Pressure on eardrums?

[Nomad]

Hi. I've been experienced pressure on eardrums for the last weeks that can be (very) slightly painful on very seldom occasions, specially on the left one.

However, I don't experience ringing on my ears unless it is middle of the night and I'm trying really hard to find it (It might be even psychological, it is barely noticeable and I think that actually is almost my imagination), which is good. I'm limiting my headphone listening these days and it is really painful to live without music.

Did anybody experience this before? Just pressure on eardrums and a tad of discomfort, without pain or ringing (for now)? Does it goes away soon? Does it come back?

I must say I listen to really really (really) quiet volumes. People use to say they can't listen much when try my headphones. And I'm always complaining about the unbalance of the pots at the volumes I'm listening (that's why I need to use volume reduction at preamp and amp stages). The problem is that I listen for long periods of time.

It might be the SR-Omegas. I think it is the best headphone I've ever tried (and I thoroughly tried them all the high-end ones) but I just can't stop listening to them and I think they are more fatiguing that (let's say) the OmegaIIs.

I've been limiting my headphone listening these last couple of weeks but the pressure is still there. Even having only a few minutes at day at ridiculous low volume levels doesn't make a difference.

I'm quite concerned about it and I've been seriously considering to sell most (if not all) my headphones lately (2 SR-Omega, 2 PS-1, L3000, L3000G, R10 late production, Qualia, K1000, Baby Orpheus...) and some other gear too (DHA3000, V20...). It's been quite hard to get my hands on some and it would be painful to get rid of them.

Hopefully after giving some rest this will go away (and not come back) but I was wondering if somebody else had the same issue and how did deal with it (and what were the results).

Any feedback really appreciated. Cheers.

[drarthurwells]

Most people listen to headphones at too high a volume level.

I listen at a level to get good soundstage depth - not all instruments should collapase to sound up close - distant instruments should sound distant. Keeping the volume down expands the front to back soundstage.

This is easier with classical orchestral music since some instruments are distant and some are close.

Many types of music have a flat-depth soundstage where all instruments are the same depth. Try to keep the sound back some, and not up close and in your face, and this lower volume will protect your ears.

[Carl]

In my experience planar headphones give you that sort of feeling instead of the ringing type effect you get with standard dynamic headphones. I get it too, but not so bad that I'd use a word like "painful" or "bothersome". It's probably caused by the sound hitting your drums as a flat force rather than a curved one or something.

I find the best way to reduce the effect is to mix some dynamic headphones into ones listening mix from time to time. Beyond that, though, it's just one of life's mysteries.

[Nomad]

Originally Posted by drarthurwells

Most people listen to headphones at too high a volume level.

That's not the case here.



Thanks Carl. So you had experienced something similar. Does it go away soon?

I'm still feeling it after a couple of weeks with almost no headphone listening sessions at all. That probably shouldn't happen.

[Carl]

Originally Posted by Nomad

Thanks Carl. So you had experienced something similar. Does it go away soon?

I don't think go away is the right word. I just stop noticing it when I haven't been listening to music in a while.

I'm still feeling it after a couple of weeks with almost no headphone listening sessions at all. That probably shouldn't happen.

I'd go to an audiologist for a check up.

[c0mfortably_numb]

Could it be the headphones? All I can use lately is Grado's...I bought a pair of beyer Dt931 and after about an hour the clamping made my ears hurt bad (pain and pressure) (and yes low low volume levels) I had to go about a week with no headphone use lately my Sen HD485 aren't getting any use as the pain and pressure come back (as do headaches) The Grado are fine for rock, but I'm not enjoying using them as an all around can

[Uncle Erik]

Could it be earwax? Have you cleaned your ears lately? A buildup could feel like pressure on your eardrum.

I'm no doctor. Go have someone qualified take a look.

[joneeboi]

Is pressure the right word? If it is, there's got to be something causing it, which would have tipped off Uncle Erik about the earwax. I personally have had ringing in my ears since I was a kid; in first grade 1 I distinctly remember being conscious of it. You just get used to not hearing it. I only ever really hear it at select moments at night while I read myself to sleep because during those moments I actually focus on it.

