Concerts, Earplugs and Tinnitus

Hi everyone,

I've been avoiding going to see bands or even just going to loud bars ever since my tinnitus started but there's a concert coming up that I just felt I couldn't miss. So, either very bravely or very stupidly, I bought a ticket.

I know I'm going to need some ear protection but I'm not really sure what to go for. The earplugs I've found with the highest noise reduction are 37 db reduction, but I've read that gigs can be up to 120 dB, so taking off 37 dB thats still 83 dB, and I know that anything over 85 dB is considered dangerous. So it's still pretty loud.

I've also seen earplugs especially for musicians which are supposed to block all frequencies at an equal amount and they don't just muffle the sound like other plugs, which would be ideal. But I've only found them with a noise reduction of 18 db, which doesn't seem like enough to me.
Basically I was just wondering if anyone had any experience with this sort of thing? Are ear plugs be enough to keep my ears safe or is it a stupid risk to take? Does anyone have any recommendations for ear plugs? The three that I'm thinking about at the moment are 3M 1100 ear plugs (37 db reduction, and I've seen a table of how well they block out different frequencies and they have good protection at low and high frequencies), Quies Rubber Foam Ear Plugs (at 35 db reduction, though I don't know how well they block out different frequencies) and Alpine MusicSafe Pro (18 db reduction).

I'm sick of not doing things because of my tinnitus but I don't want to take any risks because if it gets any worse I don't think I could handle it. Thanks very much to anyone who reads all this!

 

worlds finest earplugs + low profile earmuffs.. foam is shit, they fall out of the ear, u need something that sticks

 

I wish everyone here could read my answer. It sounds like a lot of folks have T from loud music, and at the same time want loud music.
A few years ago, knowing I should have stayed away from this loud music I will tell about, my normal double ear hiss and squeal turned into distortion in both ears. It sounded like all sounds were coming through a kazoo PLUS a very horrible loud (lower frequency than usual) siren sound in each ear and each ear had a different OUT OF TUNE sound. Like a cat stepping on two organ keys at once. AND this was the beginning of my hyperacusis. I was experiencing this loud music from about 30 feet. Drums, Marshall stacks, the whole bit. I was beyond depression and anxiety. I've had clinical depression and anxiety and this was worse. The distortion settled down after about a week, the T took over a year to come back down but I still live with an elevated T volume compared to the days before this concert. The H took even longer. I remember about 2 years after this loud night, a friend was over and my boy picked up his mandolin, which has a pretty but high sound. It's that short little guitar looking instrument. My boy picked gently picked one note and I immediately covered both ears - My cotton wasn't in!!! My H was crazy even 2 years later - like someone poking my eardrum with their finger, and fluttery sounds the rest of the night. This was one little sound on a mandolin. My friend said, 'That's so sad, you can't even enjoy acoustic music.' I did the damage to myself by going to this concert. I knew it was risky, that's why the night of that loud concert I had foam earplugs PLUS the cordless headphones - construction worker headgear. I looked real cute at that concert. Oh, I left that concert after about 15 minutes, I knew it was too loud. I'm paying the price.

Oh, here's a footnote. As a musician, I tried all the plugs. The 'musician' earplugs do, yes, sound a little different, maybe clearer because some noise is coming in BUT, music nowdays, even country and polka etc... is toooooooo loud. And why? I was completed plugged and was wearing headgear the night of my last concert. I could sense the sound hitting me in the head and disturbing my hearing, because we do 'hear' through our head, especially the hard area behing the ear. That's what a ENT doc told me.

I feel so lucky to be back to my normal hissing and screeching. If that siren, distortion and double hyperacusis would have continued ... I don't know.

 

I agree with @I who love music, I had pretty low T for about a year after a concert, and then even though I know I should stay away from concerts, I attended one in November. WORST MISTAKE OF MY LIFE. I wore all the hearing protection, and even stood in the back, but after that night my T became so much worse than I had ever experienced, nothing would mask it, and I became very depressed. I was diagnosed with anxiety and depression. I also developed H. My ears are constantly full now, and always hurt when someone even uses something so small as a stapler. I would do anything to go back in time and listen to my boyfriend and not go to the concert I went to. I was living a 95% normal life again with T, and then I made everything so much harder on myself.

