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

[GlennGd]

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

 

[Furetto]

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!

On a sidenote: if you were forced to stay in a dangerous place and got hurt as a consequence, I'd definitely sue. There is no way that it is legally acceptable. Who knows how many other people got tinnitus the same way you did and, if they continue with this kind of policy, many more will get hurt.

 

[GlennGd]

Thank you, @Furetto, for your long and detailed post.

Honestly, I may disagree a bit about the recovery aspect. From browsing, it seems like many people with Noise-Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL) don't recover. I get the impression that things will only get worse over time, especially with aging. Maybe I'm just too depressed to see it differently, but that's how I perceive things based on what I've read. Granted, there might be some survivorship bias at play.

I hope that the Susan Shore Device will be available soon, but progress seems stalled at the moment. Still, having a bit of hope is essential to cope with all of this.

I'm trying to take things one day at a time, but my life has been completely disrupted by this, and my suicidal thoughts are growing.

Again, thank you for your message.

 

[Furetto]

Thank you, @Furetto, for your long and detailed post.

Honestly, I may disagree a bit about the recovery aspect. From browsing, it seems like many people with Noise-Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL) don't recover. I get the impression that things will only get worse over time, especially with aging. Maybe I'm just too depressed to see it differently, but that's how I perceive things based on what I've read. Granted, there might be some survivorship bias at play.

I hope that the Susan Shore Device will be available soon, but progress seems stalled at the moment. Still, having a bit of hope is essential to cope with all of this.

I'm trying to take things one day at a time, but my life has been completely disrupted by this, and my suicidal thoughts are growing.

Again, thank you for your message.

Hello Glenn,

I understand how you feel. In your post, you didn't mention Noise-Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL), which can make the healing process longer. However, even if you have NIHL, remember that it might still recover over time. I recommend repeating the hearing test every three months—it's not unusual to see improvement over time.

I've read many success stories similar to yours, where people managed to greatly improve in the end. Remember, you're currently in the hardest part of this journey, but there will come a day when the worst will be behind you. Many success stories started in situations worse than yours and turned things around after a year.

Regarding the Susan Shore Device, it's complete and ready; we just need to wait patiently for FDA approval. While it's hard to predict exactly when that will happen, my guess is about two years from now—not tomorrow, but certainly not in 20 years either.

In addition to the Susan Shore Device, there are also potassium channel opener drugs in the final stages of experimentation, which, fingers crossed, will be available in the near future.

Stay strong!

 

[Simon Lo]

Hello @GlennGd,

I'm in the same situation as you. I also developed tinnitus after attending a concert. I'm four months in, and there have been both good and bad days. I wouldn't say my tinnitus has improved a lot, but my hyperacusis is almost gone!

I hope you find relief someday in the future. Wishing you all the best!

 

[GlennGd]

Hey everyone, thanks for your replies. I hope we can improve together.

In my post, I mentioned that tinnitus bothered me more than hyperacusis. In reality, both are extremely challenging. I tried going back to work, but I was greatly impaired by the hyperacusis. I work in a hospital, so it's naturally quite noisy. I managed to get through the day, but by nighttime, the noxacusis had definitely started to kick in.

 

[Wouter De Blaere]

Hang in there, buddy. I can relate. I had a similar experience at a festival with 5,000 people, and I was basically the only one wearing earplugs. It definitely took me 3-4 months to recover from the hyperacusis. Now, I've found a balance with some medication. The tinnitus is still there, but once you get habituated, you'll start enjoying life again.

 

[Nick47]

Now, I've found a balance with some medication

What medication were you prescribed? I agree that hyperacusis is the 1st battle.

 

[Furetto]

Hang in there, buddy. I can relate. I had a similar experience at a festival with 5,000 people, and I was basically the only one wearing earplugs. It definitely took me 3-4 months to recover from the hyperacusis. Now, I've found a balance with some medication. The tinnitus is still there, but once you get habituated, you'll start enjoying life again.

No improvement in your tinnitus after a year? How loud is it?

 

[Wouter De Blaere]

I take 0.5 mg of Rivotril (Clonazepam). I've tried going without it, but that doesn't work for me. The tinnitus isn't very loud, but I have mild dysacusis at certain frequencies, along with TTTS. However, after 14 months, I'm slowly habituating to it all. I live a normal life and protect my ears when necessary, such as in clubs.

 

[Juliane]

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

I am deeply horrified by your story. The people who did this to you deserve to face justice—life in jail or worse. How many lives have they stolen? Will they face any legal consequences at all?

It feels like we should all come together to sue them and hold them accountable for what they've done. This is violence, and violence is a crime. Plain and simple.

 

[LukeYoung]

Keep fighting, mate. You're still in the early days, and I think the first four months are the hardest. You'll face challenges, but you will get through them and succeed. In this case, time is our ally.

It's borderline criminal and feels like kidnapping to keep someone against their will. I can tell you that I've had setbacks and challenges over the past eight years, but most of the time, I'm living a fairly normal life. We all felt very rough in the beginning, but it does get better.

 

[Fazdoll]

It is encouraging to hear that there is hope for those of us dealing with acoustic trauma. I am now entering Month 5 after my experience at an indoor firing range. I was wearing ear protection, but it clearly was not sufficient, although maybe it saved me from the worst of it.

Fortunately, the hyperacusis subsided within a month, though I still have some lingering sensitivity. The aural fullness is still present, but it is mild and intermittent. I also had low tone hearing loss initially, but after taking a few online hearing tests, I think my hearing has improved.

My main concern now is the multiple tones I am experiencing. That is the part that worries me the most.