Tinnitus, it appears to be called. Reading things on the interweb indicates that really all you can do is stop listening to music or anything loud for 3-5 days and hope it goes away. If it doesn't go away, it may be damage to the nerves leaving your ear's cochlea. I haven't been to an audiologist ever, but my guess is my seemingly permanent condition is caused by damage to the organ of Corti, which is how sound is translated into brain signals. Air enters the ear and moves hairs in the cochlea (different lengths of these hairs respond to different frequencies), and the movement of the hairs causes brushing to occur on fibres of something called the tectorial membrane, which sends the electrical impulse to the brain's hearing centre, the temporal lobe. In some cases, you just have to block it out. At least, that's what I think I remember reading somewhere.





If anything, visit http://www.t-gone.com/tinnitus-faq/c...amage-info.htm or just do a search on tinnitus and cochlear damage.

[Tachikoma]

Hi. I've been experienced pressure on eardrums for the last weeks that can be (very) slightly painful on very seldom occasions, specially on the left one.
Did anybody experience this before? Just pressure on eardrums and a tad of discomfort, without pain or ringing (for now)? Does it goes away soon? Does it come back?

Yeah, I've felt it before, in fact, exactly the same way - I thought my headphones had some sort of volume inbalance (I couldn't tell whether there was an inbalance by listening to test tones or switching between the sides, however) however in my case, the pain/pressure would disappear without a trace after some rest.

[Carl]

Originally Posted by Tachikoma

Yeah, I've felt it before, in fact, exactly the same way - I thought my headphones had some sort of volume inbalance (I couldn't tell whether there was an inbalance by listening to test tones or switching between the sides, however) however in my case, the pain/pressure would disappear without a trace after some rest.

I'm almost certain it's an electrostatics only issue. Any other electrostat user have this problem?

I'm also pretty sure it has nothing to do with the cochlea or any of important, irrepairable parts of the inner ear. It seems to simply be the tympanic membrane alone. Prehaps getting bruised by the sound waves? Considering I listen more or less every day, it'd be hard for a bruise to heal in there...

Anyone here got an Au.D.?

[John Buchanan]

Often pressure imbalance across the tympanic membrane is caused by a blockage in the air pressure equaliser (the eustachian tube). This can be caused by blowing the nose too hard when having a cold and blowing mucus up the tube from the throat. It is also possible that you have a plug of wax blocking the ear canal. Consult an audiologist.

[ken36]

I would hope this is tied to the power of suggestion. I've been reading about ear issues ever since I climbed aboard this forum. Thank the Lord it hasn't happened to me yet, but if it does, I will probably spend a ton of money on tests, with negative results.

[Nomad]

Hi. Sorry about the delay. I've been offline these days.

Thanks all for the replies.

It seems to be an electrostatic issue because coming back to the dynamic ones mitigates the effect. Still... I miss the SR-Omegas a lot, no matter if I use the L3000, PS1, R10, Qualias or K1000.

I was almost fine but I got from a extended loan the DHA3000 and yesterday I was listening to the DHA3000-L3000 to a fair loud volumes for 3-4 songs (fair loud volume for me is what most people would say normal, though). The DHA3000-L3000 combo shines at normal/loud volumes. After that I came back to electrostatics and I'm a bit like before. I think I need a bit more of rest and it will go away.

The balance issue dissapeared. I think it was because I was listening to classical a lot. Violins (read here high frequencies) are on the left, so perhaps after many hours at day the left ear got a bit more stressed. This week it was mostly jazz/pop/rock which uses to be more "even" on the ears.

I'd like to go to an audiologist but although I'm sure there must be great professionals here, health insurance in UK is not great in general (and this having private BUPA). I might end taking a flight and going to Spain in order to check this out. I know it sounds crazy. It is not.

I'll try to give my ears some rest first, though. It seems it was working but I was a bit impatient and as soon as I felt better I came back to headphones (very quiet, though). This time I'll keep waiting for a few days more.

