Ear Popping

[Jabs1542]

I was wondering if the effort required to pop one’s ears could be related to their listening capabilities. As an example I have a SOtM USB card and a SOtM NAA, I can feed both to the same DAC and can’t confidently hear a difference. I also have to hold my nose tightly and blow pretty hard to pop my ears, some people can just open their mouth’widely (like yawning) and their ears will pop.

 

So the question is, how hard is it for you to pop your ears versus how confident you are with your hearing?

[Paul R]

There are a couple variations of the Valsalva Maneuver, one for clearing the ears and one to work on being dizzy. Anytime my ears are clogged up, it can be more or less difficult to do a Valsava to clear them, but that is usually only when I am descending in flight. Very rarely on the ground, with the exception sometimes being vehicular travel in mountains.

 

When my ears are clogged up enough to be uncomfortable, my hearing is definitely impaired, so you might be onto something. When I don't need to Valsalva, my ears are usually clear. Clogged up sinus or ears also produces the most damnable ringing in my left ear you can imagine.

 

-Paul

 

 

 

I was wondering if the effort required to pop one’s ears could be related to their listening capabilities. As an example I have a SOtM USB card and a SOtM NAA, I can feed both to the same DAC and can’t confidently hear a difference. I also have to hold my nose tightly and blow pretty hard to pop my ears, some people can just open their mouth’widely (like yawning) and their ears will pop.

 

So the question is, how hard is it for you to pop your ears versus how confident you are with your hearing?

[petaluma]

There are a couple variations of the Valsalva Maneuver, one for clearing the ears and one to work on being dizzy. Anytime my ears are clogged up, it can be more or less difficult to do a Valsava to clear them, but that is usually only when I am descending in flight. Very rarely on the ground, with the exception sometimes being vehicular travel in mountains.

 

When my ears are clogged up enough to be uncomfortable, my hearing is definitely impaired, so you might be onto something. When I don't need to Valsalva, my ears are usually clear. Clogged up sinus or ears also produces the most damnable ringing in my left ear you can imagine.

 

-Paul

 

Guys,

 

Have the same issues as I have bad allergies and everything just swells up....not a pretty picture. One other thing that I think is overlooked is ear wax. Last year I was having ear issues and the DR did a complete blow out of my canals. Frankly I never knew I was not hearing everything until I did that. I clean them on a regular basis now.

 

Have a good weekend!

[Jabs1542]

The thought process was this; my ear requires quite a bit of pressure to equalize, maybe that means my eardrum if stiff, if my eardrum is stiff does it transfer less energy to the tiny bones in the middle ear, and through the rest of the chain. This then makes me wonder if people who can clear their ears very easily have more flexible eardrums which can transfer sounds to the middle ear easier.

 

Wouldnt it be interesting to discover that people who can hear things like 24:96 versus 24:192 or cable breakin can all clear their ears easily, whereas those of us who can't hear those differences require more effort to clear our ears? The hearing process is a chain of events with the first coupling being the eardrum, which can be equalized by a describable technique (though very course). I realize that the rest of the chain is where the real hearing takes place but was curious if there was a correlation here.

[miguelito]

Guys,

 

Have the same issues as I have bad allergies and everything just swells up....not a pretty picture. One other thing that I think is overlooked is ear wax. Last year I was having ear issues and the DR did a complete blow out of my canals. Frankly I never knew I was not hearing everything until I did that. I clean them on a regular basis now.

 

Have a good weekend!

 

Search for impacted ear wax on YouTube. I bumped into this while looking for ear impression videos (for custom in-ear monitors). Like watching a car wreck. Can't stop watching. Disgusting.

[jtwrace]

Search for impacted ear wax on YouTube. I bumped into this while looking for ear impression videos (for custom in-ear monitors). Like watching a car wreck. Can't stop watching. Disgusting.

 

OMG. That's disgusting. I can't even imagine how that happens to someone who cleans regularly.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9znvERqhaBA

[miguelito]

OMG. That's disgusting. I can't even imagine how that happens to someone who cleans regularly.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9znvERqhaBA

 

Happens to people who don't clean regularly. The black is dirt sticking to the wax. Super disgusting.

[petaluma]

Happens to people who don't clean regularly. The black is dirt sticking to the wax. Super disgusting.

 

Yikes! The human organism can be pretty yucky! Mine were flushed out with fluid, and the stuff coming out looked nothing like that....Thankfully

[wgscott]

OMG. That's disgusting. I can't even imagine how that happens to someone who cleans regularly.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9znvERqhaBA

 

Q-tips

[wgscott]

I use botfly larvae to keep mine clear.

[christopher3393]

OhNoooooooooo!!!!!!!

 

tried it. having an identity crisis.

[petaluma]

I use botfly larvae to keep mine clear.

