No where else to ask this, plus you're all a smart bunch.

Today I got my new laptop at work and the help desk brought it in and said
they had to send it back because it was making a high-pitched sound that was
annoying. I couldn't hear it. I asked a couple of others to come listen to
my laptop and tell me what they heard, and without knowing I couldn't hear
it and without knowing the help desk was going to send it back, everyone
said high-pitched sound, maybe hard drive or maybe video. More intrigued at
why I couldn't hear this, I asked others, and some even said it was giving
them a headache to hear it. WTF? Could there be frequencies some people
can't hear that others can, similar to how some animals hear frequencies
that no human can hear? I asked people of different ages and there was only
one other person about my age who didn't hear anything at all, but some
close to my age heard it loud and clear. I have never had a reason to think
my hearing is impaired.

Cheryl > wrote:

> Today I got my new laptop at work and the help desk brought
> it in and said they had to send it back because it was making
> a high-pitched sound that was annoying. I couldn't hear it.
> I asked a couple of others to come listen to my laptop and tell
> me what they heard, and without knowing I couldn't hear it and
> without knowing the help desk was going to send it back, everyone
> said high-pitched sound, maybe hard drive or maybe video.
> More intrigued at why I couldn't hear this, I asked others, and
> some even said it was giving them a headache to hear it. WTF?
> Could there be frequencies some people can't hear that others
> can, similar to how some animals hear frequencies that no human
> can hear? I asked people of different ages and there was only
> one other person about my age who didn't hear anything at all,
> but some close to my age heard it loud and clear. I have never
> had a reason to think my hearing is impaired.

I would recommend making an appointment with audiology for a hearing
test. You can have reduced high-frequency hearing without it
amounting to an impairment, but it's best to get a baseline
so you can track whether any hearing loss is progressing.


Steve

Cheryl wrote:
> No where else to ask this, plus you're all a smart bunch.
>
> Today I got my new laptop at work and the help desk brought it in and
> said they had to send it back because it was making a high-pitched sound
> that was annoying. I couldn't hear it. I asked a couple of others to
> come listen to my laptop and tell me what they heard, and without
> knowing I couldn't hear it and without knowing the help desk was going
> to send it back, everyone said high-pitched sound, maybe hard drive or
> maybe video. More intrigued at why I couldn't hear this, I asked
> others, and some even said it was giving them a headache to hear it.
> WTF? Could there be frequencies some people can't hear that others can,
> similar to how some animals hear frequencies that no human can hear? I
> asked people of different ages and there was only one other person about
> my age who didn't hear anything at all, but some close to my age heard
> it loud and clear. I have never had a reason to think my hearing is
> impaired.


Have you attended a lot of rock concerts? Do you play the radio loudly
in the car? Mow with a gas mower and no ear protection? Use a chain
saw? Lots of loud noise or just aging can affect your high frequency
hearing range. You may not be impaired for normal conversation and
still not be able to hear high frequency sounds.

gloria p

"Steve Pope" > wrote in message
...
> Cheryl > wrote:

I have never
>> had a reason to think my hearing is impaired.
>
> I would recommend making an appointment with audiology for a hearing
> test. You can have reduced high-frequency hearing without it
> amounting to an impairment, but it's best to get a baseline
> so you can track whether any hearing loss is progressing.

I think I will. Not that I want to hear annoying high-pitched noises, but
it makes me wonder what else I'm not hearing.

On 6/8/2010 5:43 PM, Cheryl wrote:
> No where else to ask this, plus you're all a smart bunch.
>
> Today I got my new laptop at work and the help desk brought it in and
> said they had to send it back because it was making a high-pitched sound
> that was annoying. I couldn't hear it. I asked a couple of others to
> come listen to my laptop and tell me what they heard, and without
> knowing I couldn't hear it and without knowing the help desk was going
> to send it back, everyone said high-pitched sound, maybe hard drive or
> maybe video. More intrigued at why I couldn't hear this, I asked others,
> and some even said it was giving them a headache to hear it. WTF? Could
> there be frequencies some people can't hear that others can, similar to
> how some animals hear frequencies that no human can hear? I asked people
> of different ages and there was only one other person about my age who
> didn't hear anything at all, but some close to my age heard it loud and
> clear. I have never had a reason to think my hearing is impaired.

The first thing I would do is go to a doctor to see if you have a ear
blockage from excess wax inside. Some people produce more than others,
and cleaning is not possible too far inside your ears as you no doubt
know. I have to use an over the counter earwax removal product regularly
otherwise my ears get plugged deep inside. If that is ok and nothing is
found like a wax plug issue then a hearing test is in order.