As rest works and coming back to headphones too early makes the issue come back, it doens't seem wax or infection or some other problem apart from hearing stressed. Still... I'll check this out if after some rest things doesn't improve.

If I wasn't in UK this would have been already checked but in UK you can't access the audiologist (even paying private health insurance, as I do) directly. You have to go to a General Practicioner first and then he will refer to him... if he thinks is appropiate! In most of the cases he says "Ok, just give the ear a rest" and come to me one month later. And after that month he sent you finally to an audiologist (if you are lucky, sometimes he doesn't) and there is a waiting period of another 1-2 weeks for that. In most countries you can go to your audiologist straight away if you have private health insurance. I've only seen this bizarre procedure in UK.

Cheers.

[TheSloth]

Originally Posted by Nomad

If I wasn't in UK this would have been already checked but in UK you can't access the audiologist (even paying private health insurance, as I do) directly. You have to go to a General Practicioner first and then he will refer to him... if he thinks is appropiate! In most of the cases he says "Ok, just give the ear a rest" and come to me one month later. And after that month he sent you finally to an audiologist (if you are lucky, sometimes he doesn't) and there is a waiting period of another 1-2 weeks for that. In most countries you can go to your audiologist straight away if you have private health insurance. I've only seen this bizarre procedure in UK.

Cheers.

But the NHS is wonderful! How dare you criticise the worlds fairest, cheapest and most efficient health care system. . It'll never change - trying to reform the NHS is enough to bring down any government.

Anyway, go to your GP and play up the symptoms a bit. Just say you have significant hearing loss in one ear, along with a sudden onset of tinnitus in said ear, and don't say you have been doing anything unusually noise related. You will get the referral you need.

Alternatively, you can go and see the audiologist privately at your own cost - that case for simple audiology will be less than 100GBP and is worth it to make sure nothing is wrong.

[glasscain]

Its the same in canada I think..

Originally Posted by Nomad

Hi. Sorry about the delay. I've been offline these days.

Thanks all for the replies.

It seems to be an electrostatic issue because coming back to the dynamic ones mitigates the effect. Still... I miss the SR-Omegas a lot, no matter if I use the L3000, PS1, R10, Qualias or K1000.

I was almost fine but I got from a extended loan the DHA3000 and yesterday I was listening to the DHA3000-L3000 to a fair loud volumes for 3-4 songs (fair loud volume for me is what most people would say normal, though). The DHA3000-L3000 combo shines at normal/loud volumes. After that I came back to electrostatics and I'm a bit like before. I think I need a bit more of rest and it will go away.

The balance issue dissapeared. I think it was because I was listening to classical a lot. Violins (read here high frequencies) are on the left, so perhaps after many hours at day the left ear got a bit more stressed. This week it was mostly jazz/pop/rock which uses to be more "even" on the ears.

I'd like to go to an audiologist but although I'm sure there must be great professionals here, health insurance in UK is not great in general (and this having private BUPA). I might end taking a flight and going to Spain in order to check this out. I know it sounds crazy. It is not.

I'll try to give my ears some rest first, though. It seems it was working but I was a bit impatient and as soon as I felt better I came back to headphones (very quiet, though). This time I'll keep waiting for a few days more.

As rest works and coming back to headphones too early makes the issue come back, it doens't seem wax or infection or some other problem apart from hearing stressed. Still... I'll check this out if after some rest things doesn't improve.

If I wasn't in UK this would have been already checked but in UK you can't access the audiologist (even paying private health insurance, as I do) directly. You have to go to a General Practicioner first and then he will refer to him... if he thinks is appropiate! In most of the cases he says "Ok, just give the ear a rest" and come to me one month later. And after that month he sent you finally to an audiologist (if you are lucky, sometimes he doesn't) and there is a waiting period of another 1-2 weeks for that. In most countries you can go to your audiologist straight away if you have private health insurance. I've only seen this bizarre procedure in UK.

Cheers.