Hearing loss

[MQAAord]

I have noticed lately a significant decrease in my hearing, most notably trying to pick out a voice from a crowd, or 'hearing' one conversation when there's a great deal of background noise. When there's no background noise, like late at night when the house is quiet and there's no background noise, I can have the TV volume quite low, and it doesn't seem that bad, but during the day I'm starting to feel really old!

It seems to be roughly 30%, it's that bad. Is this my punishment for 6 years of walking the ramp at Eagle (without earplugs. ever.) and working in/around noisy ATRs, EMBs & SAABs, and another year in the back of Slug 80s? Also kids screaming directly in my ears at obscene decibel levels probably hasn't helped either.

Bill thinks that it's caused by ear wax buildup, not noise exposure. That would be really nice if it was, because that can be removed! Years of ramp exposure can't be reversed. Is there a chance that ear wax buildup can cause significant hearing loss?

[My Flight Surgeon]

To answer your last question first -- YES. You need to have someone look into your ears with an otoscope to see if they are blocked.

Your description of hearing loss is that of presbycusis or high frequency hearing loss that is usally noise induced. If you do not have blocked external ear canals, you need to have an audiometric examination. The audiometer can tell you which frequencies you can hear and how many decibels of loss you have. Presbycusis is usually a loss above 3000 cycles. You will notice it is harder to hear a woman or a child rather than Bill when there is background noise. Loss of more than 40 decibels is significant.

You can wear a hearing aid that is tuned for the specific frequencies that are down but there are tradeoffs with amplification of noise that you might not want. I personally have a significant high frequency loss and do not wear a hearing aid (I use it as excuse to ignore what Dana tells me).

[TheWife]

Amber have you ever heard of ear candeling? I don't know if you would want to do it, but it might help. You could probably find someone at a massage/homeopathic type place. They take a cone of wax and put it in your ear and light it on fire and it sucks all the wax out. My mom has done it to me. It doesn't hurt, not as scary as it sounds. I wasn't having any problems so it's hard to say if it helped, she mostly just did it on me for practice.

[tprops4me]

I tried the ear candle thing once. I think I have to through out the BS flag on this one. Yes there was a wax-like residue in the end of the candle after it had burned down close enough to me ear to make me nervous. Like other candles, the ear candle is wax, so I'm not convinced the residue was not a waste product of the candle. I too was hoping for improved hearing, but alas the candle was not able to reverse the effects form 4 years of damage from working the flight deck of an aircraft carrier. It was later determined that I had a 12% hearing loss.
I think I know what you are going through. I had a hard time hearing when there was any kind of low tone in the background. I really notice it when a turbo prop is at idle in the background, or a car with a deep roar goes by. I hear noise, but could not tell you any detail of the noise.
Like said before, have the doc check your hearing. Sorry to say though that itr sounds like a loss, and not ear wax.

[TheWife]

Well like I said I didn't have a problem so I really couldn't say if it helped w/ hearing. Some people do it to help clear sinuses. I do however know that it IS ear wax. The ones I've used were a different color than ear wax and the stuff that comes out is ear wax. On some of my family members there was a ton of it, and some had less. It's a different texture than the wax of the candle. Whether it does anything or not, I can't say but I know people who say it does.

[cessnajockey454]

Years ago, I whipped my truck into the flight examiner's parking lot for a medical with AC/DC's "Hell's Bells" rattling the windows and was amazingly surprised when he told me that I'd lost 50% of my hearing in the higher ranges.

It explained allot. I had noticed that I had no problem talking to women when it was quiet but I had no luck at all in bars - I could just hear mumbling while watching their mouths move.

And I had thought that there was something wrong with the T.V - I could hear the explosions and gun-fire just fine but I'd have to turn it up to hear the voices.

So far though, it hasn't affected getting medicals since that was the only time I was put on the hearing machine - and that was for a 3rd class medical.

I hope my luck continues. How bad does one's hearing have to be before they won't let you fly anymore?

[My Flight Surgeon]

The standard is spoken voice at 6 feet. Say what??

SInce most pilots now wear amplifoed hearing protection (headsets) it is not much of an issue.

[bigD1031]

So how bad before it is too bad? Could one be completely deaf in one ear and still get a class 1? Or have to wear two hearing aids?

[My Flight Surgeon]

The way the FAA wants the test done is to have the pilot turn away from the AME, the AME speak in a normal tone of voice and if the pilot can hear he passes.

[bigD1031]

Even with hearing aides?