"Andy" > wrote in message ...
> "Cheryl" > wrote:

>
> Cheryl,
>
> Being an avid scannist (wide band scanner listener) and licensed ham
> radio enthusiast, there's no truth to any frequency ear troubles. \
>
> There's some 'puter hum to be heard but, it's not at all painful or
> bothersome. 'Puter fan noise.
>

Oh, I can hear the fan and the normal hard drive noises. Do you remember
older TVs that sometimes put out a high frequency whine when the screen was
mostly white, then it would sound normal when darker colors took over?
That's why I tend to think the high-pitched sound was related to the video
even though I couldn't hear it. The youngest guy who was the most annoyed
by the sound stood by it and told me to power it off, and as soon as it went
off, he said it stopped. For me, again, nothing. Weird. The only other
person who didn't hear the sound was in my office at the time and he was
just as surprised as I was at everyone's reaction. I really thought at
first it was a joke. It would make a good April fools day joke to pull on
someone though.

In article >,
"Cheryl" > wrote:

> No where else to ask this, plus you're all a smart bunch.
>
> Today I got my new laptop at work and the help desk brought it in and said
> they had to send it back because it was making a high-pitched sound that was
> annoying. I couldn't hear it. I asked a couple of others to come listen to
> my laptop and tell me what they heard, and without knowing I couldn't hear
> it and without knowing the help desk was going to send it back, everyone
> said high-pitched sound, maybe hard drive or maybe video. More intrigued at
> why I couldn't hear this, I asked others, and some even said it was giving
> them a headache to hear it. WTF? Could there be frequencies some people
> can't hear that others can, similar to how some animals hear frequencies
> that no human can hear? I asked people of different ages and there was only
> one other person about my age who didn't hear anything at all, but some
> close to my age heard it loud and clear. I have never had a reason to think
> my hearing is impaired.

The upper frequencies are the first to go. I knew a Pathologist at work
that was unable to hear the alarm on the tissue processor as it was very
high pitched.

It was quite audible to me and others.

Anyone that routinely listens to LOUD music, either using earphones or
at dance clubs, tends to lose the upper hearing ranges. I learned that
in my Human Anatomy and Physiology class in college, but here is a cite:

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sensorineural_hearing_loss>
--
Peace! Om

Web Albums: <http://picasaweb.google.com/OMPOmelet>
*Only Irish *coffee provides in a single glass all four *essential food groups: alcohol, caffeine, sugar *and fat. --Alex Levine

rhelsenborg > wrote:

>The first thing I would do is go to a doctor to see if you have a ear
>blockage from excess wax inside. Some people produce more than others,
>and cleaning is not possible too far inside your ears as you no doubt
>know. I have to use an over the counter earwax removal product regularly
>otherwise my ears get plugged deep inside. If that is ok and nothing is
>found like a wax plug issue then a hearing test is in order.

This is a very good point, however as part of the audiology exam the
audiologist will check to see if there is too much earwax such
that it is impeding hearing. So you don't really need to make
a separate ear-cleaning appointment (with an additional co-pay,
etc.)

Steve

Cheryl wrote:
> "Steve Pope" > wrote in message
> ...
>> Cheryl > wrote:
>
> I have never
>>> had a reason to think my hearing is impaired.
>>
>> I would recommend making an appointment with audiology for a hearing
>> test. You can have reduced high-frequency hearing without it
>> amounting to an impairment, but it's best to get a baseline
>> so you can track whether any hearing loss is progressing.
>
> I think I will. Not that I want to hear annoying high-pitched
> noises, but it makes me wonder what else I'm not hearing.

You know there is something they call Mosquito, along those lines,
it's a high pitched sound they have used in areas where young
people congregate ... supposedly adults can't hear it but it drives
the younger people nuts. They leave the area. Higher frequencies
are the first to go as you age, they say.

I don't think I have the best hearing, at all, but I never had any
trouble hearing it on the tv shows where they demonstrated it,
so who knows.

nancy

"gloria.p" > wrote in message
...
> Cheryl wrote:
>> No where else to ask this, plus you're all a smart bunch.
>
> Have you attended a lot of rock concerts?

Yes

Do you play the radio loudly
> in the car?

Yes

Mow with a gas mower and no ear protection? Use a chain
> saw?

Yes, no respectively.

Lots of loud noise or just aging can affect your high frequency
> hearing range. You may not be impaired for normal conversation and still
> not be able to hear high frequency sounds.

Thanks for the feedback. This is all fascinating mostly because it's new.
lol I always figured I'd have some hearing loss from the loud music but it
hasn't manifested until now I guess.

Lew Hodgett > wrote:

>1) Too many candles on the cake.
>2) Abuse of your hearing in bygone days by listening to loud music,
>rock concerts, etc.
>3) A combination of 1 & 2 above.

A few more risk factors:

4) Swimming
5) History of using antibiotic ear drops (in the neomycin family)
6) In some cases, even using topical antibiotics in enough of a dose.
(Note neomycin/polymyxin ointment is OTC in the U.S. but the U.K.
has made it prescription-only for this reason.)

Steve

"rhelsenborg" > wrote in message
...

> The first thing I would do is go to a doctor to see if you have a ear
> blockage from excess wax inside. Some people produce more than others, and
> cleaning is not possible too far inside your ears as you no doubt know. I
> have to use an over the counter earwax removal product regularly otherwise
> my ears get plugged deep inside. If that is ok and nothing is found like a
> wax plug issue then a hearing test is in order.

Guess I will. Thanks.

