[fatboy]

Hi
I have just been diagnosed with mild hearing loss in the 4k frequency range. The type of loss is called sensorineural, caused by exposure to excessive noise.

When being tested they asked me if I had been exposed to noise and the only answer I could give was 850 hours in a Cessna 172SP. I always wore David Clarke H10-13.4 headsets, so I was wondering if anyone else had heard of hearing loss induced by cockpit sound levels in light aircraft

[Paul_Sengupta]

Do you ears "ring" after you get out of the aeroplane?

[fatboy]

No, I have never had any symptoms, just now as a 53 year old, I noticed a lack of acuity at picking up speech in noisy environments. I did a bit of research and looked at 'normal' age related loss, but my loss is specific to 4k hz, which I believe is at 110db inside the cockpit of the aircraft. So I have had no reason to connect the two but I have not been exposed to any other loud noise.

To confound matters, my sensorineural loss may not be associated to noise, it may have always been there!!!!! Hence me putting it on the forum to see if anyone else had any experience of a hearing problem and GA. My good friend Buzzman always uses noise cancelling headphones so his exposure is different to mine.

My hunch is 850+ hours is a long time to be exposed to high noise, even it is attenuated by headphones (always assuming they were working as I used the same pair as throughout)

[Flyin'Dutch']

Sorry to read you are having hearing loss but lots of people will develop hearing loss in later life without any particular obvious exposure.

'Propellor deafness' was extremely common amongst older aviators from the days that they flew without any hearing protection at all.

110dB is incredibly loud and I doubt that your Cessna makes that much din inside the cockpit, 110dB is similar to the noise a pneumatic hammer makes at full tilt.

[Boxkite]

Fatboy, have you done much motorcycling?

[fatboy]

Fatboy, have you done much motorcycling?

Ha No! I have done some further digging. The loss that I have is specifically at the 4k hz range. Propellor noise is at a much lower frequency. I am beginning to understand that to find true causation between the Cessna Aircraft cabin and resultant damage is nigh on impossible. HOWEVER. I have not been exposed to any other loud noise in my life. So my conclusions sadly are either A I am an old git and suffering normal hearing loss (although the deficiency at a specific frequency is unusual or B I always had a problem at 4k hz but as I am getting older it is more pronounced. or C prolonged exposure to GA with a faulty headset is the cause. I will go with C I think as I always flew with the same headset.

The reason I posted was to find out if anyone else had a similar experience

Over and Out, pardon

[Flyin'Dutch']

Occupational Health Article about NIHL and tests in C172

http://ohsonline.com/articles/2010/07/1 ... craft.aspx

[Paul_Sengupta]

4kHz is about the frequency of a baby's cry is it not?

Have you spent any time around screaming kids?

I think it's probably just one of those things. Normally as one ages, hearing goes from the top down, so top end may reduce from 20kHz to 16kHz, or even less if one has been exposed to loud noises. I don't know of a specific frequency related anything. I've got about 900 hours, and the Bulldog's not exactly quiet, but my hearing is as good as ever, at least compensating for age - my left ear is very good, my right ear a bit less good...it's been like that as long as I can remember...I never seem to be able to "pop" my right ear properly.

[fatboy]

Occupational Health Article about NIHL and tests in C172

http://ohsonline.com/articles/2010/07/1 ... craft.aspx

This is an extremely useful article and is wonderfully evidenced based. Thank you, it makes a lot of sense and supports my hunch on poor headset attenuation.