Subject: Re: hearing sudden distortion effect From: Anna Diedesch <acdiedesch@xxxxxxxx> Date: Wed, 5 Oct 2016 22:28:57 -0700 List-Archive:<http://lists.mcgill.ca/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=AUDITORY>I feel the need to contribute as well. I'm the classic definition of young normal hearing, and I have a similar phenomenon as David that began in my late 20s. When I'm laying on my side and have one ear covered by a pillow, a room fan will trigger a middle ear reflex (mostly only in my right ear). I describe it as a twitch that I can resolved by repositioning either to a location where both my ears are accessible for hearing the fan or the opposite ear can be blocked by a pillow and the reflex stops. I will note that during the winter months if I fly frequently I also have pressure equalization issues in the same ear. In fact, one flight last winter I was unable to pop my right ear and felt like my eardrum almost burst. I mechanically tried to open my Eustachian tube by chewing gum and physically pulling my pinna up and down. I think that might have helped prevent my eardrum from bursting, by I had a temporary hearing loss for almost two days after that flight. I also occasionally think about the fact that I frequently take elevators 10 flights or more and ride a tram to work, thinking that these issues might be caused by excessive daily elevation changes. However, when my acoustic reflex issues began 5 years ago, I rarely changed altitude on a daily basis. In terms of rehabilitation, I will say that access to an immittance bridge and being able to control the pressure manually through tympanometry is a great way to resolve my pressure equalization issues and help reduce my middle ear reflex twitch. ~Anna Sent from my iPhone > On Oct 5, 2016, at 8:49 AM, David Smith <smithd@xxxxxxxx> wrote: > > When I listen to music with one ear covered (lying down with my head on a pillow) I get thumping in the covered ear. > It's clearly a muscle contraction as I can feel it as well as hear it. > It started maybe 4 years ago (I'm 60). I first noticed it only during louder (≈50-60db) percussive events onsets. > It now it happens in both ears (no matter which one is covered) and the event onsets don't need to be so fast to produce the thumping. > My hearing is ok otherwise. I can produce and mix music with both ears exposed normally. > DSmith > > > > >> On Oct 4, 2016, at 7:36 AM, Bob Masta wrote: >> >> Bill: >> >> I wonder if you are also subject to what I call "thumping" >> during binaural beats presentations. I experience this at >> a center frequency of about 300 Hz and a difference of >> about 1 Hz. See the "Middle Ear Thumping" subtopic >> under "Monaural and Binaural Beats Mini-App" at >> <http://www.daqarta.com/dw_0obb.htm> >> >> I don't know how common this is. I'd love to hear about >> others' experiences on this test. You can download and >> use the Daqarta software on any Windows system. It's >> free for this sort of use (output only). I'd be glad to >> answer any questions. >> >> Best regards, >> >> Bob Masta >> >> ===================================== >>> On 2 Oct 2016 at 10:09, William Hartmann wrote: >>> >>> Jim, >>> >>> Sorry about your bad experience. >>> >>> Possibly related: I remember a performance at IRCAM on amplified flute >>> by Pierre-Yves Artaud. Intense impulsive tones were accompanied by >>> popping sounds in my ear. Colleagues attributed those to middle ear reflex. >>> >>> Bill >>> >>> James W. Beauchamp wrote: >>>> Dear List, >>>> >>>> In 2009 I acquired chronic low-level high-frequency tinnitus. >>>> Tests rhowed that it was at approximately 11 KHz 10 dB above >>>> threshold. Most of the time I'm not concious of it and it doesn't >>>> affect my enjoyment of music. >>>> >>>> Friday night I attended an orchestra concert where they played >>>> Beethoven's "Overture to 'Eqmont'", Bruch's "Scottish Fantasy", >>>> and Shostakovich's "Symphony No. 12" in that order. I enjoyed it >>>> all, but the last piece was especially loud, and near the end of >>>> the last movement I suddenly experienced a loud distortion effect >>>> on certain very loud notes. It had two attributes: 1) It was very >>>> sudden, almost like an amplifier clipping; 2) I perceived the >>>> sounds to be localized very close to my head, rather than coming >>>> from the stage (I was seated about 20 rows from the stage.). The >>>> effect was very disconcerting because it ruined the musical >>>> experience. >>>> >>>> This is the first time I've experienced this effect at an orchestra >>>> concert. I remember experiencing something like this in 1978 when a >>>> certain electronic piece by Xennakis was performed at the >>>> International Computer Music Conference at Northwestern Univ. It was >>>> played very loud, and I remember sounds were swirling around my head. >>>> Others had the same experience. This was way before my tinnitus onset, >>>> and I didn't mind it because it seemed like the strange localization >>>> effect was just part of the piece. >>>> >>>> Has anyone else experienced this effect? What is the effect called? >>>> Is it related to tinnitus or is it a cause of tinnitus? >>>> >>>> Thanks for your help on this question! >>>> >>>> Best, >>>> Jim >>>> >>>> James W. Beauchamp >>>> Research Professor >>>> Professor Emeritus of Music and Electrical & Computer Engineering >>>> University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign >>>> email: jwbeauch@xxxxxxxx (also: jwbeauch@xxxxxxxx) >>>> WWW: http://ems.music.uiuc.edu/beaucham >>>> http://www.ece.illinois.edu/directory/profile/jwbeauch >> >> ===============================