"Nancy Young" > wrote in message
news:xaCPn.24674$U64.5654@hurricane...

> You know there is something they call Mosquito, along those lines,
> it's a high pitched sound they have used in areas where young people
> congregate ... supposedly adults can't hear it but it drives
> the younger people nuts. They leave the area. Higher frequencies are the
> first to go as you age, they say.
>
I've heard of that mosquito thing, but never heard it. Hmmm.

> I don't think I have the best hearing, at all, but I never had any
> trouble hearing it on the tv shows where they demonstrated it,
> so who knows.
>
> nancy

On 6/8/2010 2:43 PM, Cheryl wrote:
> No where else to ask this, plus you're all a smart bunch.
>
> Today I got my new laptop at work and the help desk brought it in and
> said they had to send it back because it was making a high-pitched sound
> that was annoying. I couldn't hear it. I asked a couple of others to
> come listen to my laptop and tell me what they heard, and without
> knowing I couldn't hear it and without knowing the help desk was going
> to send it back, everyone said high-pitched sound, maybe hard drive or
> maybe video. More intrigued at why I couldn't hear this, I asked others,
> and some even said it was giving them a headache to hear it. WTF? Could
> there be frequencies some people can't hear that others can, similar to
> how some animals hear frequencies that no human can hear? I asked people
> of different ages and there was only one other person about my age who
> didn't hear anything at all, but some close to my age heard it loud and
> clear. I have never had a reason to think my hearing is impaired.

A typical teen will be able to hear frequencies up to around 20,000 Hz.
My guess is that any kid would be able to hear it loud and clear.

By the time you're in your 40s, expect it to drop down to below 12,000
Hz. You could have a hearing loss which means that your hearing could be
dropping off around 2,000 Hz. If you do have an impairment, chances are
that you'll be unaware of it. If your family has told you that you're
hard of hearing and that you turn your TV up too loud - you probably
have a significant loss and should make an appointment to have it
checked. Good luck!

On 6/8/2010 6:31 PM, Steve Pope wrote:
> > wrote:
>
>> The first thing I would do is go to a doctor to see if you have a ear
>> blockage from excess wax inside. Some people produce more than others,
>> and cleaning is not possible too far inside your ears as you no doubt
>> know. I have to use an over the counter earwax removal product regularly
>> otherwise my ears get plugged deep inside. If that is ok and nothing is
>> found like a wax plug issue then a hearing test is in order.
>
> This is a very good point, however as part of the audiology exam the
> audiologist will check to see if there is too much earwax such
> that it is impeding hearing. So you don't really need to make
> a separate ear-cleaning appointment (with an additional co-pay,
> etc.)
>
> Steve

That is if the audiologist does that and is thorough in their exam. Not
all of them are, and some might not think of that. If they don't and
nothing is found from the hearing test then a separate appointment would
be in order. But if the patient belongs to kaiser (god forbid!), or
another HMO usually everything is done at the same time if the patient
requests it and is adamant that it all happen at the same time.

rh

On 6/8/2010 6:37 PM, Steve Pope wrote:
> Lew > wrote:
>
>> 1) Too many candles on the cake.
>> 2) Abuse of your hearing in bygone days by listening to loud music,
>> rock concerts, etc.
>> 3) A combination of 1& 2 above.
>
> A few more risk factors:
>
> 4) Swimming
> 5) History of using antibiotic ear drops (in the neomycin family)
> 6) In some cases, even using topical antibiotics in enough of a dose.
> (Note neomycin/polymyxin ointment is OTC in the U.S. but the U.K.
> has made it prescription-only for this reason.)
>
> Steve

Do you have any cites for this? As I have never heard of it. I go to my
dentist tomorrow who is a MD as well, and will try and remember to ask
him about it if I can.

rh

On 6/8/2010 6:37 PM, Cheryl wrote:
> "gloria.p" > wrote in message
> ...
>> Cheryl wrote:
>>
>> Have you attended a lot of rock concerts?
>
> Yes

If your ears don't ring after wards and you can hear someone talking to
you that is standing a few feet away from you after wards this should
not be a problem. I have attended a concert (ted nugent) where I could
not hear my friend standing next to me as we were leaving. My ears were
still ringing the next day, and it took a few days after wards before I
could hear normally.
>
> Do you play the radio loudly
>> in the car?
>
> Yes

This is less of a problem unless you have your bass turned up real
high or have a sub-woofer. Lower frequency sounds tend to cause ear
damage sooner than other frequencies.

Cheryl wrote:

> Lots of loud noise or just aging can affect your high frequency
>> hearing range. You may not be impaired for normal conversation and
>> still not be able to hear high frequency sounds.
>
> Thanks for the feedback. This is all fascinating mostly because it's
> new. lol I always figured I'd have some hearing loss from the loud
> music but it hasn't manifested until now I guess.

The high and low frequencies are usually the first to go, often due to
listening to loud music or being exposed to other loud noises.

In article >,
"Cheryl" > wrote:

> No where else to ask this, plus you're all a smart bunch.
>
> Today I got my new laptop at work and the help desk brought it in and said
> they had to send it back because it was making a high-pitched sound that was
> annoying. I couldn't hear it.

