Loud Gig Induced Tinnitus as of 07/2016

[kat0id]

Hi everyone, been lurking a while so thought I'd join up.

I'm 24, and have always gone to to lots of loud gigs every year and never had an issue, I would get home with ringing in my ears but wake up and it be gone, or it might stay for another day at most.

I went to a show in July and it was a smallish venue with no barrier, so my left ear was directly in front of the left speaker. There was a girl next to me with ear plugs in, but as I have never had a problem before I didn't think anything of it. When I got home I had the usual sound in my ears, and expected it to just go away the next day... This time it didn't. It's like a dull white noise sound, not a high pitched sound as I have seen others describe.

I was very upset when it was still there after a week and found it very hard to concentrate at work, and when drifting off to sleep. As months went by I think I got used to it, and it became much less noticeable. I have found that if I have had a few drinks out it does become more prominent.

Unfortunately I went to a local gig at a bar with my boss recently (his friend was in one of the bands), and thought it would be fine as I assumed it wouldn't be as loud as the gig I went to in July... Woke up the next day with my tinnitus way louder and more noticeable

I have ordered some HD professional gig earplugs to test out at a gig I am going to at the end of this month, hopefully these will prevent it getting worse. I'm hoping it will die down a bit again. I haven't been to the doctors as I am in London and it takes forever to get an appointment, and I assume there is nothing they can do anyway.

Nice to know there are other people in the same boat (although I wish there weren't!)

 

[Sam Bridge]

Hi

Your story is the same as mine. Went to alot of loud gigs before one day i had permanent noise in my right ear only. The noise you describe sounds similar to mine, although i have been to a few gigs since tinnitus and wearing ear plugs and have no further increase, i don't think its worth going to them as it can get worse even with ear plugs in. It's your call though.

 

[Michael Leigh]

I have ordered some HD professional gig earplugs to test out at a gig I am going to at the end of this month, hopefully these will prevent it getting worse.

Not a good idea I'm afraid. Give your ears a rest is my advice as you could live to regret it. I also advise not to listen to music through headphones even at low volume. If you want to learn more about tinnitus and how serious it can be, click on the link below. You are playing with fire and if you're not careful you will get burnt! Sorry to sound so sobering.
Michael
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/an-introduction-to-tinnitus.12100/

 

[kat0id]

Thanks for your replies. I'm afraid not going to gigs is not an option for me at all, but appreciate the advice.

 

[Champ]

To each his own but I find it interesting that not going to an entertainment event for leisure is non-optional

 

[Julien87]

Maybe he's held hostage and the people force him to endure loud gigs
Or maybe he's paid one million dollar for an experiment trying to determine what is the max. level tinnitus can reach.


Seriously, try to limit going to loud gigs as much as you can. It's not worth it...
Keep your tinnitus mild, you won't want to live with severe tinnitus for dozens of years. You're young, you think about having fun - and you're right but it's not the only way to have fun - but please also think about your future.

 

[Michael Leigh]

Maybe he's held hostage and the people force him to endure loud gigs
Or maybe he's paid one million dollar for an experiment trying to determine what is the max. level tinnitus can reach.

Seriously, try to limit going to loud gigs as much as you can. It's not worth it...
Keep your tinnitus mild, you won't want to live with severe tinnitus for dozens of years. You're young, you think about having fun - and you're right but it's not the only way to have fun - but please also think about your future.

Nice to have a joke about it @Julien87 There is an old saying: Those that don't listen will eventually feel.....

 

[Sam Bridge]

Thanks for your replies. I'm afraid not going to gigs is not an option for me at all, but appreciate the advice.

As Michael said you are playing with fire, is it really worth going for a couple of hours of entertainment to possibly get louder tinnitus?

 

[RaZaH]

Thanks for your replies. I'm afraid not going to gigs is not an option for me at all, but appreciate the advice.

wow... Until going to gigs is not an option for you .

 

[kat0id]

Hi guys - I'm actually female, not that it matters.

I understand your points completely, and maybe I should have phrased it differently, but seeing live music is a really big thing for me. It's the only thing I really spend money on, and has been my favourite thing in life to do since I was a teenager. I really don't feel that I can give something that is such a massive part of my life up.

