Comedy Show — Will It Be Loud? Are Earplugs Enough Protection?

I have tickets to go to a comedy show this weekend. Will it be loud? I will be wearing my earplugs.

 

Take a decibel reader and the sound level goes over 80 dB, leave. I doubt that it will.

 

Very good idea ^ leave if you must, I hope the comedy show isn’t over 80 dB, but if it is, try to go further back of the arena/ room (lol idk what you call it), until it’s at a good level. I hope you have a great time, hopefully it isn’t loud as you deserve distractions! If it is loud, please leave. Your ears come first alright

 

Go, doubt you’ll need plugs but take a pair.

 

If you go, and it turns out to be the wrong decision, you might have a lifetime to think about your choices and priorities.

To help you make that choice, check out the posts that I had quoted below
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/learn-from-others-mistakes.29437/

Having said that, many people go to those concerts and shows, wear earplugs, and end up being ok. Is the upside valuable enough to compensate for the possible downside of a lifetime of regret?

Also, check out the two posts below

 

This. I would also take a pair just in case.

 

How come? What's the Worst that might happen?!

 

It will. But with earplugs it's ok.

 

I went to one in DC with earplugs. It might have been 85-90db at points but very rarely. It was fine. It was quieter than a concert by some significant margin, and those have been fine, too.

you can always bail if it's more uncomfortable than fun

80 is, uh, a pretty conservative point to cut off at, if you don't have H you should be fine at higher volumes, with protection.

 

On several occasions I lost one of the earplugs and had temporary spikes, because I had zero protection in that ear.

 

I was being sarcastic. The Worst that might happen will last a lifetime.

 

Be careful when listening to Bill's scare tactics. Ear plugs and you'll be fine. If it's too loud, bail. Ultimately, your call.

Asking for advice on how to handle social situations can lead to more anxiety or missing out on life. Ironically, the advice tends to come from those who don't value socialising (probably even before they had tinnitus).

I've stopped listening to other people and simply listen to my body - if it's too much, leave.

Personal experience has taught me that I can still be in many loud places with earplugs. Hope you're fine too.

Take care,

Ross.

 

Will she?
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/learn-from-others-mistakes.29437/

Here is a more recent testimony (got posted yesterday)

Yesterday there were more of those, but I am having trouble finding all of them now.

Having said that, if you want to take that risk - please go ahead. The only thing better than warning someone that what they are about to do has the potential to ruin their life (and possibly basically saving their life), is if they ignore the advice and live to regret it (a lot, and for a very long time).

 

I was quoted by Bill above and that reply applies to concerts. I myself am actually going to see Dylan Moran on Sunday (and Eddie Izzard in April) and I've been to a few more this last year and music/sound hasn't been too loud at all. I've had my earplugs in when the show started and then loosened them or even removed them. Unless there's loud music with the show I doubt a comedy show will be as loud as a concert.

But, as you might understand, my shows above were just stand-ups.

 

@Sven thanks for clarifying.

Interesting, @Bill Bauer :

Glad you get some form of enjoyment from it.

 

Like I said, my First preference is to try to save their life.

 

Followed closely by a healthy dose of schadenfreude...

Take care, Bill.

 

It will definitely surpass 80 dB. 3-4 people laughing at a dinner table will. It's also not dangerous. It's basic day to day noise. If anything bring some light earplugs. 12 dB, etc.

 

No, what I am feeling is different from schadenfreude. If the person has had every opportunity to change his or her mind, has been provided with all of the information, and still decided to take a risk that ends up not working out, you can see how that is different from "the person had no idea about the possible serious consequences".

 

Bill, you are a tinnitus sufferer and you do not have "all of the information."

You might even agree that tinnitus is a very individual experience - what works for you might not work for me, and vice versa.

In this instance, by providing "all of the information" I assume you mean providing information that reinforces your own particular stance on avoidance?

I could be wrong, in which case I imagine that you've created a thread capturing all of the successful social situations people have been in?

 

???

You talk as if I told the other person that they will Definitely get a permanent spike.

I made them aware that the risk exists. No scientific studies looked into this, so nobody knows what the actual probabilities are (and of course everyone is different when it comes to T). But many people assume that since healthy people go to those events and are ok, there is no way they will not be ok. Once they become aware that the probability that they will not be ok afterwards is not zero and not negligible (but of course the risk is still relatively low), they will have more information than before.

Some of us think of T as being burned alive, but for decades. This is so horrific that increasing the chance of making it louder (or decreasing the chance of it going away) is unacceptable to us. It doesn't even have to be that horrific in order for the total lifetime discomfort (summed up over a period of decades) to outweigh whatever enjoyment one might have during the couple of hours at the event.

 

Would go with a moderately protective pair of musician earplugs, such as 18 to 20. Wear them in, and can remove them if it is quieter than expected. A comedy show is not a rock concert.

 

It sounds like it might be louder than a loud restaurant. Several people have had major problems following spending time at loud restaurants. One (of many) example is

 

Here is another one, but I remember there were a lot more of them

 

Bill, my point is this: the case you put forward suggests the probability is that their tinnitus will get worse. That's simply not always true.

There's a wide variety of tinnitus and people can still have good experiences in some social situations by remaining sensible. I'm one of those people - you might even be too.

I agree that tinnitus is extremely horrible, but I also feel strongly that condemning yourself to a life of solitude is just as horrible. There's a middle ground and some people wish to explore that.

You're an extremely vocal member here, while I understand your perspective, I think it's important that people understand that there are different ways to live with tinnitus.

My personal experience is that, while my life is different as a result of tinnitus, I can still engage socially. If I listened to every negative post, this wouldn't be the case.

Anyway, it's not something I'll dedicate more time to. I'm not trying to change your mind, your entitled to an opinion.

 

I don't understand why Bill so often has to come under attack. For anyone who's experienced a worsening of tinnitus and the anxiety that comes with it, his perpective is true. And it's also good that he puts it out there to balance all the people that keeps on saying "you'll be fine if you do this and if you do that".

Tinnitus is very individual but it definitely isn't something to take lightly because there's no going back and most likely won't be in our lifetime.

I don't act as careful as he advocates, but I am careful and more so nowadays than I used to be, for obvious reasons.

 

Hey @Sven

Likewise, I'm much more careful. It's also not an attack on Bill, it's a differing stance - probably one that aligns with what you just said, it's not about total avoidance, just being more careful.

 

OK. But he always gets a lot of complaints.

 

Restaurants are the new bane of American society. I never imagined restaurants of all places would become so loud!! For that reason alone, I rarely go out anymore. Not only is it annoying, but destructive to patrons' and workers' hearing as well!!

 

So true. Last time at Chili's they literally had a speaker above every other table blasting music. I could not wait to get out of there!