This page is dedicated to your hearing. Maybe you'll stop and think about something you probably take for granted. Hearing loss can be very gradual, so from day to day you may not realize that damage may be occurring to your ears.

Ear diagram
   As a person who has enjoyed many rock concerts and played drums for over 20 years, I'm lucky I haven't done any serious damage to my hearing. Some mornings after a show, I would notice that things sounded kind of dull to me. (And I don't mean in a boring way.)  After a day or so it would seem everything was back to normal. As I became aware of this condition, I began to realize I needed to do something prevent it from occuring. Sometimes I would wear earplugs during rehearsals, but I prefered not to because they limited the quality of sound as well as the volume. I wasn't consistent in using protection and knew there had to be an answer.
   Then I discovered a whole different kind of hearing protection through the efforts of HEARNET. They are made from an earmold that is custom fit to your ear, and use an attenuator that reduces volume evenly across the audio spectrum. The result is similar to "turning down the volume". You can select how much reduction you want when you order them. They cost around $120, and are probably available from your local hospital through the audiologists’ department. It’s a small price to protect a lifetime of hearing.
   I can't tell you how awesome these little guys are. They insert easily, and are visually almost unnoticeable. I insert them before I enter a club, this way I am used to the lower levels of sound around me. I can actually hear so much more detail because they reduce the reverberation and harshness of loud rooms. The only side effect of wearing them is that I must force myself to talk a little louder in a noisy room, because I can hear my own voice easier than others can. This is especially helpful when singing because it's easier to hear yourself and keep your notes from wandering off!  You should check them out if you have a need for them.

I invite you to visit the following links for information on hearing-

Ethical Hearing Instruments

Coastal Hearing Aid Center

Hearing Healthcare Associates

Hearing Loss Resources

Chedoke-McMaster Hospitals

The Canadian Hearing Society

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