Hi,
Another music fan here, who has been "enjoying" music a little too much.
I've gone to rock concerts all my life - I'm 54 now, with a wife and two teenage children, and a pretty good job in IT. The first concert I went to which caused a problem was Genesis in 1982, when I had my right ear facing the biggest wall of speakers I've ever seen in my life. Ever since then I've had slightly reduced sensitivity in my right ear. I understand Phil Collins has had major issues with hearing loss lately too.
I kept going to concerts all through the 80s, some more pretty loud ones, though not too many at the Motorhead level - something told me I should stay away from the likes of them - but I only became concerned when I started playing in bands a lot in the 90s. Playing my keyboards next to a drummer with a rather large kit, I had my bad ear facing in his direction most nights. I played for two or three years like this with no protection, till eventually I realised I had to use a foam plug in my bad ear, as the dulling effect on my hearing was becoming more pronounced and lasting longer into the next couple of days.
So far so good - I felt I could handle things using earplugs and keep enjoying the music I loved. Until I experienced a pyrotechnic blast at a Rush concert that changed everything.
Being my favourite band, I had seen the Canadian rockers a number of times over the years, including twice in one week in 2004. After the second one, my hearing took a full month to return to normal, even though I had used earplugs for most of the two concerts. Still no tinnitus, and no other problems.
Fast-forward to 2007 and another concert by Rush. This time, out of nowhere they started unleashing the most almighty pyrotechnic explosions imaginable. I was taking ER20s to every concert by then, but I did not have them in at the time of the blast. Right away I knew something was badly wrong - I thought I had gone completely deaf in my bad ear. This continued for the next half an hour, then slowly eased. Later in the show - another explosion. I was ready for this one as I knew it was coming, so I had my fingers in my ears.
Sometime after that, I became aware of a low-pitched sound whenver it was quiet, similar to a diesel vehicle idling outside. I kept asking my family if they could hear anything, and I read online conspiracy theories about "The Hum". I eventually rejected the idea of secret government underground flying saucer facilities, and realised it was the dreaded tinnitus. It was there all the time, usually not too bad, but sometimes it would spike, and I knew I would never again experience the tranquility of a holiday away from it all without that constand droning "traffic noise" effect in my ears. Interestingly I had been living next to a busy road since 2001, so I wonder if the tinnitus somehow was mimicking the road noise I'd been disturbed by at nights.
It has to be the pyrotechnics though. I've heard they can peak at 150dB, which is 20dB louder than thunder or the threshold of pain. Why they are allowed I'll never know, but they seem to be getting louder and louder over time, at the same time as major concerts are becoming less loud and more carefully controlled. You hear about health-and-safety inspections where the crew are asked to demonstrate the concert effects to local authorities, but I wonder if they tend to set off smaller explosions for the inspections, and save the stupidly-loud ones for the shows. Perhaps the inspections just focus on making sure the venue won't be set on fire. Also, the bands all wear in-ear monitors these days, and the crew will have hearing protection and headsets for communication. They won't be aware of what it feels like for people with no hearing protection at all, i.e. most of the paying punters.
In the past month, a new development - a high-pitched whine, which I had occasionally been aware of, has become louder and more intense. This seems to be increased on a daily basis by the most everyday sounds like a door slamming or a truck going over a manhole cover. The trigger was most likely another concert (not a rock one this time but I was in the fourth row), plus I've been playing my new headphones which I got last Christmas rather a lot in the office, trying to drown out all the background noise and raucous banter from my fellow office workers.
So now I'm concerned. I thought at first my hearing was deteriorating further in my bad ear as well, but I think it is "just" tinnitus, with the strange kind of inflamed/pressure sensation around my right ear. I do wonder if I have a touch of hyperacusis as well. I'm awaiting an ENT appointment, and trying not to worry about what painful treatment I may have to go through, but I am willing to try (I think). I hate the thought of not being able to enjoy the music I love any more. Even playing the piano can intensify the ringing unless I use earplugs. After finally getting my piano tuned this year, and deciding to play every day and learn all those pieces I always wanted to play, within a couple of months I get this tinnitus spike. The low drone is in both ears, but the high whine is just in my "bad" one. Sometimes I think there is a mid-range whine starting, but I seem to be able to stave that off by staying calm and trying to relax, taking a break from any noisy or stressful activity. Rubbing my temples and behind my ears seems to help a little too.
It seems so unfair sometimes, but most days I feel I can still live with it, and find good reasons to be happy - there's always someone worse off than you, whether it's hearing-related or otherwise. I try to be a fairly positive person (just don't ask my wife!) I wish I'd discovered this forum a year ago and then maybe I would have been more careful about my new headphones and at the concert. I have tickets for another two concerts later this year, one of which will be quite loud and is by a band I've been waiting 28 years to see and will probably never get another chance. However I'm really worried now about making things worse. I still have one good ear, I don't leave the house without earplugs, and I am considering getting custom moulds made.
I particularly wanted to draw attention to the pyrotechnics as a cause of tinnitus. I know in the military there is a lot of money paid out for damage caused by shrapnel explosions, so maybe I should sue Rush for what their concerts have done to me! Except I know that's not the sole cause, but probably the biggest factor, and I'm surprised there is so little information online about the effects and regulations surrounding their use.
I am already benefiting from being part of this forum and look forward to getting to know some of you better.
