Quote
Max'sKansasCity

Quote
Title5Take1
......
P.S. A friend in high school as a standard thing took ear plugs to shows in case it turned out painfully loud. Sounded kind of "uncool" but it wasn't stupid.

To this day/night I feel uncool when I put my dumb old man ear plugs in, it does feel odd.... heck I skip putting them in unless I feel it getting too loud, but I always try to remember to take them with to every show. They are in my "concert kit".

I usually (_{probably because of the type of shows I attend these days}) end up only putting one ear plug in at a time and then maybe alternate ears. If I am by the stack of speakers that ear will get one, and towards the end of a show if/when they start turning it up, I will put both in, but usually just one at a time, giving each ear a rest, while hearing live sound in the other.

Anyway... that is what works for me, and I havent had ringing ears for a long long time. Take care of yourself, you are too valuable not too.

This is very good advice. Your ears get fatigued, and resting them, one ear at. a Time is the right solution. I have done this for years. Hell, a concert is basically in mono anyway- you don't miss much. In a pinch, if you feel your ears getting tired and you don't have plugs, go to the restroom, gets wad of toilet paper and wet it before sticking it in your ears. Dry tissue paper does nothing.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2013-05-22 23:34 by drbryant.

Alfonz, I can almost guarantee your hearing test would show high frequency hearing loss, even though you may not notice it. You can have normal hearing for low and middle frequencies and a lot of hearing loss in the high frequencies and you still may not be able to tell. That is why you should get a hearing test.

The insidious thing about noise induced hearing loss is that it creates a weak spot in your inner ear (the cochlea) at about 4000 Hz. So with continued noise exposure, you not only increase the damage at 4000 Hz, the damage can start to spread to adjacent frequenices. So its a big mistake to think "I've already done damage so its too late to start protecting my hearing." Good for you, Alfonz, for wearing hearing protection. Doing so will certainly reduce your risk for more damage.

The earplugs I recommended are specifically designed for listening to music. They have a relatively flat frequency response, meaning they take down the bass and the treble equally and only just enough to make it safe (I recommend 15 dB filters but even 9 dB filters would help). Disposable foam earplugs take out a lot more treble than bass which sounds crappy and they take things down more than needed for music listening (about 25 dB when making a tight seal, as they should). Musician's earplugs do take some getting used to (your own voice will be louder if you like to sing along and they will physically fill up your ears) but as Alfonz said they can actually make the music sound clearer due to less distortion.

If you go get musician's earplugs custom made, tell the audiologist you want a deep impression that goes all the way down to the bony part of the ear canal and have them use a soft silicone material. This will result in a better seal, less distortion, and more comfort.

owlbynite, your ear problem is totally different from noise-induced hearing loss. It would be highly unusual for someone to get dizziness from noise induced hearing loss. Your ear issue is definitely a medical problem that is commonly seen in Otology/Audiology clinics and from what you described, you received the commonly accepted and appropriate care. But its still a good idea for you to use hearing protection, too.

Quote
Shug
Alfonz, I can almost guarantee your hearing test would show high frequency hearing loss, even though you may not notice it. You can have normal hearing for low and middle frequencies and a lot of hearing loss in the high frequencies and you still may not be able to tell. That is why you should get a hearing test.

The insidious thing about noise induced hearing loss is that it creates a weak spot in your inner ear (the cochlea) at about 4000 Hz. So with continued noise exposure, you not only increase the damage at 4000 Hz, the damage can start to spread to adjacent frequenices. So its a big mistake to think "I've already done damage so its too late to start protecting my hearing." Good for you, Alfonz, for wearing hearing protection. Doing so will certainly reduce your risk for more damage.

The earplugs I recommended are specifically designed for listening to music. They have a relatively flat frequency response, meaning they take down the bass and the treble equally and only just enough to make it safe (I recommend 15 dB filters but even 9 dB filters would help). Disposable foam earplugs take out a lot more treble than bass which sounds crappy and they take things down more than needed for music listening (about 25 dB when making a tight seal, as they should). Musician's earplugs do take some getting used to (your own voice will be louder if you like to sing along and they will physically fill up your ears) but as Alfonz said they can actually make the music sound clearer due to less distortion.

If you go get musician's earplugs custom made, tell the audiologist you want a deep impression that goes all the way down to the bony part of the ear canal and have them use a soft silicone material. This will result in a better seal, less distortion, and more comfort.

owlbynite, your ear problem is totally different from noise-induced hearing loss. It would be highly unusual for someone to get dizziness from noise induced hearing loss. Your ear issue is definitely a medical problem that is commonly seen in Otology/Audiology clinics and from what you described, you received the commonly accepted and appropriate care. But its still a good idea for you to use hearing protection, too.

the protection i'm told i need is for the remaining intact ear. protect it from noise, infections, colds, wind & weather since one is totally gone now. yes, this is a medical problem. according to the surgeons this was not common, tho, in fact they told me i was 'one in a million.' told them i wished i'd played the lottery!