> close to my age heard it loud and clear. I have never had a reason to think
> my hearing is impaired.

The truth of the matter is there isn't much information carried in those
high pitches (or the low ones). The phone company knew this, and so
they just cut them out. That's why voices on the phone are perfectly
understandable, but most people can tell instantly that a phone message
sounds different than someone standing right in front of you.

OK, now you've reached about the limit of my knowledge. The problem is
that you may or may not know what are or are not missing. I would
suggest a hearing test. Those people can determine what's going on, and
maybe tell you if you are missing anything, and more importantly,
whether there is anything reasonable you can do about it.

I have two pretty important people in my life who are in major denial
about their hearing loss. At first they denied everything, but now they
acknowledge a hearing loss, but claim that nothing can be done, without
ever having it tested or talking to a professional!

--
Dan Abel
Petaluma, California USA

rhelsenborg > wrote:

>On 6/8/2010 6:31 PM, Steve Pope wrote:

>> This is a very good point, however as part of the audiology exam the
>> audiologist will check to see if there is too much earwax such
>> that it is impeding hearing. So you don't really need to make
>> a separate ear-cleaning appointment (with an additional co-pay,
>> etc.)

>That is if the audiologist does that and is thorough in their exam. Not
>all of them are, and some might not think of that. If they don't and
>nothing is found from the hearing test then a separate appointment would
>be in order. But if the patient belongs to kaiser (god forbid!), or
>another HMO usually everything is done at the same time if the patient
>requests it and is adamant that it all happen at the same time.

Hmm, my Kaiser audiologist checked for ear-wax as a matter of
course. This is, like, common sense isn't it?

Steve

Cheryl wrote:
>
> No where else to ask this, plus you're all a smart bunch.
>
> Today I got my new laptop at work and the help desk brought it in and said
> they had to send it back because it was making a high-pitched sound that was
> annoying. I couldn't hear it. I asked a couple of others to come listen to
> my laptop and tell me what they heard, and without knowing I couldn't hear
> it and without knowing the help desk was going to send it back, everyone
> said high-pitched sound, maybe hard drive or maybe video. More intrigued at
> why I couldn't hear this, I asked others, and some even said it was giving
> them a headache to hear it. WTF? Could there be frequencies some people
> can't hear that others can, similar to how some animals hear frequencies
> that no human can hear? I asked people of different ages and there was only
> one other person about my age who didn't hear anything at all, but some
> close to my age heard it loud and clear. I have never had a reason to think
> my hearing is impaired.

This may have already been covered by others' responses: I'm not sure
if this is relevant or not - something to consider are the ages of those
who responded to your 'survey'. I've heard/read that many middle and
high school teachers are rather irked and dismayed because their
students have (or had?) particular ring tones on their cellphones that
typically cannot be heard by folks older than their mid-20s and older
(maybe this is one reason why cellphones are or should be prohibited
during class?). So, the kids use(d) this 'feature' of maturity to evade
the notice of their teachers to send text messages to each other during
class - or something like that. If there are no other 'symptoms' of
hearing loss, then it's probably nothing to worry about.

Sky

--
Ultra Ultimate Kitchen Rule - Use the Timer!
Ultimate Kitchen Rule -- Cook's Choice!!

Cheryl > wrote:

>"gloria.p" > wrote in message

>> Have you attended a lot of rock concerts?

>Yes

>Do you play the radio loudly
>> in the car?

>Yes

>Mow with a gas mower and no ear protection? Use a chain
>> saw?

>Yes, no respectively.

> Lots of loud noise or just aging can affect your high frequency
>> hearing range. You may not be impaired for normal conversation and still
>> not be able to hear high frequency sounds.

>Thanks for the feedback. This is all fascinating mostly because it's new.
>lol I always figured I'd have some hearing loss from the loud music but it
>hasn't manifested until now I guess.

I did not start conscientiously wearing ear protection while at
concerts/clubs until 15 or 17 years ago. So there was like 20
years of concert-going where I typically had no protection.
It was a mistake, but it seems I am okay, so far.

Now, I will wear earplugs at any musical performance unless
the music is simply too quiet to listen to with the earplugs in.
(Which is rare, except for completely unamplified performances,
usually classical.)

Steve

On 6/8/2010 6:37 PM, Steve Pope wrote:
> > wrote:
>
>> > wrote in message
>
>>> Have you attended a lot of rock concerts?
>
>> Yes
>
>> Do you play the radio loudly
>>> in the car?
>
>> Yes
>
>> Mow with a gas mower and no ear protection? Use a chain
>>> saw?
>
>> Yes, no respectively.
>
>> Lots of loud noise or just aging can affect your high frequency
>>> hearing range. You may not be impaired for normal conversation and still
>>> not be able to hear high frequency sounds.
>
>> Thanks for the feedback. This is all fascinating mostly because it's new.
>> lol I always figured I'd have some hearing loss from the loud music but it
>> hasn't manifested until now I guess.
>
> I did not start conscientiously wearing ear protection while at
> concerts/clubs until 15 or 17 years ago. So there was like 20
> years of concert-going where I typically had no protection.
> It was a mistake, but it seems I am okay, so far.

