notice it, but when it's quiet I do. Worse, when there's some kind of ambient white noise at the same frequency as my ringing, I can barely hear. Hoo. Ray.

it's gotten worse in the last few months.

advice?

 

[Evilgrin 72]

ugh. me too. I don't know if it was a bad bike accident w/concussion or seeing U2 right next to the stage 3 times in a year, but it all happened in one year and then my ears started ringing. Of all the bands to lose my hearing to- ####### u2?! And like the others, most of the time I don't notice it, but when it's quiet I do. Worse, when there's some kind of ambient white noise at the same frequency as my ringing, I can barely hear. Hoo. Ray.

it's gotten worse in the last few months.

advice?

Go get an MRI. That will determine if there's a bell or something lodged in your brain or ear canal.

Either that, or just go full Uncle Leo and start wandering the streets yelling out : "Will somebody answer that damned phone ?!"

 

[El Floppo]

ugh. me too. I don't know if it was a bad bike accident w/concussion or seeing U2 right next to the stage 3 times in a year, but it all happened in one year and then my ears started ringing. Of all the bands to lose my hearing to- ####### u2?! And like the others, most of the time I don't notice it, but when it's quiet I do. Worse, when there's some kind of ambient white noise at the same frequency as my ringing, I can barely hear. Hoo. Ray.

it's gotten worse in the last few months.

advice?

Go get an MRI. That will determine if there's a bell or something lodged in your brain or ear canal.

Either that, or just go full Uncle Leo and start wandering the streets yelling out : "Will somebody answer that damned phone ?!"

sssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssszzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzsssssssssssssssssssssssssszzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

that's how I spend my life.

 

[pantagrapher]

A friend of mine got tinnitus from chewing nicorette. I didn't even know that was possible. He would chow down on that gum constantly and with incredible vigor.

 

[Hawks64]

ugh. me too. I don't know if it was a bad bike accident w/concussion or seeing U2 right next to the stage 3 times in a year, but it all happened in one year and then my ears started ringing. Of all the bands to lose my hearing to- ####### u2?! And like the others, most of the time I don't notice it, but when it's quiet I do. Worse, when there's some kind of ambient white noise at the same frequency as my ringing, I can barely hear. Hoo. Ray.

it's gotten worse in the last few months.

advice?

Go to an ENT? I wound up having to see a specialist and get a steroid injection into the inner ear. Yes it's as bad as it sounds.

 

[El Floppo]

A friend of mine got tinnitus from chewing nicorette. I didn't even know that was possible. He would chow down on that gum constantly and with incredible vigor.

sounds like TMJ... I've heard that's a root cause (not mine).

 

[jamny]

Whenever I would get my teeth cleaned and the hygienist would do the back (wisdom) teeth on top, the ringing would crank up x1000, like someone was running a dremel next to my ear. I mentioned it to the dentist and he told her to do those back ones at a lower speed and a little by hand, which helped. The one on the left got infected and I was hoping when they pulled it, it would help with the ringing but it hasn't. Still as loud, if not louder than ever.

When I first got it, I had an MRI and a hearing test and they found no problems with either. I tried acupuncture and after my second session, the volume increased significantly. I was really bummed and depressed that I made things worse. I was encouraged that there was something that could be done to alter the volume and it was brought back down after the third session but I've been too scared to go back and try it again. That increased volume scared the hell out of me.

My experiment of cutting out caffeine hasn't helped.

 

[BlueDredSo]

I have tinnutis. I have played electric guitar and been in a band for over twenty years. Many live gigs, recording, mixing, going to concerts to see other bands live. I did not wear ear plugs for many of those early years. My tinnutis started about fifteen years ago. If you have it, it will not go away. Now you need to find ways to not make it worse. Wear ear plugs to any live concert or local band show. I have tried many styles of ear plugs over the years and the ones that work best for me are the wax based ear plugs. They are available at most drug stores. They are able to fit in your ear canal and block out about 30 db. I wear them when I rehearse and play gigs with my band. You can also go to a hearing aid center and have custom molded ear plugs built. They are a bit costly, but work great. I had some made, but lost them. The wax based plugs work well enough for me. Someone on the message board said it can be most annoying at night. I agree. Have some kind of low level noise in your bedroom. Fan on low, radio or tv on low. This will help distract your ears. I do not listen to music using ear buds. That will aggravate your tinnutis. Get over the ear headphones. I even wear ear plugs when I mow the lawn. All of the extra care I take by using ear plugs has really helped me maintain my tinnutis. It has not gotten better, but it has not gotten worse. Best of luck.

I've never been in a band or anything, but I think mine stems mostly from loud concerts and shows I've been to. Luckily for me it does go away eventually. Sometimes it only lasts a few days, and other times it's lasted for weeks. I've taken Lipo-Flavanoid Plus and I think it does actually help. However, like wholligans said the best thing to do now is protect your ears. I used to be a little embarrassed to wear earplugs to football games and concerts, but now I know that I have to do it and I don't care. If it'll prevent me from going deaf in my 50's then I'll do whatever it takes. I mostly just use the foam ear plugs that you can find anywhere. They seem to work fine for me, but I might look into those wax ones.

Sorry to hear though dude (no pun intended). It is a major bummer. Apparently stress and caffeine make it worse, so try to avoid that as much as you can, and get some good sleep.

 

[jamny]

The biggest bummer is knowing I will probably never see another concert. Even with ear plugs, I just can't take the chance of making it worse.

 

[MC Gas Money]

Have you tried answering it?

 

[El Floppo]

The biggest bummer is knowing I will probably never see another concert. Even with ear plugs, I just can't take the chance of making it worse.

this. :(

eta: well... this, and the SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS that's perpetually in my ears.

 

[MC Gas Money]

Figured with the advent of the walkman everyone has this nowadays.

I listen to metal every day at least an hour for over 20 years with the headphone volume on max and my hearing is still perfect somehow

 

[El Floppo]

Figured with the advent of the walkman everyone has this nowadays.

I listen to metal every day at least an hour for over 20 years with the headphone volume on max and my hearing is still perfect somehow

how old are you?

this didn't hit me until after I turned 40

 

[MC Gas Money]

Figured with the advent of the walkman everyone has this nowadays.

I listen to metal every day at least an hour for over 20 years with the headphone volume on max and my hearing is still perfect somehow

how old are you?

this didn't hit me until after I turned 40

30

And ive spent a lot of time in studios playing with metal bands with no earplugs