Ringing in Ears Since Concert

[Adam Patton]

Wednesday night I went to a loud concert. Up near the stage with no hearing protection. I haven't been but to 2 concerts ever.

Since then, it is now Sunday, and I still have a ringing in my ears. Googling has of course frightened me to no end.

Here are some details about what I am experiencing. A high pitched ringing sound in what seems to be both ears. I have not noticed any kind of change in my hearing ability, except one song I like literally has one muffled sounding note. Other than that, I am not overly sensitive, and I can hear everything from birds chirping to casual conversation to someone in another room zip up a purse. I have noticed if I lie on either side, that ear has a slight pressure to it, nothing painful, just like it has a need to drain.

Yesterday, for about an hour, I feel like it almost completely went away in my left ear for about an hour, as well as dimming down in my right ear, only to come back.

Anyone with expertise, or a similar story, please shed light. I have read that it can go away within 2 weeks, but also have read that people have it for their whole lives. I've read that cumulative damage over years makes it permanent, but also a 1 time event can as well. From Wednesday to Sunday it has not subsided. I have no perforations or damage to the ear drums according to the clinic doc.

What am I up against? As days go by, I feel more and more grim.

 

[eagerUser]

Sorry to see you here. As you already know it may or may not go away. But for now you need to know that you have a very good chance of full recovery. If yesterday it totally vanished in the left ear that's a good sign you will have more and more moments, minutes and hours of silence until completely cured.

They say it may stay like this till the end and that's true for sure but so unlikely right now.

You should better take NAC and magnesium and maybe prednisone but whatever even those OTC pills must be taken after asking your healthcare provider, your GP/ENT as there might be other conditions going on.

It doesn't necessarily go away within 2 weeks sometimes it takes as long as 2 full years to completely go away.

 

[foam]

Yes listen to this guy, take NAC and magnesium and go to sleep. Give yourself a couple years for recovery and don't do this again mine was on level 9-10 for the first 4 weeks. Now at 10 weeks it's quite livable.. it's going to take a long time to heal further but we are making progress.

 

[billie48]

Welcome to the forum. Your tinnitus is most likely due to acoustic trauma from the concert. With it being so new members here often recommend getting prednisone treatment asap to deal with inflammation in the ears. So go see your doctor asap. Good luck. God bless.

 

[Bill Bauer]

Yesterday, for about an hour, I feel like it almost completely went away in my left ear for about an hour, as well as dimming down in my right ear, only to come back.

It will probably keep doing that until it eventually goes away. It is also likely the case that your ears have now been compromised and it will take less to give you tinnitus again. So you might want to stay away from the concerts from now on. You will have to use trial and error to determine the other sounds that you will want to stay away from.

Check out
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/thread...eone-else-who-has-tinnitus.26850/#post-307822

 

[Adam Patton]

Update today. It has sort of came and went at times. I feel like it left almost entirely at one point, and then returned. Currently, I am sitting in a moderately quiet room, and it is barely noticeable. I have been keeping cottonballs in my ears to drown out potentially loud sounds (car horns, vacuum, etc.) I have them out currently and it is hardly noticeable. This is a positive sign I assume?

 

[Nicholas2255]

Update today. It has sort of came and went at times. I feel like it left almost entirely at one point, and then returned. Currently, I am sitting in a moderately quiet room, and it is barely noticeable. I have been keeping cottonballs in my ears to drown out potentially loud sounds (car horns, vacuum, etc.) I have them out currently and it is hardly noticeable. This is a positive sign I assume?

If you're already experiencing silence again shortly after the concert, even if only intermittently it is definitely better than a consistent ringing and suggests that you would be on the way to recovery. If you are experiencing muffled hearing/pressure in the ears than you may look into your eustachian tubes if you were recently sick.

I got an extreme cold and sneezing fit at the same time as my noise exposure and I experienced muffled hearing and ear pressure/draining feeling also. I am able to relieve this feeling by doing the valsalva method for my left ear only, but obivously get your doctors advice before attemping it because people have ruptured their ear drums by doing it too hard. Otherwise, just take it easy as the others suggest and invest in some custom ear plugs for the future.

 

[linearb]

Update today. It has sort of came and went at times. I feel like it left almost entirely at one point, and then returned. Currently, I am sitting in a moderately quiet room, and it is barely noticeable. I have been keeping cottonballs in my ears to drown out potentially loud sounds (car horns, vacuum, etc.) I have them out currently and it is hardly noticeable. This is a positive sign I assume?

yes. best advice at this point; stop googling, stop reading online, go about your day to day life except assume you are a person whose hearing cannot withstand what a lot of other people's can, and think long and hard about if you want to have headphones, concerts, etc in your life (and if you do, then think about what your boundaries are and why you are confident in them).

if there are unavoidable things like small gasoline engines or other equipment that's necessary to your life, again, assume you're impaired and just because someone else can run a cordless drill all day with no muffs on doesn't mean you should.