The common belief that loud music has resulted in damages to the rock n
roll generation's hearing might have to be re-examined.

http://www.med.wisc.edu/news-events/...-intact-/26229


>
> Now, I will wear earplugs at any musical performance unless
> the music is simply too quiet to listen to with the earplugs in.
> (Which is rare, except for completely unamplified performances,
> usually classical.)
>
> Steve

On 6/8/2010 8:43 PM, Cheryl wrote:
> No where else to ask this, plus you're all a smart bunch.
>
> Today I got my new laptop at work and the help desk brought it in and
> said they had to send it back because it was making a high-pitched sound
> that was annoying. I couldn't hear it. I asked a couple of others to
> come listen to my laptop and tell me what they heard, and without
> knowing I couldn't hear it and without knowing the help desk was going
> to send it back, everyone said high-pitched sound, maybe hard drive or
> maybe video. More intrigued at why I couldn't hear this, I asked others,
> and some even said it was giving them a headache to hear it. WTF? Could
> there be frequencies some people can't hear that others can, similar to
> how some animals hear frequencies that no human can hear? I asked people
> of different ages and there was only one other person about my age who
> didn't hear anything at all, but some close to my age heard it loud and
> clear. I have never had a reason to think my hearing is impaired.

Yup, happens. My highs went away long ago--not sure if it was
motorcycle engines, shooting, or rock and roll that did it.

By the way, ladies, before you berate your husband for being able to
hear what he wants to, talk him into getting it checked--I can
understand male voices just fine but female voices are sometimes a
struggle--some women I have no trouble with, others may as well be
speaking Swahili.

And, youngsters, if you're doing or around anything loud, wear earplugs.
Turning up the rock so far that it chases the parentals away may seem
cool now, but 20 years from now you'll regret it.

On Jun 8, 5:43*pm, "Cheryl" > wrote:
> No where else to ask this, plus you're all a smart bunch.
>
> Today I got my new laptop at work and the help desk brought it in and said
> they had to send it back because it was making a high-pitched sound that was
> annoying. *I couldn't hear it. *I asked a couple of others to come listen to
> my laptop and tell me what they heard, and without knowing I couldn't hear
> it and without knowing the help desk was going to send it back, everyone
> said high-pitched sound, maybe hard drive or maybe video. *More intrigued at
> why I couldn't hear this, I asked others, and some even said it was giving
> them a headache to hear it. *WTF? *Could there be frequencies some people
> can't hear that others can, similar to how some animals hear frequencies
> that no human can hear? *I asked people of different ages and there was only
> one other person about my age who didn't hear anything at all, but some
> close to my age heard it loud and clear. *I have never had a reason to think
> my hearing is impaired.

Some people are more sensitive than others. Sometimes, I can hear the
lights make a whining noise that others do not hear. Years ago, I
heard a horrible whining noise and nobody else could hear it. After
moving around the room and locating the sound, I found a walkman with
two buttons pressed at the same time. I hit the stop button, and the
noise stopped. It was bothering me a lot, but nobody else heard it.

That said, my hearing of lower pitched sounds are not so great. When I
was a teenager, my parents learned that calling me by name when I was
up in my bedroom resulted in no response, but whistle, and I would
hear it right away.

So, overall, my hearing is not as good as most normal people. I had
ear infections frequently as a child. I can usually hear people talk
when they are in the same room, but I will often misunderstand what
they say. I realized a couple years ago that I am partially lipreading
because I can hear better when I can the person's mouth. I also have
poor directional hearing. I can never tell which direction a siren is
coming from. And I will often turn the wrong direction when somebody
out of view calls me. But high pitched noises are painful for me.

On 6/8/2010 10:34 PM, rhelsenborg wrote:
> On 6/8/2010 6:37 PM, Cheryl wrote:
>> "gloria.p" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>> Cheryl wrote:
>>>
>>> Have you attended a lot of rock concerts?
>>
>> Yes
>
> If your ears don't ring after wards and you can hear someone talking to
> you that is standing a few feet away from you after wards this should
> not be a problem. I have attended a concert (ted nugent) where I could
> not hear my friend standing next to me as we were leaving. My ears were
> still ringing the next day, and it took a few days after wards before I
> could hear normally.
>>
>> Do you play the radio loudly
>>> in the car?
>>
>> Yes
>
> This is less of a problem unless you have your bass turned up real high
> or have a sub-woofer. Lower frequency sounds tend to cause ear damage
> sooner than other frequencies.

Whoa. Back up. Any noise above 85 db can do damage. In the Navy they
told us that highs did the damage but I can't find any medical support
for that.

