Rock Concert Ruined My Hearing for Life

Hi all! Im new to this site but very happy to have found it. This is my story: In 1988 , when I was 24, I went to see The Who in concert. Of coarse I was right up front and in front of monstrous speakers. I had no clue at the time but the incredibly loud music from that night would change my life forever. I went home that evening with a dull ringing in my ears, and it never went away. In fact it was from that day on that my hearing loss began as well as an increasing ring to this day.Im now 49 and have two hearing aids due to nerve damage. I have not really looked into cures or remedies until now because Ive always heard that there was nothing that can be done. Im hoping this site will make me believe otherwise, or atleast give me some hope that some relief is possible. Im very excited to learn any thing I can. Glad to here!

 

Hi Susan...yeah, in those days they didn't know about noise damaging the ears. But times are a changin'. Check out this web site on cochlear hair regeneration. It won't be too long...maybe 5 or so years before they will be able to regenerate those damaged hair cells in our cochlea. You can follow the discussion on this site. There is such a plethora of information on new treatments in the pipeline here. "I Can't Explain" ...the excitement over gene therapy and stem cell research that is coming. Actually a lot of great research on this in your area: Massachusetts Ear and Eye Infirmary. It's no longer a question of if but when...Have hope!

 

A Staind concert when I was 17 caused my tinnitus. I've had that since 2003 now. I'm right there with you, although I hear like a "wombat" according to the ENT, which apparently means good hearing. If that's the case, I'm not sure why I have the tinnitus.

The auditory system is a complex thing. Maybe they'll be able to regrow some hair cells within a few years (wow, 10 years ago they said that it was 50 years off at best), but I subscribe to the belief that damage to the auditory nerve causes a lot of hearing problems and tinnitus as well. I think that will be a difficult beast to tackle too.

 

Thanks John for that info. I really had no idea of the advances in this field. Its pretty exciting to think there may be some light at the end of the tunnel!

 

Damage to the auditory nerve? How do you get that? How can I know if that is what I have?

 

A noise-induced tinnitus is certainly a sign of a damage to the auditory nerve ending parts in cochlea, inner ear. Apparently, nothing can be done to reverse the damage.
That's how a life turns upside down in a fraction of a second for absolutely nothing.
So, instruct your loved ones to protect their damn ears.

 

Then why are researchers so optimistic?

 

Your only 49.. Time your 60 or even 55 i believe there will be a treatment for the ringing that will work on a good amount of people

 

Not completely true. GenVec and Novartis already are going to phase I trials to use gene therapy to transdifferentiate supporting cells to new hair cells. These new hair cell reattach to the nerve endings and the signalling will continue up the 8th cranial nerve to the auditory cortex. This solves both hearing loss and associated tinnitus due to the loss of cilia in the cochlea. The vestibularcochlear nerve is still functional. Just the hair cells need to grow and reattach. And this has already happened in exvivo human cochleas! So NO, it is not that bleak and hopeless. The phase I trials start this year on a profoundly deaf person.

 

For the sake of explaining it I uploaded this picture (courtesy of GenVec, I hope they don't mind). Dysfunction in the auditory system can arise in multiple areas. What I was referring to is damage to the auditory nerve. It has been hypothesized that loud sounds can damage the auditory nerve as well because of the effervescent hearing system. GenVec is working to regrow hair cells in the cochlea. I think regeneration of the auditory nerve will be a much more difficult problem to address. Not only is it encased in bone, but it does not have a convenient window for access (such as the round window membrane on the cochlea.

 

The cochleavestibular nerve can also be compressed by an arterial loop entering the canal. This is my case on one of my middle ears. The compression causes some loss of nerve input. Also tumors can compress it. Most damage from sound is at the nerve endings right under the stereocilia cells. This is where regeneration will help most people with noise damage. But yes, if the nerve is damaged in other places, then it is a more complex problem.

 

That would be amazing!

 

Hello Susan,
It is very hard to have a Ti wich is caused by music which you tried to enjoy so it is like a big hit in the face.
I am from Germany and I also received my ti. from loud music (club) but there is always hope to get it away even if not completely. I tried a lot but at the end my solution was a combination of ear protection, psychologic coaching and a treatment with lasers and now I try to share my experience with other people who do not see any light at the end of the tunnel!

 

Alot of research and treatments are coming! I have noise induced T too so autifony maybe with nerve stimulation will help/cure us! Dont loose hope!

 

Autifony is not for restoring nerve cells so I think the hearing loss will remain

 

Sorry not for restoring haircells, but her T could be reduced!

 

That is truly amazing gives much hope to those who are suffering from T
I'm 52 and am starting to think I will see a cure or at least a procedure to reduce T.

Thanks for sharing

 

Hi Susan,

I have noise induced T as well. I think it's about time that we put an end to this crazy noise culture we're living in. Everything just has to be LOUD for whatever reason. The human hearing organ is just not made to endure those bombardments of noise, like rock concerts or dance clubs. It's so sad that when you're still young, and you just want to go out with your friends and have some fun, you get f..... for life. And all this comes from ignorance, how can you know about the dangers of loud noise when nobody ever told you ? I have a 15 year old daughter and I tell her to look after her hearing and be careful. I wish someone had told me... So it's all about information and communication and make other people aware about their hearing and making them take responsibility for it. It's quite bizar you got your T at a Who concert, as Pete Townshend is a severe T sufferer himself. So he knew about it, and personally I think they should have handed out ear plugs there. But obviously Townshend just went for the money, and couldn't care less about his fans' health.