[My Flight Surgeon]

Yes, you can wear hearing aids. If the applicant meets the standard with the use of hearing aids, the certificate may be issued with the following restriction:

VALID ONLY WITH USE OF HEARING AMPLIFICATION

Some pilots who normally wear hearing aids to assist in communicating while on the ground report that they elect not to wear them while flying. They prefer to use the volume amplification of the radio headphone. Some use the headphone on one ear for radio communication and the hearing aid in the other for cockpit communications.

[Cherokee_Cruiser]

Originally Posted by bigD1031

So how bad before it is too bad? Could one be completely deaf in one ear and still get a class 1? Or have to wear two hearing aids?

Yes... I am living walking proof you can be completely deaf in one ear and still get a 1st class med.

I was born with senso-neural hearing loss in the left ear.


That means the auditory nerve itself in the left ear has a problem, didn't develop, etc.


So, I have no hearing from that ear.


However, my right ear has perfect hearing.


FAA 1st class standards at the minimum say something about being able to hear an average conversational voice at a distance of 6 feet away from a doc.

Of course, I can hear that easily!

I can hear fine, drive fine, fly fine, and get up to an alarm clock fine as well. (Even if good ear is against the pillow).

I have no problems functioning whatsoever! No hearing aids necessary!

[frog_flyer]

Hearing aids look cool though....

[intern_mike]

Try the ear candles. They really work, and you can hear much better immediately after using them.

[My Flight Surgeon]

We used to use leeches to treat disease in the past too

[GAPILOT]

Originally Posted by My Flight Surgeon

The way the FAA wants the test done is to have the pilot turn away from the AME, the AME speak in a normal tone of voice and if the pilot can hear he passes.

Wish the eye test was that easy

[MQAAord]

Originally Posted by My Flight Surgeon

We used to use leeches to treat disease in the past too

PWNED by the good doc


I have an appointment for later this morning, hopefully I'll get an answer! It sure would be nice if it was just a bunch of buildup. Sadly, knowing what I did, and for so long, I don't think that's gonna be my answer.

[My Flight Surgeon]

Good luck AMber. I certainly hope it is a simple fix.

[MQAAord]

Well, I'm back, and it was good news and bad news.

The good news: The left ear had moderate blockage, which was removed. That was probably the funniest, weirdest feeling EVER. I laughed through the whole thing. It was stuck in there pretty good, but now that it's all out it actually feels different! A huge difference. She pulled out two small pea-sized pieces. Yuck.

The bad news: Only the left ear had any blockage. The right ear was clear, which means that blockage wasn't the only issue. So I have an audiogram scheduled for next Tuesday. What I would really like is to contact AA medical somehow, and get a print out of the results of my original audiogram from my new-hire interview/medical with Eagle in 1995. That would give a 'base' from which to judge what kind of loss there's been.

[TonyC]

Originally Posted by My Flight Surgeon

We used to use leeches to treat disease in the past too

Leeches are approved by the FDA to help heal skin grafts and restore blood circulation. Maggots are used in debridement therapy to treat ulcers, gangrene, skin cancer, and burns.



(The above is a comment about leeches and maggots, and should in no way be construed to be support of ear candles. The author remains ignorant and therefore neutral on that subject.)







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[My Flight Surgeon]

Maybe you will let someone use leeches and maggots on you. I certainly will not.

[greaper007]

As long as we're talking about hearing, I have a question.

Do ANR headsets protect your hearing, or just make the environment more comfortable?

From what I understand ANR helps cancel out low noises. However, isn't it vibration that causes hearing damage? If that's the case, the way I see it is the vibrations are still present.

I'm just trying to figure out if I should drop 700 dollars on a Stratus 50D once I get on the line and start flying the Saab 340. I really want to protect my hearing, but I also want to pay off my 5 digit debt.

Thanks

[My Flight Surgeon]

You only get one shot at protecting your hearing -- go for the Stratus 50D Yes, the technology does help preserve your hearing so the price is worth it.

[TonyC]

Originally Posted by My Flight Surgeon

Maybe you will let someone use leeches and maggots on you. I certainly will not.

Granted, there is a gross factor. But given their success, I would "get over it" to save my skin, or my foot, or my fingers, or whatever the problem area is.










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[TonyC]

Originally Posted by greaper007

I really want to protect my hearing, but I also want to pay off my 5 digit debt.

Originally Posted by My Flight Surgeon

You only get one shot at protecting your hearing -- go for the Stratus 50D Yes, the technology does help preserve your hearing so the price is worth it.

One better, no, two better. Bose Aviation Headset X is better, and it can be financed (with your credit card) over a year INTEREST FREE! Your hearing is worth 80 bucks a month for a year, easily.






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