If you're in doubt, spend the 50 bucks for a sound power meter (Radio
Shack has them), set it to the "C" scale (which has nothing to do with
the musical note "C"--sound power meters generally have two scales, "C"
that is roughly flat with a roll-off below 100 Hz and above 3 KHz, and
"A" that rolls off both ways from around 2 KHz), and if it shows over
85 then do something about it.

dsi1 > wrote:

>On 6/8/2010 6:37 PM, Steve Pope wrote:

>> I did not start conscientiously wearing ear protection while at
>> concerts/clubs until 15 or 17 years ago. So there was like 20
>> years of concert-going where I typically had no protection.
>> It was a mistake, but it seems I am okay, so far.

>The common belief that loud music has resulted in damages to the rock n
>roll generation's hearing might have to be re-examined.

>http://www.med.wisc.edu/news-events/...-intact-/26229


This study did not even look at people who frequently attend loud
musical events. So it is pretty irrelevant to this particular point.

Steve

On 6/8/2010 9:41 PM, Cheryl wrote:
> "Nancy Young" > wrote in message
> news:xaCPn.24674$U64.5654@hurricane...
>
>> You know there is something they call Mosquito, along those lines,
>> it's a high pitched sound they have used in areas where young people
>> congregate ... supposedly adults can't hear it but it drives
>> the younger people nuts. They leave the area. Higher frequencies are
>> the first to go as you age, they say.
>>
> I've heard of that mosquito thing, but never heard it. Hmmm.
>

Good summation here and some test tones:

http://journal.plasticmind.com/ears/...ure-a-youngun/




>> I don't think I have the best hearing, at all, but I never had any
>> trouble hearing it on the tv shows where they demonstrated it,
>> so who knows.
>>
>> nancy
>

On Jun 8, 6:24*pm, "Cheryl" > wrote:
> "Andy" > wrote in ...
> > "Cheryl" > wrote:
>
> > Cheryl,
>
> > Being an avid scannist (wide band scanner listener) and licensed ham
> > radio enthusiast, there's no truth to any frequency ear troubles. \
>
> > There's some 'puter hum to be heard but, it's not at all painful or
> > bothersome. 'Puter fan noise.
>
> Oh, I can hear the fan and the normal hard drive noises. *Do you remember
> older TVs that sometimes put out a high frequency whine when the screen was
> mostly white, then it would sound normal when darker colors took over?
> That's why I tend to think the high-pitched sound was related to the video
> even though I couldn't hear it. *

The TV flyback transformer operates at the line rate, which for
American (and other NTSC) TVs is 15734Hz, which younger people can
hear. Mechanical parts of some flybacks would vibrate at the line
rate, and the TV would appear to be whistling.

On Jun 9, 4:48*am, Andy > wrote:
> (Steve Pope) wrote:
> > dsi1 > wrote:
>
> >>On 6/8/2010 6:37 PM, Steve Pope wrote:
>
> >>> I did not start conscientiously wearing ear protection while at
> >>> concerts/clubs until 15 or 17 years ago. *So there was like 20
> >>> years of concert-going where I typically had no protection.
> >>> It was a mistake, but it seems I am okay, so far.
>
> >>The common belief that loud music has resulted in damages to the rock
> >>n roll generation's hearing might have to be re-examined.
>
> >>http://www.med.wisc.edu/news-events/...rs-survived-ro
> >>ck-n-roll-era-with-hearing-intact-/26229
>
> > This study did not even look at people who frequently attend loud
> > musical events. *So it is pretty irrelevant to this particular point.
>
> > Steve
>
> Steve,
>
> I don't know if it's still a record but in bygone days, Deep Purple set a
> sound decibel record. I forget the exact number.
>

The practical limit is 145dB spl, which is the point at which the
"trough" of the wave becomes a vacuum.

On 6/9/2010 1:37 AM, Steve Pope wrote:
> > wrote:
>
>> On 6/8/2010 6:37 PM, Steve Pope wrote:
>
>>> I did not start conscientiously wearing ear protection while at
>>> concerts/clubs until 15 or 17 years ago. So there was like 20
>>> years of concert-going where I typically had no protection.
>>> It was a mistake, but it seems I am okay, so far.
>
>> The common belief that loud music has resulted in damages to the rock n
>> roll generation's hearing might have to be re-examined.
>
>> http://www.med.wisc.edu/news-events/...-intact-/26229
>
>
> This study did not even look at people who frequently attend loud
> musical events. So it is pretty irrelevant to this particular point.
>
> Steve

What this study suggests is that the boomer generation has not had their
hearing messed up by exposure to loud music. Was it your impression that
people who frequented loud musical events were excluded from the study?

On 6/9/2010 7:20 AM, Andy wrote:
>
> Mom caused me to lose most of my hearing!
>
> Andy

You are correct that heredity plays a major role in hearing loss in many
cases. OTOH, a woman told me that her mother used to hit her brother
across the ear and apparently damaged his hearing. My guess is that ear
hitting is some sort of cultural thing.

dsi1 > wrote:

>On 6/9/2010 1:37 AM, Steve Pope wrote:

>http://www.med.wisc.edu/news-events/...-intact-/26229

>> This study did not even look at people who frequently attend loud
>> musical events. So it is pretty irrelevant to this particular point.