 

[Adam Patton]

yes. best advice at this point; stop googling, stop reading online, go about your day to day life except assume you are a person whose hearing cannot withstand what a lot of other people's can, and think long and hard about if you want to have headphones, concerts, etc in your life (and if you do, then think about what your boundaries are and why you are confident in them).

if there are unavoidable things like small gasoline engines or other equipment that's necessary to your life, again, assume you're impaired and just because someone else can run a cordless drill all day with no muffs on doesn't mean you should.

You are right. I have browsed every site, forum possible. I have scared myself beyond belief with this. I haven't eaten much, slept well, enjoyed doing anything. I have so much anxiety about this.

I just showered and it spiked. After about 10 minutes it lowered drastically. Lower than what it normally has been like. I am trying my best to stay positive about it. Trust me. I am taking my hearing super serious now. Sworn off concerts. I don't even listen to music in my car on my way to work now. I just hope that mine will fade. Up until the concert, I had never paid any mind to it. Now it is consuming me. I am trying to remain positive. The horror stories of reddit have gotten to me. The "30 years no change" ones. Mine is disappearing at times. I have had one expert tell me it sounds more like a "temporary threshold shift" than purely ear damage due to no hearing loss, no sensitivity. I just need positive communication.

 

[Bill Bauer]

I have been keeping cottonballs in my ears to drown out potentially loud sounds (car horns, vacuum, etc.)

This provides minimal protection. Get 3M 1100 foam earplugs.

This is a positive sign I assume?

Yes, very much so. It looks like you will have the best possible outcome - you will likely get to hear silence again, AND you will get to appreciate the silence and will take fewer risks with your ears.

 

[Digital Doc]

Update today. It has sort of came and went at times. I feel like it left almost entirely at one point, and then returned. Currently, I am sitting in a moderately quiet room, and it is barely noticeable. I have been keeping cottonballs in my ears to drown out potentially loud sounds (car horns, vacuum, etc.) I have them out currently and it is hardly noticeable. This is a positive sign I assume?

"In short, cotton provides only 5 - 10 dB except at the highest frequencies; surprisingly motorcycle helmets, which are quite acoustically leaky, are not much better, but fingers in your ears (though not terribly functional for general activities) nets you 25 - 30 dB; quite sufficient for a brief noise emergency."

https://www.audiologyonline.com/ask-the-experts/hearing-protection-from-general-purpose-398

Your cottonballs in the ear are offering little protection from additional damage. It is critical that you protect your ears from loud noises, like running the vacuum. You should invest in some earplugs, which are quite low cost compared to losing your hearing.

 

[Adam Patton]

I don't want to jump the gun by any means. But last night after I showered it was the loudest it has ever been. I took a pretty hot shower. After I got out and sat in my room, I noticed it lower and lower and lower. I was able to sleep with only a fan (as I normally do) and no white noise. I woke up this morning. It was barely a hum. I listened to that song that I posted about earlier with the distorted note. It was still somewhat distorted, but not near as bad. So far today at work I haven't noticed anything major. Barely able to notice it, even when I take my hands and muff both ears. Could this mean less of a probability of NIHL, and more of the Temp Threshold Shift possibility.

I also heard a theory that my inner ear was just swollen from the concert, making the ear bones move, and the fact thay the shower was hot made them even expand, and then once I cooled off, contract back down. I have no clue on the validity of it, just something someone told me. Anyways. Regardless of the outcome of this for me. I will baby my ears, and avoid any unnecessary over exposure. Thoughts on what is occuring with my case?

 

[foam]

Seems like you are just having a fairly normal reaction to ear damage from the concert. Seems like nothing else is out of place in your life or health and you had enough magnesium . I don't think it'll stick. You got lucky.

 

[GregCA]

I also heard a theory that my inner ear was just swollen from the concert, making the ear bones move, and the fact thay the shower was hot made them even expand, and then once I cooled off, contract back down. I have no clue on the validity of it, just something someone told me.

Nice theory... but no...

 

[Appleseed]

Hey
Sorry this has happened but you need to rest your ears. It'll take a while for them to heal up or get to a state where the tinnitus is lower.