Another music fan here, who has been "enjoying" music a little too much.
I've gone to rock concerts all my life - I'm 54 now, with a wife and two teenage children, and a pretty good job in IT. The first concert I went to which caused a problem was Genesis in 1982, when I had my right ear facing the biggest wall of speakers I've ever seen in my life. Ever since then I've had slightly reduced sensitivity in my right ear. I understand Phil Collins has had major issues with hearing loss lately too.
I kept going to concerts all through the 80s, some more pretty loud ones, though not too many at the Motorhead level - something told me I should stay away from the likes of them - but I only became concerned when I started playing in bands a lot in the 90s. Playing my keyboards next to a drummer with a rather large kit, I had my bad ear facing in his direction most nights. I played for two or three years like this with no protection, till eventually I realised I had to use a foam plug in my bad ear, as the dulling effect on my hearing was becoming more pronounced and lasting longer into the next couple of days.
So far so good - I felt I could handle things using earplugs and keep enjoying the music I loved. Until I experienced a pyrotechnic blast at a Rush concert that changed everything.
Being my favourite band, I had seen the Canadian rockers a number of times over the years, including twice in one week in 2004. After the second one, my hearing took a full month to return to normal, even though I had used earplugs for most of the two concerts. Still no tinnitus, and no other problems.
Fast-forward to 2007 and another concert by Rush. This time, out of nowhere they started unleashing the most almighty pyrotechnic explosions imaginable. I was taking ER20s to every concert by then, but I did not have them in at the time of the blast. Right away I knew something was badly wrong - I thought I had gone completely deaf in my bad ear. This continued for the next half an hour, then slowly eased. Later in the show - another explosion. I was ready for this one as I knew it was coming, so I had my fingers in my ears.
Sometime after that, I became aware of a low-pitched sound whenver it was quiet, similar to a diesel vehicle idling outside. I kept asking my family if they could hear anything, and I read online conspiracy theories about "The Hum". I eventually rejected the idea of secret government underground flying saucer facilities, and realised it was the dreaded tinnitus. It was there all the time, usually not too bad, but sometimes it would spike, and I knew I would never again experience the tranquility of a holiday away from it all without that constand droning "traffic noise" effect in my ears. Interestingly I had been living next to a busy road since 2001, so I wonder if the tinnitus somehow was mimicking the road noise I'd been disturbed by at nights.
It has to be the pyrotechnics though. I've heard they can peak at 150dB, which is 20dB louder than thunder or the threshold of pain. Why they are allowed I'll never know, but they seem to be getting louder and louder over time, at the same time as major concerts are becoming less loud and more carefully controlled. You hear about health-and-safety inspections where the crew are asked to demonstrate the concert effects to local authorities, but I wonder if they tend to set off smaller explosions for the inspections, and save the stupidly-loud ones for the shows. Perhaps the inspections just focus on making sure the venue won't be set on fire. Also, the bands all wear in-ear monitors these days, and the crew will have hearing protection and headsets for communication. They won't be aware of what it feels like for people with no hearing protection at all, i.e. most of the paying punters.
In the past month, a new development - a high-pitched whine, which I had occasionally been aware of, has become louder and more intense. This seems to be increased on a daily basis by the most everyday sounds like a door slamming or a truck going over a manhole cover. The trigger was most likely another concert (not a rock one this time but I was in the fourth row), plus I've been playing my new headphones which I got last Christmas rather a lot in the office, trying to drown out all the background noise and raucous banter from my fellow office workers.
So now I'm concerned. I thought at first my hearing was deteriorating further in my bad ear as well, but I think it is "just" tinnitus, with the strange kind of inflamed/pressure sensation around my right ear. I do wonder if I have a touch of hyperacusis as well. I'm awaiting an ENT appointment, and trying not to worry about what painful treatment I may have to go through, but I am willing to try (I think). I hate the thought of not being able to enjoy the music I love any more. Even playing the piano can intensify the ringing unless I use earplugs. After finally getting my piano tuned this year, and deciding to play every day and learn all those pieces I always wanted to play, within a couple of months I get this tinnitus spike. The low drone is in both ears, but the high whine is just in my "bad" one. Sometimes I think there is a mid-range whine starting, but I seem to be able to stave that off by staying calm and trying to relax, taking a break from any noisy or stressful activity. Rubbing my temples and behind my ears seems to help a little too.
It seems so unfair sometimes, but most days I feel I can still live with it, and find good reasons to be happy - there's always someone worse off than you, whether it's hearing-related or otherwise. I try to be a fairly positive person (just don't ask my wife!) I wish I'd discovered this forum a year ago and then maybe I would have been more careful about my new headphones and at the concert. I have tickets for another two concerts later this year, one of which will be quite loud and is by a band I've been waiting 28 years to see and will probably never get another chance. However I'm really worried now about making things worse. I still have one good ear, I don't leave the house without earplugs, and I am considering getting custom moulds made.
I particularly wanted to draw attention to the pyrotechnics as a cause of tinnitus. I know in the military there is a lot of money paid out for damage caused by shrapnel explosions, so maybe I should sue Rush for what their concerts have done to me! Except I know that's not the sole cause, but probably the biggest factor, and I'm surprised there is so little information online about the effects and regulations surrounding their use.
I am already benefiting from being part of this forum and look forward to getting to know some of you better.
Director
Member