>What this study suggests is that the boomer generation has not had their
>hearing messed up by exposure to loud music. Was it your impression that
>people who frequented loud musical events were excluded from the study?

No, but the number of such people is small compared to the
total population in the study, therefore other factors
could outweigh the damage being done to a sub-population.
The study didn't remotely attempt to address whether frequent
unprotected concertgoers were suffering hearing impact.

It would not be valid to infer from this study that hearing
protection is not needed by frequent concertgoers.

Steve

On 6/9/2010 7:34 AM, Steve Pope wrote:
> > wrote:
>
>> On 6/9/2010 1:37 AM, Steve Pope wrote:
>
>> http://www.med.wisc.edu/news-events/...-intact-/26229
>
>>> This study did not even look at people who frequently attend loud
>>> musical events. So it is pretty irrelevant to this particular point.
>
>> What this study suggests is that the boomer generation has not had their
>> hearing messed up by exposure to loud music. Was it your impression that
>> people who frequented loud musical events were excluded from the study?
>
> No, but the number of such people is small compared to the
> total population in the study, therefore other factors
> could outweigh the damage being done to a sub-population.
> The study didn't remotely attempt to address whether frequent
> unprotected concertgoers were suffering hearing impact.
>
> It would not be valid to infer from this study that hearing
> protection is not needed by frequent concertgoers.
>
> Steve

As far as studies goes, this one seems to be fairly large and seeks to
track hearing loss on a generational basis. What would be the point of
limiting the study to a sub-population? One of the conclusions that can
and will be made is that the boomers appear to have better hearing
health than their parents.

Whether you agree or disagree with it, this study will be considered
important and will be cited in the med journals and the popular press.
Sorry about that.

"Cheryl" > wrote in message
...
> "gloria.p" > wrote in message
> ...
>> Cheryl wrote:
>>> No where else to ask this, plus you're all a smart bunch.
>>
>> Have you attended a lot of rock concerts?
>
> Yes
>
> Do you play the radio loudly
>> in the car?
>
> Yes
>
> Mow with a gas mower and no ear protection? Use a chain
>> saw?
>
> Yes, no respectively.
>
> Lots of loud noise or just aging can affect your high frequency
>> hearing range. You may not be impaired for normal conversation and still
>> not be able to hear high frequency sounds.
>
> Thanks for the feedback. This is all fascinating mostly because it's new.
> lol I always figured I'd have some hearing loss from the loud music but
> it hasn't manifested until now I guess.
>
>

I have the same problem but I'm also having the opposite problem. I'm
hearing a high pitched whine occasionally when it doesn't really exist. I'm
seeing an ENT next week to determine the cause, but the suspects are the
same (exposure to loud noise, overuse of antibiotics, ancient ears, etc).

However, my kids complained bitterly because my A/V receiver had a high
pitched whine that was present all the time, probably a bad capacitor in the
power supply . I could only barely hear it at all when the receiver was on
but the audio signal from the TV or tuner was off. And the kids swore they
could hear it a lot clearer than I could.

Jon

gloria.p wrote:
>
> Have you attended a lot of rock concerts? Do you play the radio loudly
> in the car? Mow with a gas mower and no ear protection? Use a chain
> saw? Lots of loud noise or just aging can affect your high frequency
> hearing range. You may not be impaired for normal conversation and
> still not be able to hear high frequency sounds.

My ex played the stereo at levels that caused me pain. Just one of the
several ways she was abusive. I wasted a lot of time trying to solve
the problem before leaving her.

For years I've noticed filtering problems. I've had hearing tests where
they close my in a quiet sound-proofed room and played quiet noises.
Heck, in that environment I can here my own heart beating so I don't
show hearing loss except like those cell phone rings for young kids.

I've never yet seen a hearing test where they put you in a car on the
interstate driving next to an 18-wheeler and then try to talk to you.
If your lips are in my peripheral vision I might see them move and
notice but the words won't pierce the background noise at all. We like
to drive around sight seeing. When my MIL was still alive I would watch
my wife and her from the back seat. One set of lips would move. Then
the other would reply. No sound at all pierced the background noise for
me yet it was completely clear neighter of them was lip reading. The
difference in filtering is amazing.

My health insurance company put out an article on the two types of
hearing loss a couple of months ago. It's the first I've ever read
about the filtering but I've experienced it for years before the divorce
long before I met my good wife.

On Tue, 8 Jun 2010 20:43:12 -0400, "Cheryl" >
wrote:

>No where else to ask this, plus you're all a smart bunch.
>
>Today I got my new laptop at work and the help desk brought it in and said
>they had to send it back because it was making a high-pitched sound that was
>annoying. I couldn't hear it. I asked a couple of others to come listen to
>my laptop and tell me what they heard, and without knowing I couldn't hear
>it and without knowing the help desk was going to send it back, everyone
>said high-pitched sound, maybe hard drive or maybe video. More intrigued at
>why I couldn't hear this, I asked others, and some even said it was giving
>them a headache to hear it. WTF? Could there be frequencies some people
>can't hear that others can, similar to how some animals hear frequencies
>that no human can hear? I asked people of different ages and there was only
>one other person about my age who didn't hear anything at all, but some
>close to my age heard it loud and clear. I have never had a reason to think
>my hearing is impaired.

