I Developed Noise-Induced Tinnitus After a Festival Despite Using Hearing Protection

Hey there, I’m Glenn. English is not my native language, but I hope we won’t have any problems understanding each other. My tinnitus and hyperacusis started after attending an excessively loud festival at the end of June 2024.

I had no idea things could be THAT loud. It was my first festival, and I was wearing earplugs. It was an underground type of event—a student festival where alcohol was heavily involved (though I didn’t consume any). The organizers didn’t allow anyone to leave until the next morning. It was a four-day festival, and you weren’t really expected to quit early without special permission from the organizers.

I know it sounds crazy. So, back to that night: the bass was extremely loud, and after 15-30 minutes, I decided to leave and go to my tent at the campsite. Even there, it was still far too loud, but I couldn’t do anything because I wasn’t allowed to exit. As a result, I was probably exposed to loud bass over 110 dB for around 8 hours. It was physically painful.

Now, I’m 2.5 months in, and I can’t function or sleep. My tinnitus is severe. My hyperacusis isn’t as bad in comparison to the sound trauma I experienced. My loudness discomfort levels (LDL) are probably around 70 dB. I genuinely feel suicidal sometimes and feel like this festival stole my life. To make matters worse, my friends who stayed for 4-5 days without hearing protection have no issues—no tinnitus, no hyperacusis, nothing. I was the one who wore protection, stayed only one night, and I’m the one suffering now. It’s hard to accept.

I’m currently in a very dark place mentally. Every day starts with a mental breakdown. My life is on hold—I can’t study, I can’t focus, and I can’t sleep. I usually get between 0-2 hours of sleep a night, or maybe 3-4 hours with heavy medication.

I feel completely lost. These past 2.5 months have been hell, and my life is upside down. I feel like if I could sleep, things might improve, but I’m still not able to sleep. Last night, I woke up every hour and only had brief moments of sleep here and there. It feels like my brain has forgotten how to sleep, and it’s constantly battling the tinnitus.

I don’t know how to deal with the resources I find online. There seems to be a kind of survivorship bias; people who successfully habituate rarely come back to share their stories. On some forums like Tinnitus Talk, there are success stories, but a lot of the content is still very depressing, and maybe it’s true. At this point, I don’t know what to believe anymore. My mental clarity feels impaired. I keep reading success stories to stay hopeful, but even with that, I feel more and more lost.

My tinnitus began 9 days after the initial trauma. At first, I experienced aural fullness but didn’t think much of it. My hearing was slightly muffled in my right ear. I thought it was odd but assumed it would go away on its own. Then, 9 days later, the tinnitus started, and I panicked. I went to my GP, who gave me steroids.

I don’t know what to expect anymore, and sadly, I feel very suicidal, which I have never felt before in my entire life. I spent two weeks in a psychiatric ward, but honestly, it didn’t help.

My hyperacusis is mild to moderate. I can’t drive with the windows open or go to a bar. I can manage the hyperacusis, but the tinnitus is just too much for me. I know this is a long post, but I really needed to express how I’m feeling about all of this.

Wishing you all the best, and I hope we can find a way to improve.

Glenn

 

Hey Glenn,

I’m sorry to hear about your trauma. Everyone here fully understands how you feel because we’ve all been there—you’re not alone.

I have some good news and some bad news.

First, the good news:

1. Everything you wrote about is something everyone in this community has experienced. We’ve all been to those dark places, felt hopeless, and were obsessed with tinnitus, thinking about it 100% of the time, with no escape. Unfortunately, this is part of the process in the first few months.
   
   
2. Almost everyone who suffers from sound trauma recovers! I can’t tell you exactly how long it will take in your case, but it’s practically guaranteed that you will recover. You just have to stay strong during the first months until it starts to fade.

Now, the bad news:

It’s going to take time. Ears recover slowly, so at this point in your journey, you need to do your best to apply management strategies until the sound starts to fade away. How long it will take varies, but the most common scenario is 6-9 months. It’s not exactly a walk in the park, but it’s also not a total tragedy.

In the meantime, here’s what you can do:

• Find a masking sound that gives you relief.
  
  
• Do everything you can to fight stress, like getting massages, meditating, or using medication if needed.
  
  
• Stay as busy as you can—don’t sit on the couch feeling sorry for yourself. I promise that, in time, all of this will be behind you.
  
  
• Never stay in a quiet room; always use sound enrichment. For example, I found crickets to be the best!
  
  
• And don’t forget ear protection—protect your ears from loud sounds and give them time to rest.

To get some sleep again, use a masking sound, Melatonin, or maybe medication if necessary.

Anti-inflammatory food supplements are a controversial topic—some say they don’t do much, but I take them because they won’t hurt and might speed up recovery.

My best guess is that a year from now, you’ll be writing your own success story to inspire others who are where you are now.

And if all else fails, don’t forget that the Susan Shore Device is on its way!

Stay strong!