If you want to carry on going to gigs and playing music, you can but there are a fair few people here who will advise against that. At the end of the day, it's a choice really and for those of us who love music and are musicians it can be difficult. Firstly, give yourself a few months off of going to live gigs and playing, then invest in some decent ear plugs, ACS moulded custom ear plugs are great or properly inserted foam ear plugs for heavier stuff. There are plenty of musicians and DJs who carry on having careers in the industry with this but you've got to give yourself time to recover.

 

[Appleseed]

like running the vacuum.

Hey, I've seen you and others mention this a few times, genuine question, how do you clean your house then? I have one of the quieter vacuum cleaners on the market and use foam plugs, because much as I would love any excuse not to clean up, I have to.....

 

[Digital Doc]

Hey, I've seen you and others mention this a few times, genuine question, how do you clean your house then? I have one of the quieter vacuum cleaners on the market and use foam plugs, because much as I would love any excuse not to clean up, I have to.....

I run the vacuum cleaner weekly while wearing my foam ear plugs, and ear muffs. When I only did it with ear plugs I was still getting a little spike for a few hours after, but with both protections, nothing spikes. I look forward to having things quiet for the hour or so, and wonder why I ever listened to all that noise prior to this.

 

[Adam Patton]

Already ordered ear plugs that redice by up to 30 dB. I am a bit of a hypochondriac so I will refuse to go to another concert for at least a year. I won't even put on a set of headphones for a while. Last night after I showered it spiked tremendously. Then went almost totally away. All day today I had next to nothing til about 630. Dealt with it til about 845ish and again it dropped to almost nothing. I feel progress since the first day, but I just want a complete resolution. I hear it every time I plug my ears. I just want to live ring free otherwise.

 

[Digital Doc]

Already ordered ear plugs that redice by up to 30 dB. I am a bit of a hypochondriac so I will refuse to go to another concert for at least a year. I won't even put on a set of headphones for a while. Last night after I showered it spiked tremendously. Then went almost totally away. All day today I had next to nothing til about 630. Dealt with it til about 845ish and again it dropped to almost nothing. I feel progress since the first day, but I just want a complete resolution. I hear it every time I plug my ears. I just want to live ring free otherwise.

Good sign if the T is already going down by so much. I found that sleeping with earplugs helped me, and also daily omega3. Of course, protecting from further loud sounds helps as well.

 

[marko1103]

@Digital Doc I wonder... How did you came up with the idea to use Omega3?
Did you consult with your GP before using it?
I would like to give it a try but not sure whether should I try it without consulting with GP first.

 

[Appleseed]

I run the vacuum cleaner weekly while wearing my foam ear plugs, and ear muffs. When I only did it with ear plugs I was still getting a little spike for a few hours after, but with both protections, nothing spikes. I look forward to having things quiet for the hour or so, and wonder why I ever listened to all that noise prior to this.

Ahhh okay, I honestly thought you meant you never used a vacuum cleaner...

 

[Appleseed]

Already ordered ear plugs that redice by up to 30 dB. I am a bit of a hypochondriac so I will refuse to go to another concert for at least a year. I won't even put on a set of headphones for a while. Last night after I showered it spiked tremendously. Then went almost totally away. All day today I had next to nothing til about 630. Dealt with it til about 845ish and again it dropped to almost nothing. I feel progress since the first day, but I just want a complete resolution. I hear it every time I plug my ears. I just want to live ring free otherwise.

That's a positive sign that things are calming down. It probably will go down for you and fade away, I hope it does and even if it doesn't go completely, then your brain adjusts to it after a while. Personally, I'd say stay off the headphones (at least while your ears are healing) and if you really need to use them, don't use the ear bud style. Ifyour tinnitus is affected by temperature, you could try a quick cold shower, that sometimes works to lower the volume for some people. Try and be calm ( difficult, I know) and try not read any more 'horror story' threads on the Internet because for every one of those, you'll find loads more people living positively....or rather you won't find those threads on forums generally because when it doesn't bother you, you don't feel the need for a support forum.
Good luck!

 

[Lane]

I would like to give it a try but not sure whether should I try it without consulting with GP first.

Hi @marko1103 -- I wouldn't be overly concerned about supplementing with Omega 3 fatty acids. They've actually been used therapeutically in very large doses to help heal various kinds of brain injuries (see links below) Most people associate Omega 3's with fish products, but Omega 3's also occurr naturally in grass fed animals of all kinds.

It's the green kelp and other green ocean plants that enable fish to create Omega 3's. It's the green grasses and plants that allow other animals to do the same. Unfortunately, most meat produced today is from grain-fed animals, so most people are deficient in Omega 3's. I've discovered testimonials on other sites that have claimed Omega 3 supplementation helped their tinnitus a lot.