As people age they lose some of their high-frequency hearing... if you
like loud music/concerts/live entertainment events, you lose some of
your high-frequency hearing... if you are overfond of walkmans or
earpieces, you lose some of your high frequency hearing... and you
lose some as a natural consequence of getting older.

John's old computer used to periodically make a high-pitched whining
noise that drove me insane. John couldn't hear a thing, nor could our
elderly neighbour... but the neighbour's grandkid came into the room
and said 'what's that noise?' We never did figure out what the source
of the whine was. I learned to tune it out a little so I could bear to
be in the same room, and then he got a new whine-free computer.

On Wed, 09 Jun 2010 07:41:36 -0400, George >
wrote:

>On 6/8/2010 9:41 PM, Cheryl wrote:
>> "Nancy Young" > wrote in message
>> news:xaCPn.24674$U64.5654@hurricane...
>>
>>> You know there is something they call Mosquito, along those lines,
>>> it's a high pitched sound they have used in areas where young people
>>> congregate ... supposedly adults can't hear it but it drives
>>> the younger people nuts. They leave the area. Higher frequencies are
>>> the first to go as you age, they say.
>>>
>> I've heard of that mosquito thing, but never heard it. Hmmm.
>>
>
>Good summation here and some test tones:
>
>http://journal.plasticmind.com/ears/...ure-a-youngun/

Interesting. I can clearly hear all the way up to 17khz and they make
my ears hurt! I can't hear the 18khz tone. I just turned 39 and I have
never liked loud music or loud noises...

On 10/06/2010 3:58 AM, Zeppo wrote:

>
> I have the same problem but I'm also having the opposite problem. I'm
> hearing a high pitched whine occasionally when it doesn't really exist.
> I'm seeing an ENT next week to determine the cause, but the suspects are
> the same (exposure to loud noise, overuse of antibiotics, ancient ears,
> etc).

You will be diagnosed as having tinnitus with associated high frequency
loss.
>
> However, my kids complained bitterly because my A/V receiver had a high
> pitched whine that was present all the time, probably a bad capacitor in
> the power supply . I could only barely hear it at all when the receiver
> was on but the audio signal from the TV or tuner was off. And the kids
> swore they could hear it a lot clearer than I could.
>
> Jon
>
>
Exactly. You have effectively killed off the fine nerve endings in your
cochlea which gives you the high frequency loss. As well, the nerve
endings are, for want of a better term, generating spurious signals.

Do a Google on tinnitus and you'll learn more.

Here's a good start;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tinnitus


Krypsis

On 10/06/2010 4:19 AM, Doug Freyburger wrote:
> gloria.p wrote:
>>
>> Have you attended a lot of rock concerts? Do you play the radio loudly
>> in the car? Mow with a gas mower and no ear protection? Use a chain
>> saw? Lots of loud noise or just aging can affect your high frequency
>> hearing range. You may not be impaired for normal conversation and
>> still not be able to hear high frequency sounds.
>
> My ex played the stereo at levels that caused me pain. Just one of the
> several ways she was abusive. I wasted a lot of time trying to solve
> the problem before leaving her.
>
> For years I've noticed filtering problems. I've had hearing tests where
> they close my in a quiet sound-proofed room and played quiet noises.
> Heck, in that environment I can here my own heart beating so I don't
> show hearing loss except like those cell phone rings for young kids.
>
> I've never yet seen a hearing test where they put you in a car on the
> interstate driving next to an 18-wheeler and then try to talk to you.
> If your lips are in my peripheral vision I might see them move and
> notice but the words won't pierce the background noise at all. We like
> to drive around sight seeing. When my MIL was still alive I would watch
> my wife and her from the back seat. One set of lips would move. Then
> the other would reply. No sound at all pierced the background noise for
> me yet it was completely clear neighter of them was lip reading. The
> difference in filtering is amazing.
>
> My health insurance company put out an article on the two types of
> hearing loss a couple of months ago. It's the first I've ever read
> about the filtering but I've experienced it for years before the divorce
> long before I met my good wife.

One or two points of note here. Most of the intelligibility in speech
comes from the higher frequencies. It is those frequencies that enable
you to make out the complex range of sounds in the spoken word. As well,
the broad spectrum of frequencies enable us to discriminate between
different voices enabling us to follow one conversation in a room full
of people talking yet able to exclude others.

As the high frequency loss extends down into the speech range,
difficulties begin to emerge. Women voices, having higher frequencies
than men, become difficult to understand first.

If you want to know what this is like, think of AM radio compared to FM.
AM radio, because of the way it was transmitted, had no frequencies
above 5,000 Hz. FM went much higher than this. Because of this fact
alone, it was much easier to misunderstand what was said on AM than on
FM radio broadcasts, hence the push to FM.

What you are finding is that background noise is at the exact same set
of frequencies as the voices and you no longer have the broad frequency
spectrum which enables you to discriminate.

Krypsis