 

You watch top gear on BBC America? Clarkson tried to freak out Hammond about Bot fly larvae laying eggs in his brain while they were on their Bolivia trip. Hammond has a bit of an insect obsession.

[livelistenlearn]

I was wondering if the effort required to pop one’s ears could be related to their listening capabilities.

 

afaik, no.

seemingly apparent suggestion: easy to clear system = optimal system. however, there are other variables, inc. individual physical structure of ear/sinus system, sinus system health, age, earwax build-up, level of damage from exposure to noise and/or scuba diving/swimming.

some “pop” easily. for others, it may take a little bit more pressure. and, IME, that can vary with time and circumstances.

yes, popping ears before critical listening = good idea. ears being your primary brain input channels for sonic waves = stuffed ears can negate the advantages of a great music playback equipment.

BUT, when popping, please do it GENTLY = start "blowing soft”, gradually increase pressure. don’t be macho and “blow” too hard = you could potentially damage/rupture ear drums. if you blow moderately hard, and still cannot clear, best to consult an ENT specialist.

^ what a good scuba-diving instructor tells you. he or she (oh yes...) should also warn you against diving with a bad cold or sinus issue. because if things are clogged up inside, it is harder to “equalise” as you go down. gets remarkably painful if one cannot equalise when descending just 15-20ft below.

naturally, there is always over-enthusiasm. have seen “bleeding ears” on newbie divers who do not even know that they are bleeding = apparently, no pain (or, possibly, that adrenalin rush from "surviving" after seeing a magnified image of a live + wild 5-foot shark numbs pain somewhat).

yawning: works for some (not only “big mouths”), + flexing jaw muscles left and right helps.

q-tips: again, be gentle and know what you are doing = may actually compress gunk and/or poke it deeper in.

cheers.

[Jabs1542]

OMG. That's disgusting. I can't even imagine how that happens to someone who cleans regularly.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9znvERqhaBA

 

Yuck - unfortunately now I cannot "un see" that.

 

True story regarding Q-tips. While slalom water skiing when I was younger (and could still do that) I had a bad high speed wipe out while cutting back and my head slammed against the water. So bad I was dizzy and disoriented. Went to the ENT, he looked up in my ear and, without asking if I used Q-tips, proceeded to tell me that I was lucky that I used Q-tips regularly. He then removed a wax plug from my ear, he said the wax plug prevented the water hammer from impacting my eardrum directly and most likely saved my hearing. He then went on to explain that the use of Q-tips generally pushes the wax down into the ear thus creating a firm wax plug.

 

Moral of the story, visit your ENT every few years to get your ears cleaned out - unless you plan to go water skiing, then you might want to leave it in there.

[livelistenlearn]

He then removed a wax plug from my ear, he said the wax plug prevented the water hammer from impacting my eardrum directly and most likely saved my hearing. He then went on to explain that the use of Q-tips generally pushes the wax down into the ear thus creating a firm wax plug.

 

LOL, “firm wax plugs” = FiWaPs

Q1: iye, when the ENT specialist removed your FiWaPs, how much of a difference did you hear? was it like a minor or major component upgrade?

Q2: re: “a few years” = what was your ENT specialist’s recommendation? 2-3 years?

cheers.

[PeterSt]

I need to do it every day. The popping I mean. With that I seriously wonder how many people do not even know about it. So if I don't do it, I *know* what I miss (mainly the lowest frequencies, but also affects the higher). It doesn't work all days, and that means it just can't be done and I'll have "bad sound". So not that I don't need it each day (I do).

The fading of good sound after a blow (nose closed and blow into it) goes unnoticed. But at some stage I will (not enough LF in a recording I know), and that can be even during the same listening session. So blow it again.

And a next beer.

 

Of course this will be very different per person and I guess most won't need it at all. But those who do may not know about it.

[Jabs1542]

LOL, “firm wax plugs” = FiWaPs

Q1: iye, when the ENT specialist removed your FiWaPs, how much of a difference did you hear? was it like a minor or major component upgrade?

Q2: re: “a few years” = what was your ENT specialist’s recommendation? 2-3 years?

cheers.

 

Q1: Yes, it was as if a pair of ear muffs had been removed. Note that I was working in a stereo store in college at the time - gained a new appreciation for the Dahlquist DQ-10 and the DCM Timewindows after that episode.

 

Q2: I try to go every two to three years, and it's odd because I will go once (having 2+ years passed) with very little material and another time with a lot of material. He said that some of that had to do with allergies and pollen (some seasons worse than others) - so now I'm imagining my ears as big pollen funnel scoops while riding my bicycle

[Jabs1542]

I need to do it every day. The popping I mean. With that I seriously wonder how many people do not even know about it. So if I don't do it, I *know* what I miss (mainly the lowest frequencies, but also affects the higher). It doesn't work all days, and that means it just can't be done and I'll have "bad sound". So not that I don't need it each day (I do).

