You are not alone - I have exactly the same problem. The volume often causes me pain (and always causes ringing for hours afterwards), so I always wear earplugs (the cheap foam sort, although I'm now going to find out about these fancy attenuating ones..)
I think some people are just more sensitive to it than others. It amazes me how other people just don't even notice it while I'm in actual pain.
There is a condition called hyperacusis which is senstivity to noise. Over use of ear plugs in some situations can actually worsen this, as they can make your ears 'try' even harder to hear. Though in most cases, using ear plugs is better than not using ear plugs.
If I was at a venue and the volume was so loud that I had any ringing in my ears afterwards for any duration of time, I simply wouldn't go back. Well I might once, to see if it had changed, but I certainly wouldn't go there on a regular basis.
Last edited by Lynn; 29th-August-2009 at 04:00 PM.
After asking the question initially I bought some Alpine Safe Pro earplugs - the sort that have selectable levels of attenuation. Unfortunately they are too big to go in properly! There is a note about cutting the outer ring off to make them smaller if necessary, but I haven't tried that yet.
I need to do something though as I have Breeze coming up and want something in case some of the DJs like their music (too) loud.
If I cut them down and they fit and work, I will report back.
Is this a problem at all the venues you go to? Are there none that have a lower volume? You need to weigh up the balance of the long term damage you are doing to your hearing, against the fun of dancing. Limiting the damage with ear protection, and staying away from venues with really loud levels etc.
Hyperacusis has to be diagnosed by a hearing specialist - but if you had it you wouldn't just notice it in dance venues - shops, crowds of people, restaurants with wooden floors - all these sort of places would sound 'louder' than they seem to other people.
I've tried my ear plugs, which are specially moulded to my ear shape and very discreet and cost about 100 pounds. And frankly I didn't like it.
- I felt a bit 'distant' from the music and from the people. personal opinion.
I've found generally that Dj's have been quite good with there volume recently.
Music is always too loud in any venue, but sometimes worse than other times. It isn't always painful, mostly just uncomfortably loud (but unbearable near speakers, of course). Some street noise can be painful (diggers, loud lorries going past, car alarms), fire alarms/smoke alarms hurt (can literally feel my ears vibrating), nightclubs are obviously appalling, some pubs and restaurants are not painful but it can be too loud to hear conversations without having to listen hard. Cinemas can be too loud too.
I used to be able to hear the whine of televisions from each house as I walked down the street (not the actual sound of them) but can't hear that now, and I still sometimes get irritated by the buzz of electrical items left on standby.
I do avoid the obvious loud noises, always use earplugs at dancing and sometimes at the cinema; other than that I stick my fingers in the ears in the street sometimes! I don't really know what more I can do, other than stop dancing and move to a desert island .
...Can't see that happening!
It does sound like your hearing is more sensitive than average. The person I know with hyperacusis finds its things at the higher end of the sound spectrum are worse, beeps from supermarket tills, airbrakes on buses, those street sweeping machines. Even the freezers in some supermarkets. Lower sounds like engine noise aren't so bad.
Yeah, obviously you can't lock yourself away from all loud noise, limiting exposure, wearing ear plugs etc is the balance.
If you get regular or persistent tinnitus, it might be worth getting your hearing checked out by a Dr, though they'd probably just advise what you are already doing.
Me too - although I guess television technology has improved and/or my hearing has got worse.
I work in an open-plan office, and someone had a mobile phone in a bag under their desk yesterday, which kept ringing when they out at a meeting. I could hear it (as could some people around me) from 10m away, but the guy sitting at the desk next to the bag couldn't!
Our office phones also make a noise if they're left off the hook too long - I can often hear them when others don't even notice...
Love dance, will travel
I though I would give a quick update in case anyone was wondering...
Although lots of reviews said they worked really well, I couldn't get the Alpine earplugs to fit, even after cutting them as mentioned on the packet. They were also too long and poked out quite a way (maybe because they wouldn't go in very far?).
At Breeze for some of the main room sets, I found the perfect solution - I cut standard cheap Boots foam earplugs in half. They fitted perfectly and didn't stick out at all. The music sounded loud enough and I could still hear the twiddly bits and other people talking. I was told I was talking too quietly at first, even though I thought I was shouting.
The good news - absolutely no ringing or hissing or hearing problems. Not bad for a couple of quid for the whole weekend.
Last edited by DavidY; 7th-October-2009 at 06:23 PM. Reason: Fixing quote
I'm obviously at the same end of the scale as you - this is exactly my situation as well. There are no venues where the music isn't too loud for me (usually painful) so I always wear earplugs for dancing, cinema etc. I don't even bother going to concerts because there is no point.
I use the same - foam ones cut in half. Tip: They are much cheaper in B&Q. You get a big pack of 10 pairs much cheaper than Boots.
Try humming... The way the ear is built, there is a natural attenuation process that takes place when we talk (other wise we would deafen ourselves as we talk). So, if a noise is unbearable, e.g. walkign past a digger, just start humming to yourself and the loud noise will diminish in volume.
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