Tinnitus After Live Band in a Bar — Now Certain Sounds Are Accompanied by Whistle or Ringing Sound

Hi all,

I wanted to share my recent experience with tinnitus and seek some input. I’m 21 years old, and three weeks ago, I was at a bar with a live band. It was quite loud, and I was near the band for about an hour.

Although I wasn’t directly in front of the speaker, it was loud enough that I had to shout to talk to my friends. When I left the bar, I noticed a very loud ringing in my ears and some muffled hearing.

The next day, the ringing was significantly better, and it has gradually improved day by day, albeit slowly. Three days after the exposure, I took prednisone and had a hearing test, which showed my hearing is normal. My hearing has always been good, and I didn't suspect any loss before the test.

Regarding the volume of the tinnitus, I mostly notice the ringing when my ear is on my pillow at night. In a quiet room, I might hear a little bit of static, but it’s not very loud.

What concerns me more is that everyday sounds like my air conditioner, fans, running water, wind on the highway, and flushing the toilet all have a slight whistle or ringing sound in the background. The sound isn’t loud, but it is annoying.

Will this go away, or is it likely to improve? I don't usually go to concerts or loud bars, and this is my first time experiencing something like this. Over the past few weeks, I've been extremely worried and have had panic attacks, but the gradual improvement has made me a bit more relaxed. I hope it goes away soon so I can return to my normal life. Any input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

Alright. It seems no one is responding to you, so I'll give it a go.

I would say most times, with tinnitus, you'll likely improve from the initial onset. I would avoid loud venues, bars, and restaurants altogether for now.

Get yourself a pair of quality, high-rated earplugs and carry them with you wherever you go. If you wind up in a loud environment, put them in and immediately leave it.

If you start feeling better, come back here, and we can give you some more advice on what to do next. Right now, the goal is to give your ears some rest and not exacerbate anything.

Muffled hearing (known as a Temporary Threshold Shift) is a sign of hearing damage. Hair cells in your cochlea become damaged and flatten. Some can recover in time, but they can't keep suffering trauma during this recovery phase. Hair cells do not regenerate. When they are gone, they are gone for good.

Here is an in depth explanation: Mechanisms of hair cell damage and repair

 

Thank you for the reply!

That is quite interesting stuff. So you are saying that although I am three weeks out from the initial exposure, my ears are still recovering; it’s just slowly happening?

I completely avoid loud environments, and this experience has made me never want to go to a bar again. This is affecting me massively every day, and it’s the only thing on my mind as it’s what I’m hearing. Especially at work, when I have the fan on, I hear a little whistle-like noise and a little static.

In terms of recovery, I know to avoid loud noises and give my ears time to rest. Is there a general time frame in which you would see improvements?

 

I believe tinnitus is considered chronic around the 3-6 month mark, but I don't think there is evidence of any physiological change. It's merely a standard used to separate acute from chronic sufferers. I would say wait until the 6-month mark and see how it's doing.

It is hypothesized that damage to neurotransmitters in the auditory pathway continues for several days following an acoustic trauma due to free radicals:

• Free radical scavengers, vitamins A, C, and E, plus magnesium reduces noise trauma
• The emergence of free radicals after acoustic trauma and strial blood flow