Tinnitus and Earplugs

[DavidSupertramp]

Hi guys , i hope you are all doing fine .
I was wondering if i could Deejay again at parties ? But with earplugs ..
I know i wont be able to party like i did before almost every week , i know i will have to be deejaying maybe once a month and i also know i will have to take a little break out during parties but the real question is will i be safe with earplugs ? And what type and Db reduction do i need ? And by experience did your T spiked after parties with earplugs on ? Also for how mamy hows will i be safe with earplugs ?
Thanks for your time guys , Cheers

 

[Bertman]

hey there, hope you are doing well too. Questions like these are tough to answer because some people are fine at loud events with ear plugs while others are not. Most people on here will say don't do it as it's not worth the risk. I would be VERY cautious about it if you do decide to DJ again, maybe go to a party with a DJ (wearing plugs of course) and test the waters for a few minutes first and then decide, as you can leave shortly after if you need to since your are just a casual observer. The last thing you want is an increase in T. Regarding ear plugs, Foam ones offer the best protection but they have to be inserted properly and deep into the ear. The problem with them is they muffle sound quite a lot so many Dj's don't like them. The other option is custom moulded ones. They are often high fidelity so you can hear sounds properly, just quieter, but they cost a lot of money and aren't quite as protective as the foamies.

To answer a few of your questions, you will need the max db reduction you can get (whether foam or custom), Yes I have had a bad spike from a club, but I also wasn't wearing good enough ear plugs, and your exposure time depends on how loud the party is. It's impossible to say whether it will be safe to go or not at this point.

At the end of the day it's your choice, but whatever you choose I hope things work out.

Best

 

[John Duck]

I play in a band and am exposed to "LOUD" all the time. I would suggest getting a decibal meter ( $30.00) and musician's ear plugs ( that's what they are called ). The plugs have different degrees of noise reduction. Our band plays at a stage volume of 100 - 110 Dbs.. I use either the -15 or -25 plugs. I have never had a problem.Good Luck.

 

[Bertman]

@John Duck That's awesome, I wish more people would speak up about being fine in loud environments. We only seem to hear from the people after bad experiences.

 

[Greg Clarke]

As far as the OP's original question goes In my opinion it would be ok with adequate protection and breaks in the set. @DavidSupertramp you should look up Eddy Temple-Morris - a long time Tinnitus Sufferer who continues to DJ and play in a band for a living. All Eddy uses at shows is a pair of custom made ER 20's and his Tinnitus has never worsened. He's gone on record to say he refuses to let Tinnitus hold back his career. Not to mention the guy does sterling work raising awareness for the BTA. So there are positive stories out there!

 

[Gosia]

There are no earplugs that will guarantee you safety if you participate in loud events. Read the forum and see how many people come devastated after their condition worsened. Some refuse to listen and still want to play with fire even though they're warned - it's up to them. You probably noticed that you hear things even if you plug your ears as much as you can - that's because sounds don't get to your inner ear through your ear canals only, but by bone conduction. It's totally possible to get an acoustic trauma despite having plugs in ears. There's no way of protecting from bass sound as these are perceived through bone conduction only. Of course, you may be lucky and for a while nothing will change, but it's putting yourself at risk, no matter how many people will say that they go to concerts and they are fine, cause as many went and they were worse as a consequence.

 

[makethemgold]

I think you should live your life and be happy. If that means DJ'ing, do it. Take the necessary precautionary steps, but you'll ultimately be happier living than being upset about watching life pass you by. (needless to say, these are words I'm trying to convince myself to live by since a recent spike).

 

[DavidSupertramp]

@makethemgold You are so right ! Thats all i wanted to hear, i know there are lot of risks etc but i cant live my life by staying in my room all day and all night to avoid loud noise .

 

[Gosia]

So in your case life is either djing or staying in room all day? Keep djing then and then it might turn out you will have to dj 24H/day cause it will be the only time when deafening noise in your head won't be that bothering. If you start a thread only to find a support for what you want to be true instead of accepting the reality, there's no point in doing that. Your condition is new - I suggest you spend some time reading what others have written in years and you will have your opinions clear about many things without asking. Start with posts of Tellis. Maybe ? Sailboardman ? Valeri . And then think again if you still want to dj.

 

[makethemgold]

Look, as I mentioned, I'm going through a not so hot time myself; my tinnitus has been spiking really bad for the past six weeks (in one ear in particular) and it's been a very depressing time. I also know that I'll get over this in time because ultimately it's just an annoying noise, and there's an awful lot more to live for.

I came down with this plague in 2011 and through TRT eventually learned to live with it to the point where it was no longer bothersome. I went a good year without concerts, sporting events, and being ultimately depressed and barely making it to work. I eventually got over that and have been to 100+ concerts since, music festivals, SXSW, sporting events, you name it, and I wouldn't have traded any of those amazing experiences for the risk of making this devil worse. My tinnitus has definitely "worsened" in the past few months (notably, a new tone in my right ear that's very hard to tune out), but I'm not going to be sad and let it control everything I do (which I once did, and was starting to do again). Protect yourself, live your life, and be happy. The stupid ring / woosh / whistle isn't going anywhere, but there's just too much good to live for in this world. And I admit that I'm saying this as I'm going through an absolutely awful time with the tinnitus, but it's *not* going to kill me. And it's not going to consume me.