Here's an impressive story which I posted on another forum several years ago: -- A West Virginia coal miner was trapped in a low oxygen environment, suffered major brain damage, and went into a coma. He was given high doses of omega 3 oils and made a remarkable recovery. Below are a couple of news articles on that: I've also read that Liposomal Vitamin C has been reputed to be able to bring people out of comas, which I would infer to be a kind of brain injury.

Here's an article from the Chicago Tribune - Omega-3 played a big role in healing coal miner's brain

Here's another article --- First New Treatment for Concussion in Decades

Here's a snippet from this article:

Other researchers have previously shown the benefits of DHA and EPA Omega-3 fatty acids in the treatment of brain trauma. Researcher Lawrence Roberts and his team published Surviving a Mine Explosion. Their paper relates the story of Randal McCloy, Jr., the sole survivor of 13 miners who were trapped for two days in the West Virginia Sago Coal Mine explosion on January 2, 2006. When rescued, McCloy was almost dead with almost no electrical brain activity due to carbon monoxide poisoning along with hemorrhaging and swelling of his brain. His doctors predicted that he would die shortly, or have permanent brain damage if he managed to survive. He was given 15 grams of DHA and EPA daily to help his brain rebuild. His electrical brain activity returned, and he gradually regained his ability to walk, talk, and see. Today, he is mostly able to function normally, and is married with children.

And another --- Teen's Brain Saved by Omega-3s?

Various kinds of tapping on the meridians around the brain can also help restore equilibrium to a damaged brain. "Balancing the Cortices" is a technique that I've found to be very helpful and relaxing. The 7-minute video on the link gives a quick review of how it works, and why it can be so helpful for people with brain and/or neurological issues.

 

[Adam Patton]

Tonight is night 6 with the ringing. It isn't near as harsh as the onset, and it is come and go. Every single day seems to be less and less bad. A master audio engineer told me ear damage, while not fully able to heal, can heal extremely slow (aka the cilia that wasn't destroyed, but yet just knocked down, has to stand back up)

Looking for positive thoughts here. Still struggling with coming to terms that 6 days in, the prognosis is more and more grim.

When it goes away for an hour or two, I get so happy and excited, then it slowly creeps back.

 

[Digital Doc]

@Digital Doc I wonder... How did you came up with the idea to use Omega3?
Did you consult with your GP before using it?
I would like to give it a try but not sure whether should I try it without consulting with GP first.

The omega3 was dumb luck, and I dont have a GP.

After the acoustic trauma that converted my mild T to severe T, I treated it quite conservatively, with minimal earplugs, and no supplements. It was very slowly improving.

About 3 months in, I had an alarm clock go off in my ear, and spiked badly, and was just starting to come down after a month of the same treatment, and was getting impatient with the whole affair.

At the end of 4 months, the T was starting to subside, and a semi truck blasted the air horn, and I was not back to square one, but worse than square one with bad T, and trouble sleeping again. I decided I had been too passive, and to try and treat this more aggressively as I thought I had this managed, and it was only getting worse.

I started on omega3 after spending a few nights on Pub Med, and reading everything I could find about T. It seemed to be a benign supplement that reduces inflammation. I also started daily green tea, and sleeping with earplugs- I was getting desperate for anything to help at this point.

I did not give this regime much hope, and along the way added some aloe, another anti inflammatory to the tea. Much to my surprise, things were a lot better in terms of T volume after 2 weeks, and better compared to what they were after the 4 wks prior without this regimen. I am not sure which part of the regimen is responsible, or if it needs to be all 3 pieces for it to work.

None of this should be taken as medical advice, and my experience is limited to just me. I share it as I know others are as desperate to get better from this as I was. I dont have any scientific evidence to support this treatment unfortunately, nor any idea if it has or will help anyone else, but I share it in case it can.

After a year from what started this event, and 8 mos into my treatment regimen, my T is mostly gone, and I am not spiking, although I continue to protect from loud sounds. I still have good and bad days, but overall my T is down to a very livable level.

 

[marko1103]

Tonight is night 6 with the ringing. It isn't near as harsh as the onset, and it is come and go. Every single day seems to be less and less bad. A master audio engineer told me ear damage, while not fully able to heal, can heal extremely slow (aka the cilia that wasn't destroyed, but yet just knocked down, has to stand back up)

Looking for positive thoughts here. Still struggling with coming to terms that 6 days in, the prognosis is more and more grim.

When it goes away for an hour or two, I get so happy and excited, then it slowly creeps back.

You are on the good way to get better. Mine is only getting worse and I am 4+ months in. Your already showing signs of improvement means it will improve even more. However as you said progress is slow and non-linear.