Can Attending a Fireworks Show with Double Hearing Protection Make Tinnitus Worse?

For the last two years (including this year), my wife and kids have gone to see 4th of July fireworks without me. I stayed home for fear of worsening my tinnitus.

Do you think it's safe for a person who already has tinnitus to attend a fireworks show with double protection (e.g., Peltor X4a's and foam earplugs)? Or probably not?

I'll mention that I got tinnitus from a live music show 3.5 years ago, and am doing fine with it these days. Though I had a very difficult time for the first 20 months (the toughest period of my life, no question), and DEFINITELY would not want to do anything to worsen it.

I think the answer is probably no, attending fireworks shows is a very bad idea. But I wanted to ask here: any thoughts from you all?

 

Why would you want to see it anyway? Wasteful and primitive plebeian entertainment.

Even before getting tinnitus and hyperacusis, the infatuation with fireworks pissed me off. I felt sorry for animals and vets. Little did I know I will join the ranks of fireworks sufferers.

 

I am torn between Yes and No.

No, because why would you want to risk it? Chances are that it won't have any impact on your tinnitus, but, the stress might cause a spike. So, why go through it?

Yes, because why would you want to restrict yourself from enjoying something when you can easily wear protection and go. Why should you let your tinnitus rule your life like that?

I am sure I have only confused you further. Lol.

G'day.

 

You won’t know unless you try. It’s not the same for everyone, you need to test it out and find out if you want to know.

 

Did you go to the show? If you did, please let us know how your tinnitus is after a week.

Since we all experience noise trauma at these shows, I hope you at least have your family wear ear protection to loud events like this. It's never too late to start protecting and could save them from a life of grief and self-blame.

 

Do you have hyperacusis?

If you're just dealing with tinnitus, the most probable answer is no - it will not worsen you if you're wearing double protection.

However, you may be extremely stressed out the first time and that alone could cause a spike. You might need to just rip the band-aid off, so to speak, and then you'll be fine. But only you can decide if it's worth it.

I like to think of it this way - there are lots and lots of people with tinnitus that habituate and go on to live life normally without taking much extra precautions. Seeing what's on this forum probably makes you think otherwise but it's true. For example, I know someone personally in my life who has tinnitus from acoustic trauma and regularly attends heavy metal shows to this day with no protection. He hasn't worsened as far as I'm aware and is habituated. Now I'm not saying to do this because even people without tinnitus should protect their hearing at concerts like that, but the point remains that a lot of people do not get catastrophically worse after initially getting tinnitus.

And you WILL be taking precautions with double protection so, again, you're more than likely to be fine. Maybe you could go somewhere where you could all watch together in a car? That's my plan when my son is old enough.

 

@DeepakB, I am expressing concern about the advice you give people. This condition can easily step-up and wreck lives - VERY quickly.

@Poseidon65, don't go, simple as that. Double protection doesn’t stop all the sound.

 

I didn’t go myself. I did have my kids wear Peltors and my wife wear foam earplugs.

 

Well, you seem to have completely overlooked the fact that he will be wearing 'double protection' to this event. Hence, chances are that it won't have any impact on his tinnitus.

 

Most people like that who are habituated and not taking extra precautions while doing all that have mild tinnitus, like I had for many years. But after a multi-folder increase in tinnitus less than two years ago, I regret I didn't take the extra precautions all those years when I had mild tinnitus like most people.

I went to a fireworks show last night (first time in many years) and sat as close as anyone in the VIP sitting area, but I wore well inserted foam earplugs, not just to protect my ears from fireworks, but also to block out the music they play with it, that I wasn't interested in hearing. The foam earplugs worked well to really cut those sounds down, and it was my tinnitus that I was still hearing loudly.

 

Ever hear of bone conduction?

 

Nice of you to do that.

Honestly, even if you did go to the show, would you honestly have enjoyed yourself while there and be at ease OR would you have been worried and constantly anxious in that environment about the noise levels and its potential impact on your ears? If it’s the latter, then you made the right decision regardless if you’re wondering if your tinnitus would worsen.

There’s no point staying in an environment, where you know for a fact that you won’t have a good time because you’ll be constantly monitoring the noise levels, getting anxious and all worried rather than enjoying yourselves over there.

I personally wouldn’t be able to enjoy with all those legitimate noise threats even with hearing protection on. Hard for me to be ‘in the moment’ in an environment like that now.

 

That’s true. As much as I want to be there with my family members, I probably would not have been at ease.

 

No, actually not.

But then, just stepping out of your house and crossing the road could put you at risk of being run over by a car.

It is the probability that matters. You can't just stay indoors all your life, can you?

 

It's already over, but from my point of view, the biggest point of danger is random idiots throwing firecrackers in your proximity. You likely won't be able to protect against that sufficiently even with hearing protection. Just as a consideration for the future.

 

If I was asked a question I didn't know, I would Google it and educate myself before responding.

I have lived in my house for the past seven years due to catastrophic tinnitus and hyperacusis, so you're wrong.

I'm not a fan of newbies like you who come to this forum and assume that they know it all and dispense advice that is wrong, rather than learn before dispensing. You've already been bashed for it, but it hadn't stopped you.

Bye bye. Ignored.

 

With due respect, I don't really fret over the opinion of any Tom, Dick and Harry over the internet. I wasn't born to please anyone.

You've lived in your house for the last 7 years and that must have been tough. My heart goes out to you. But that does not mean someone else must face the same fate.

There is an option to ignore members on the forum. Please utilize it.

G'day.