The fading of good sound after a blow (nose closed and blow into it) goes unnoticed. But at some stage I will (not enough LF in a recording I know), and that can be even during the same listening session. So blow it again.

And a next beer.

 

Of course this will be very different per person and I guess most won't need it at all. But those who do may not know about it.

 

Absolutely yes!!! I have bad allergies, and Virginia is supposedly the worst state in the union when it comes to allergies, so I pop my ears every time I start a listening session and usually once more after about 30 minutes, then it seems to remain correct.

 

Interesting that it helps you with lows, for me it's the opposite, it really opens up the highs. I would guess a 1 to 2 dB increase in the highs.

[PeterSt]

I should notice that it can also go the other way around with me : sound "vanishes" easily by on estimate a 6dB or so. Seems to be more at the low end again (though hard to judge) but far more the whole "range". Of course I never know in advance whether that will happen, but say one out of 20 times (= days). This seems to be solved by explicit yawning (just tried it when it wasn't necessary at all - yep, yawning on command works), but may take 10-20 minutes (and goes gradually again).

At least for such a day I know that getting the best out of it is lost (will never attempt again that day).

 

Yeah, funny. Also funny that you started this thread, because I was thinking about just that and for the reason "do we actually know this from ourselves ?". So same thing.

 

Peter

[livelistenlearn]

Q1: Yes, it was as if a pair of ear muffs had been removed. Note that I was working in a stereo store in college at the time - gained a new appreciation for the Dahlquist DQ-10 and the DCM Timewindows after that episode.

 

Q2: I try to go every two to three years, and it's odd because I will go once (having 2+ years passed) with very little material and another time with a lot of material. He said that some of that had to do with allergies and pollen (some seasons worse than others) - so now I'm imagining my ears as big pollen funnel scoops while riding my bicycle

 

okay. time to do it again then. last did it 5-6 years ago, to address feeling of “water in one ear” feeling after a dive. some (not lots of) FiWaPs/gunk dislodged, iirc… and it worked. can’t recall difference in listening to music = was more occupied with other hobbies then.

since i ride as well, will let you know if that “funnel scoop” hypothesis is sound. use headphones, but never when riding… because one of the treats of cycling up hills is getting away... and listening to the sound of birds, insects and, sometimes, just the wind rustling the leaves… when the panting stops.

cheers.

[Solstice380]

OK, now we may be getting around to discussing the elephant in the listening room. We talk confidently of hearing this or that difference in our components cables, stomachs, etc... yet I have never seen any post on CA that says "I just went out and spent a couple hundred bucks getting my hearing tested!". I hear different buzzing etc. at different times in my ears... doesn't everybody? The old adage / wive's tale that if your ear starts ringing someone is talking about you? However, even my old and abused hearing can tell some level of differences and it doesn't have to be that dramatic. Don't you hate the way wall warts emit buzzes? Can you also hear them change when put under load?

 

Has anyone had their hearing checked recently? Just saying... :-)

[petaluma]

OK, now we may be getting around to discussing the elephant in the listening room. We talk confidently of hearing this or that difference in our components cables, stomachs, etc... yet I have never seen any post on CA that says "I just went out and spent a couple hundred bucks getting my hearing tested!". I hear different buzzing etc. at different times in my ears... doesn't everybody? The old adage / wive's tale that if your ear starts ringing someone is talking about you? However, even my old and abused hearing can tell some level of differences and it doesn't have to be that dramatic. Don't you hate the way wall warts emit buzzes? Can you also hear them change when put under load?

 

Has anyone had their hearing checked recently? Just saying... :-)

Solstice380, great idea but frankly I'm terrified of what I might find out..... Sometimes ignorance is bliss!

[maelob]

careful about getting too paranoid about removinng ear wax. it is natural an there for a reason.

Preventing dust, bacteria, and other germs from entering and damaging your ear

Trapping dirt and slowing the growth of bacteria

Protecting the skin of your ear canal from becoming irritated by water

[Daren F]

Another gross by funny story.

 

When I was about 19 years old I had a middle ear infection that built up pressure within my ear and eventually caused a perforation in my eardrum. It was very painful however once my eardrum popped the pressure was released and the pain reduced. Now a watery reddish liquid started draining from my ear. Funny but gross thing is that when I performed the Valsalva Maneuver (as Paul explained) I could blow bubbles through my ear.

 

The middle ear is connected to your throat via the Eustachian tube which explains how the air gets from your nose/mouth/throat to your ear.

 

Everything healed nicely and I don't believe that it effected my hearing.

 

Sorry I felt inclined to share that.

 

Daren