Since my first concert (Steel Wheels in '89) I have always worn the foam disposable ear plugs to concerts. I have been to over 400 concerts and have only skipped them on a few occassions- I will even wear them in some of the 3,000 seaters even in the balcony.
I would encourage everyone to at least get these if not for the speciality ones for musicians. When I am playing my digital pianos, I try not to use headphones for an extended period of time.
I thought I read that the noise at concerts etc.. flattens the small hairs in the ears and it takes a while for them to rise back up. I have had people ask me at shows if I can still hear with them-
I am sure as posted earlier it reduces the treble, but I find that at times I am hearing a cleaner bass and bottom end.
Typically, I will bring a few extra pairs to shows for friends and in the event I would drop the ear plugs.

Quote
mgshorr
I was right next to the stage when Dave Grohl soloed on Bitch. My left ear has been ringing since then. (3rd day today)

Figure about 90% of you will joke me, but seriously, how long could this last?

The ringing is not noticeable in a normal setting of conversation etc...but very noticeable in a quiet room and when trying to sleep.

History = No prior ear damage/ringing etc....

Any help/experience appreciated.

MGS

I am glad somebody got around to posting on this topic. This is something that I take very seriously. I was at the Stones Steel Wheels show at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse, NY in 1989 where it sounds like a roller rink in there. I had seats 15 rows on the floor. That show was so @#$%& loud, my hearing was impaired for three full days. Even though the ringing went away, I swear my hearing was never quite the same after that show. Since that time, I have taken ear plugs with me to almost all loud rock concerts. When I go to Toronto this weekend with my son, both of us will be fitted with ear plugs...

Thanks to all the specialists for the good information and advice. You all have convinced me that I should get some ear plugs before the concerts, especially for my son. I had a terrible sinus/ear infection about 15 years ago, so bad that I couldn't hear at all for several days. After it cleared up with massive doses of antibiotics, I had tinnitus for about a month. Occasionally I still notice it, and I do think that ever since then my hearing isn't quite as good. Mostly I worry about my kids with the ear phones in constantly, but as someone else said here, it's not like they are going to listen to me.

True story: A friend's husband thought his hearing was going so he went to the doctor for his regular check up and told the doc that sometimes he couldn't seem to hear well. The doctor asked when it usually happened, he replied, "mostly when my wife is talking to me."

my ears are still ringing from '69...

It should get better. Like what was posted above tinitus usually is from long term exposure. I was at an Iggy Pop bar show right up front and it was the loudest show I have ever seen. I found a napkin and shoved them in my ears and it still blasted them. They rung and were muffled for almost a week, then it got better and went away. That was decades ago. I play in a pretty loud band and my ears are fine now. You'll be ok.

WHAT????? My ears have been ringing since the late 80's. Such is the band life.

Deafness is no joke.

Pardon?

Deafness is bad... a constant loud tinnitus in your ear is torture.

Quote
dcba
Deafness is bad... a constant loud tinnitus in your ear is torture.

Yes but you can still enjoy music with tinnitus (although I know there are different levels of it).

Thanks Shug and others for advice/suggestions.

The ringing continues today, and tonight I see the doc. (General Practitioner) I will let you all know what comes of it.

Over the past 5 days it has improved by a very small margin. (Maybe I'm just getting used to it, not sure.)

Thx for the recommendations on quality earplugs.

owlbynite, that sounds like Menière's syndrome.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2013-05-24 10:31 by Bliss.

my ear's still ringing from walking in front of Johnny Ramones's marshall stack in 1984

Quote
Rollin' Stoner
my ear's still ringing from walking in front of Johnny Ramones's marshall stack in 1984

I bet even the floor was debris free on that walk...

It's just your ears telling you "I WANT MORE!!!!". But seriously you may need to have it checked because exposure that close can cause damage when not wearing protection. Take it from me, I have hearing loss in both ears due to standing right in front of stacks of speakers when I photographed hundreds of concerts for music magazines. Wish I had at least stuffed toilet paper in there to buffer it a bit. Price I paid for a good time.

I've been putting cotton in my ears at concerts since Neil's Weld tour. Saw him two nights in a row and my ears rang for about a week. I tried ear plugs but they muffled the sound too much. Cotton seems to reduce the highs and lowers the volume. Have not had a problem since. Sat right under the speakers on Keith's side at Honda 1 with no ear issues that night.

Scotty

Ok round 1 seeing the doctor. He told me to wait another week and then see an audiologist. Then said it will either go away or be permanent and I'll learn to deal with it.

Lesson: Save your co-pay and listen to your fellow IORR-ers!! They are the real experts! (Shug/BV/Others)

Quote
Bliss
It isn't only loud noise that can cause tinnitus; there is a range of other potential catalysts - infection, viruses, dental work, medications, head injury; however, noise-induced tinnitus and hearing loss is probably the most preventable.

I woke up one morning 7 years ago with loud tinnitus in one ear. I hadn't had any dental work, illness, medication, head injury or noise exposure. I have had numerous hearing tests since and my hearing is completely normal for my age. We all lose some of the high range as we get older.

