mr_superlove

I have a Siemens s56 and today I used it for an extended period for the first time. Normally, I make 3-5 minute calls (I hate cell phones. I do like the HFL, however.) Anyway, I had a conversation while hand-holding it for about 20 minutes. Everything seemed fine while I was talking and the volume wasn't excessively loud. About five minutes after ending the call my inner ear started to feel numb. Within an hour there was a loud ringing in it and sound was really muffled. 3 1/2 hours later and it's still ringing very strongly although not nearly as muffled.

Has anyone with a Siemens s56 experienced this? How about the rest of you with Bluetooth phones? With the s56 you have to turn on the Bluetooth feature. I leave it on all the time instead of turning it on/off everytime I enter and leave the car. So, it was on while I was using it. I talked to someone at work who has the s56 and has not experienced this at all. He never enables the Bluetooth feature, though.

This is concerning me.

TLVNteacher

I have the S56 also and haven't had that problem yet. Hope your ear gets better soon though.

automata

Bluetooth was trying to pair with your eardrum. :toothless Sorry, I coudn't resist.

Have you ever experienced anything like this before, maybe after using a headset or other phone? How loud was the speaker? I've used the S56 a few times and never experienced anything like what you did.

TLGator

You're experiencing tinnitis, a ringing in the ear caused by irritation to the inner ear apparatus and nerve endings.

Though it may not have seemed too loud to you, probably the phone was too loud near your ear. Loud noise is usually the cause of tinnitis. Cell phones are a known cause. (This is NOT, by the way, related to the concern about long-term cell phone use and brain cancer, for which there is little evidence but still much concern.)

For an isolated episode of tinnitis, you have no worries in the short-term. Be nice to your ears, don't expose them to loud stuff, this will go away and you'll be OK. Big worries in the long-term for those who abuse their ears repeatedly, including those who think the TL's stereo needs to go higher than 40. Over time the damage to the inner ear can become irreversible.

Hope you feel better soon. Let us know.

mr_superlove

I appreciate all the goodwill. It's six hours later now, and things are still ringing and muffled. I figure (and hope) that it is short-term. Still worrying, though. It is most likely that the volume on the ear piece was louder than I perceived and I'm reaping the rewards, since no one else has any similar non-s56 symptoms. I rarely get the stereo above 15 (how you guys who wish it were louder do it is beyond me.) If this is still around tomorrow I'll try to seek out a specialist. Damn, I certainly do enjoy music. This would be devastating if permanent.

mobilezen

Sounds like you had too many decibals already for that certain day. Whenever my ears start ringing, I close the other ear that is not ringing and listen to music with the ringing ear...the ringing slowly goes away.

rkramanu

>Has anyone with a Siemens s56 experienced this? How about the rest of >you with Bluetooth phones? With the s56 you have to turn on the Bluetooth >feature. I leave it on all the time instead of turning it on/off everytime I >enter and leave the car. So, it was on while I was using it. I talked to >someone at work who has the s56 and has not experienced this at all. He >never enables the Bluetooth feature, though.

Bluetooth simply establishes a wireless signaling scheme between 2 devices with a frequency spectrum similar to your 2.4G wireless landline phone (2.4-2.48Ghz in the US). Find it hard to believe that this would introduce something in the audio spectrum to effect your hearing.

TLGator

mr superlove - how ya doing?

mr_superlove

Well, it's still not back to 100% but it's getting better. The ringing is gone but it's still a little like someone's got their hand cupped over my ear.

I'm going to make an appointment with an audiologist tomorrow. Very odd.

TLGator

Hmm...persistent symptoms like this suggest something going on with the tympanic membrane (eardrum) rather than the inner ear...but loud sound itself rarely does that...so...

It is possible you had some minor trauma to that side of your face/head and didn't realize it, or forgot about it and didn't associate it with these symptoms?

Been swimming recently, or in any sort of higher-than-normal pressure environment? Been on a plane recently?

Had any kind of upper respiratory infection recently? (Cold symptoms.)

An audiologist is fine, I guess, but you might just want a regular doc or nurse to look in your ear with an otoscope. Maybe you've got a little inflammation/infection there that will clear up on its own or with some antibiotics.

My guess is still that you'll be perfectly back to normal in a couple more days, but no harm in letting someone take a look.

Good luck.

mr_superlove

HAHA. I just went through a session of both my parents and wife asking me numerous and similar questions. "Have you been to a concert recently?" "Were you listening to your headphones too loud?"

But the only thing I can come up with was talking on that phone. My previous Nokia's never caused this. I've found no evidence of anyone else with similar problems on the internet.

But you could be right. It's allergy season around here and maybe it's just some sinus problems. Inflammation and whatnot. Thanks for the concern.