I am starting to habituate again, but T is always there now, and loud, and now I have H too. I suggest to stay away from the concerts. Do yourself a favor, please.

 

Did you go to bars/clubs after getting tinnitus for the first time? I purchased 30 db plugs for bars but im hesitant to go because they seem to be very loud sometimes and maybe its just not worth it.

 

I first got T in December 2012, and then in May 2013 I went to a concert - wore plugs but they weren't very good ones. I had a spike for about 2 weeks, but it went back down. I told myself I wouldn't go to anymore concerts after that risk....but then I stupidly went to the concert in November, wore better hearing protection, and then the increase and H happened. I had set backs to since then with experiencing loud slamming noises.

 

Yeah but concerts normally probably tend to be a bit louder? Do you still go to restaurants, bars etc?
I was at a local small cafe today and the music was surprisingly loud ( probably on the border of normal). Dont know why they turn it up so high...

 

@Stina I did, I even went to the movies still too. But now I can't. I left a restaurant recently because it was entirely too loud for me in there. I'm hoping and wishing and praying that my T will somehow go back to baseline by the end of year, or at least get somewhere near it. I also hope my H decreases.

 

I have no experience myself with that but if you look around this board you will see that most people say that this condition does improve itsself, eg. gets better If you break a bone it also takes months to heal so I hope its the same with you. Just dont attend loud places any more.

 

Hang in there, demi. As bad as mine was, it did slowly heal.

 

There were lots of other people at that concert that badly damaged me. I know a few of them. Were their ears hurt? No. But I went to LOTS of concerts and played lots of loud music before the fateful night. That's the difference. And that tells me that it builds up, ... excess volume chips away at me. I knew that and I should have known better.

 

I have a bachlorette party and wedding coming up in may... You think i will be okay of i wear earplugs? My t is not loud at all only noticeable in quiet... My sisters gettin married and i cant not go.. The reception will just be a dj and no live band so im thinkin i should be okay... New years eve i was around louddd music for few hours with no earplugs in and no change in T so im thinkin i should be okay?

 

Also when i went to my ent when i first got this in november... I had tickets to a pink concert and i asked my GP and ent if i could go with earplugs and be okay and they both joked with me how it would be ridiculous if i didnt go.. He assured me id be okay.. But i decided not to go cause i was too scared :-( i guess it depends on your luck if its gonna get worse or not.. Just shows doctors are full of shit cause obviously its made others worse...

 

Yeah just wear strong earplugs Online you can fin musicians earplugs that are practically invisible so no one would probably notice))

 

Yeah i know.. Deff will wear plugs..my ent wants me to get moulded ones so prob gonna do that. I figure wearing ear plugs is all i can do ( other then avoiding places) but im not gonna avoid things i enjoy.. But not gonna stand next to a loud speaker on purpose either lol.

 

Was going to post a thread on this very topic. I've been wearing musicians plugs for gigs ever since I first got my T with no problem, there is always temporary tinnitus following concerts with earplugs anyway, but it always subsides.

I had a spike in December (went to a club unprotected), and went to a gig last Sunday wearing new, but similar, musicians plugs. I get home and two days later I fear my Tinnitus has become worse. Having anxiety to go with this condition is absolutely awful as the worst case scenario is instantly what pops in your brain. Maybe the earplugs (er20s) weren't in properly, aren't good enough etc, my mind is a bit of a mess to say the least!

The main battle a lot of us have is we have fragile frames of mind at times, I'm not a scientist but I'd attribute a lot of spikes to the self-fulfilling prophecy of our fear that we've caused a spike, if that makes sense.

I now have a monthly dj slot at a club so it's not exactly ideal for an anxious one like me!

 

Well, it's hard to look down the road when you're young, but I wish I would have.

 

Aww sorry to hear that.. But you will be okay! I idolize you for still goin on.. And especially djing and stuff.. all you can do is protect your ears the best you can until theres a cure in some years!!! !