I was very, very upset about this initially, and spent a lot of time researching on the net. I no longer do, although I have a Google alert for "tinnitus breakthrough". There is no cure at the moment, although a lot of research is being done on it because so many sickness benefits are being paid to ex-soldiers who now have tinnitus as a result of army noise exposure. Especially I avoid tinnitus forums because they are like a black hole full of traumatised, bitter people. It seems the more you focus on tinnitus, the louder it seems and the more stressed and depressed you become about it.

I have definitely become very protective of my hearing since, and wear earplugs at the movies as well as concerts. I also had the internal siren disconnected from my burglar alarm at home as I think they are useless as well as very dangerous to anyone in the house when it goes off. Chances are, a burglar would have earplugs!

If it turns out to be permanent, I can tell you that you do get used to it and just get on with your life.

ps, owlbynite, that sounds like Menière's syndrome.

There has been some success recently with using Cognitive Behavioral Therepy for tinitis. As well as using sound therapy. Here is a resource for you:
[www.nhs.uk]

Quote
mgshorr
Ok round 1 seeing the doctor. He told me to wait another week and then see an audiologist. Then said it will either go away or be permanent and I'll learn to deal with it.

Lesson: Save your co-pay and listen to your fellow IORR-ers!! They are the real experts! (Shug/BV/Others)

It must be hard to be patient when dealing with something like this.
Awaiting round 2.

Quote
whitem8

Quote
Bliss
It isn't only loud noise that can cause tinnitus; there is a range of other potential catalysts - infection, viruses, dental work, medications, head injury; however, noise-induced tinnitus and hearing loss is probably the most preventable.

I woke up one morning 7 years ago with loud tinnitus in one ear. I hadn't had any dental work, illness, medication, head injury or noise exposure. I have had numerous hearing tests since and my hearing is completely normal for my age. We all lose some of the high range as we get older.

I was very, very upset about this initially, and spent a lot of time researching on the net. I no longer do, although I have a Google alert for "tinnitus breakthrough". There is no cure at the moment, although a lot of research is being done on it because so many sickness benefits are being paid to ex-soldiers who now have tinnitus as a result of army noise exposure. Especially I avoid tinnitus forums because they are like a black hole full of traumatised, bitter people. It seems the more you focus on tinnitus, the louder it seems and the more stressed and depressed you become about it.

I have definitely become very protective of my hearing since, and wear earplugs at the movies as well as concerts. I also had the internal siren disconnected from my burglar alarm at home as I think they are useless as well as very dangerous to anyone in the house when it goes off. Chances are, a burglar would have earplugs!

If it turns out to be permanent, I can tell you that you do get used to it and just get on with your life.

ps, owlbynite, that sounds like Menière's syndrome.

There has been some success recently with using Cognitive Behavioral Therepy for tinitis. As well as using sound therapy. Here is a resource for you:
[www.nhs.uk]

No thanks. TRT and CBT are only of use if you want to feel good about feeling bad. I can manage that on my own.

Quote
kovach

Quote
dcba
Deafness is bad... a constant loud tinnitus in your ear is torture.

Yes but you can still enjoy music with tinnitus (although I know there are different levels of it).

when you suddenly go deaf the result isn't silence...it's incessant roaring ringing.

Quote
Bliss
owlbynite, that sounds like Menière's syndrome.

That's never been mentioned to me. What do you know about it?

Quote
WindyHorses

Quote
mgshorr
Ok round 1 seeing the doctor. He told me to wait another week and then see an audiologist. Then said it will either go away or be permanent and I'll learn to deal with it.

Lesson: Save your co-pay and listen to your fellow IORR-ers!! They are the real experts! (Shug/BV/Others)

It must be hard to be patient when dealing with something like this.
Awaiting round 2.

i'm puzzled he's waiting that long. i was always told by my drs. time was of the essence! they sent me to audiologists stat. sounds like at least you have your equilibrium intact. But he's done no testing on your hearing (or lack of) in that ear?

My doctor told me to wait one more full week before seeing an audiologist.

He also said that a specialist won't be able to stop the ringing anyways.

Thanks for the advice Shug. Though even if I get a proper hearing test, I'm not sure what help it would be? I'm sure it would show some hearing loss, as you suggest ... but once the damage is done, it can't be undone, can it? As long as I continue to protect my ears as much as I can for the future, I'm not sure what else I can do.

Pete Townshend has had tinnitus for years. I assumed it was from the loud Who concerts. I later read him say it was from listening full blast to music at home on his headphones while swigging from a whiskey bottle.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2013-05-27 06:40 by Title5Take1.

Quote
Alfonz
Thanks for the advice Shug. Though even if I get a proper hearing test, I'm not sure what help it would be? I'm sure it would show some hearing loss, as you suggest ... but once the damage is done, it can't be undone, can it? As long as I continue to protect my ears as much as I can for the future, I'm not sure what else I can do.

no, damage cannot be undone.