Numb ears Why do ears, when exposed to loud music, become numb -- what is happening? I like to listen to loud music on my headphones, but my ears tend to get numb, sometimes already after a couple of minutes. And then, nothing is loud enough anymore, even though I turn up the volume to full. 1. What are the first signs that the ears are already damaged? 2. Are these damaging effects permanent? 3. Why do we like loud music?
I think we like loud music for the stimulation - it "extends the ear" to include the rest of your body. If you start to hear ringing, there's probably damage. The sensitive equipment lose their sensitivity, and after a prolonged exposure it becomes permanent. Earlobes just become numb from the pressure of the headphones Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
More accurately, you lose the ability to distinguish the extreme high, and low end frequencies: something to do with your ear drum shape? the ringing is your unability to distinguish the high end.
I've heard that when people talk on the phone too long, their ears get a litle numb. I get the same problem, and I usually have calls less than 10 minutes. As with the ringing, I've heard it my whole life. When I ask the doctors they either say nothing or tell me I have sinuses, then give me pills which are completely useless because I hardly ever have sinus problems! They don't even stop the ringing. After several years of asking at every appointment, I've just gotten too frustrated and stopped caring.
I've noticed that a few nights, if it's silent, my ears start to ring a little. And if I concentrate on the ringing, it gets louder and louder. I can make it stop by thinking about something else though. Has that happened to anyone else?
Shit... I thought I was the only one. It happens to me in day time too. Just random ringing (not too often thankfully). Freaks me out.
If you really want ringing ears go to a techno dance party and dance in front of the 2 meter high loudspeakers for a few hours.
I think that's just mild tinnitus. We're so used to noise in the city that our ears can't appreciate absolute silence anymore. People with real tinnitus can't get the ringing to stop very easily, they have to train themselves to filter it out.
But why do ears ring? What has happened in the ear that it keeps on having the sensation as if sound was present, when it isn't?
not necesssarely, it could be the buildup of dopamine, clogging the music-pleasure centers in the brain, like for instance high quality cocaine and heroine is known to cause ringing ears in many users.
This could then also explain why the concentration lessens with time. To listen to a classical symphony that is 45 minutes long, on headphones at high volume -- it could be that this is too much both for the ears, as well as for the brain.
Well, as far as I know, the "numbness" of your ear is a result of a membrane inside your ear. There, you can find snall hairlike extensions that register the soundwaves which enter your ear. They move according to frequency and force of the soundwaves, sending impulses to other nerves and ultimately the brain. When the force of the soundwave is big enough, the small "hairs" may fold, sometimes even snap. As a result, they do not move anymore and you hear no more, at least you are unable to hear some frequencies. Most of the membrane recovers, but it is well possible that some never recover and you will then be unable to hear certain frequencies for the rest of your life. But as you grow old, this happens anyway. Now let me see if I can find a picture or two... The process above happens in the inner ear, first a general view: Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! now the inner ear, the membrane I mentioned is the "Vestibular Membrane" and the "Cochlear Duct" Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
[ If your ears ring after you listen to music it is a very good indication that you are doing permanent damage to your ears. The ears do not have pain receptors so they cannot hurt. What they do is ring. If you drink alcohol, are on certain medications, or smoke, the effects are componded and made a lot worse. The ears have a biofeedback loop that lets the brain know how much to turn up and down different noises. If you have damage a part of your ear, the ear will keep turning up the sound get a response. That causes the ringing after the stimulus has stopped. Kind of like losing a leg and still being able to feel it. Same concept. Once you lose hearing, it is gone. The more hearing loss you have, the more suseptiable you are to farther damage. Tinnitus is treatable. Zinc, biofeedback, and habituation therapies work well. The american tinnitus association, www.ata.org has some really good info. The best treatment if prevention. ear plugs at concerts and loud function, turning your music down, quit smoking. If you have ringing, you should visit and audioloigst to see if you have hearing loss. Most hearing loss is not noticable because how do you know that you did not hear something. You did not know that it made a noise because you did not hear it! Why do ears, when exposed to loud music, become numb -- what is happening? I like to listen to loud music on my headphones, but my ears tend to get numb, sometimes already after a couple of minutes. And then, nothing is loud enough anymore, even though I turn up the volume to full. 1. What are the first signs that the ears are already damaged? 2. Are these damaging effects permanent? 3. Why do we like loud music?[/QUOTE]