 

[Michael Leigh]

live music is a really big thing for me

I admire your devotion and I felt exactly the same about listening to music through headphones until I developed tinnitus because of it. Now I wouldn't go near a pair of headphones for all the money in the world. Clearly, you have not experienced tinnitus in all it's loud intrusive glory, and for your sake I hope you never do, because it is something you wouldn't wish on your worst enemy.
Men have cried and cried on the telephone to me because of the nightmare they are going throw because of loud tinnitus. Believe me I'm not kidding.
Michael

 

[Julien87]

As you want kat0id, in that case never forget your plugs

 

[kat0id]

I do understand, but surely it isn't worth never going to a gig ever again? It's not like I am going every week, or even every month.

 

[Michael Leigh]

I do understand, but surely it isn't worth never going to a gig ever again? It's not like I am going every week, or even every month.

I never said don't go to a gig again, I said give your ears a rest. Then, by all means go to gigs and use noise reducing earplugs. Please read the post below.

Tinnitus, Earplugs and nightclubs

Someone that has tinnitus I believe they should try and live a normal life as they possibly can. This includes going out to clubs, concerts and other venues of entertainment where music is played if they wish to. For some, tinnitus can be difficult to live with without putting further restrictions on their life. However, I also believe taking the necessary precautions is absolutely vital, in preventing noise trauma to the inner ear, which could make the tinnitus louder and more intrusive.

Unfortunately, in some instances a person can be left in a hit or a miss situation, as there is no way of knowing if they have put themselves in harms way until after enjoying a night out, find their tinnitus has become louder and more intrusive over the coming days. One hopes this will be a temporary spike but there is no guarantee this new level of intensity won't become permanent and could require a visit to ENT. Sorry to sound so sobering but these are the facts as I see it.

One way of protecting yourself from inner ear damage is to wear noise-reducing earplugs when going to nightclubs or concerts. They will reduce external sounds, in this case music and fortunately won't impair sound quality, which is so important to most people attending these venues. The earplugs are available in various degrees of attenuation from as little as 9 decibels right up to 25 and even higher. If money is no object, one can buy custom moulded earplugs with the full knowledge they are getting the best ear protection that they can afford.

A word of caution to anyone that might not be in the know. I believe no level of ear protection is one hundred percent safe; so one still needs to be careful when attending nightclubs and concerts and not get carried away in thinking, wearing earplugs is completely safe so anything goes and you can stand next to the speakers all night or right up near to the stage where the music is booming out. Some people might not be aware, if music is loud enough it can still be transferred to the inner ear and reach the cochlear and cause damage via the Mastoid bone. This is a hard piece of bone behind each ear. It is honeycombed and has air pockets within it. Please don't think that it's only midrange and high frequencies that can cause harm. Low bass frequencies, which cause vibrations, will do the same.

Go out and enjoy yourself and have fun but at the same time be prudent and respect your hearing.
Michael

PS: further reading is available at:
https://www.britannica.com/science/ear/Transmission-of-sound-by-bone-conduction

 

[kat0id]

Oh I see, sorry, I misunderstood your post (and everyone else's). Thanks for the further information.

 

[Bobby B]

Avoid loud sound for the next 12 months

It's not only T - what comes next is painful H wiht louder T and some people have killed themselves over painful H

 

[Karl28]

I do understand, but surely it isn't worth never going to a gig ever again? It's not like I am going every week, or even every month.

Seems like it's just not worth it if it's making the T worse and worse

 

[Kazue]

I am 15 years old with T. I've been listening to music since I was 8. I was pretty careless back then. Stupid enough to put my ear next to a subwoofer. Never got ringing from loud music so I didn't learn my lesson. Always played my music loudly. I listened to music for longer than advised. Music is a big part of my life. I'm afraid going to gigs within the first year period is going to catch up with you. Some of your hair cells are either flat, dead, or damaged. Those tilted and flat hair cells have the chance to stand up again or heal the synapses again. Synapeses are the first thing to be damaged when it comes to hearing loss. This is called hidden hearing loss. You may not be able to hear conversations in loud areas. Trust me, I know how important gigs are to you but that's something you must give up for the time being. Maybe pick 2 each year and go to them. It's funny when the thing you love the most comes back and stabs you in the back. Please take advice from @serendipity1996 whose T got worse after listening to headphone for 5 years.