Do I Risk Making My Reactive Tinnitus Permanent?

[Starman9]

I have a question but will have to provide some context first. Please bear with me!

My T could be termed 'reactive'. I'm a professional musician (keyboard player) in the pop world and I find that for some days following a gig I will experience T (and H). Eventually the T will start to diminish until it reaches the point where it's fairly minimal.

If I then do another gig the T will be reactivated, again lasting for some days. At the actual time of the gig I do not experience any great issue, only afterwards.

When the T is in full force it's extremely unpleasant and I certainly would not want this to be my default condition.

All this started in 2015, at which time I was repeatedly exposed to some crazy-loud sound - my T and H were caused by noise damage.

To preserve my ears, I am now taking steps to reshape my musical career so that I move away from live playing, but right now am in a dire financial pickle, having turned down so much musical work because of these issues.

I have been offered one major tour that will, frankly, completely 'save me' financially and set me up to start my other ventures, so it's very, very tempting to do this as 'one last thing'... And as far as such tours go it is not particulary 'ear unfriendly', it must be said. So I find myself in a dilemma...

My question boils down to this: If I expose myself to levels of sound that repeatedly prompt my reactive T and H (but that would not normally be deemed loud enough to do harm to ears) is that actually likely to worsen my T and H long term? Is it likely to make what is at present a mostly reactive condition a continuous one?

All thoughts welcome!

 

[Michael Leigh]

My T could be termed 'reactive'. I'm a professional musician (keyboard player) in the pop world and I find that for some days following a gig I will experience T (and H). Eventually the T will start to diminish until it reaches the point where it's fairly minimal.

HI @Starman9

What you are describing is not Reactive tinnitus as such. Firstly, I do not believe there is such a thing called "Reactive tinnitus" although some people do. I believe reactive tinnitus is hyperacusis which comes in different levels of severity. The term Reactive tinnitus was made up in tinnitus forums and now it is commonly used.

Back to your question. Your auditory system is warning you that it doesn't like being exposed to loud noise. This is the reason it is spiking and you have been getting an increase in tinnitus and hyperacusis. Fortunately for you after a few days these symptoms eventually reduce to a low level in your case minimal. If you continue to subject your ears and auditory system to loud sounds, then in my opinion, you risk your tinnitus and hyperacusis becoming a lot worse and it's likely, they will not reduce to their previous level.

I am sorry to sound so sobering but you need to be very careful exposing your ears to loud sounds. Even wearing earplugs one is not completely safe. If external sound is loud enough, it can pass through the skull and be transferred to your inner ear by bone conduction. Please click on the link below and read my post: Are spikes from tinnitus permanent. Please read a post below by an Audio engineer that is a member of this forum.

All the best
Michael

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/are-spikes-from-loud-noise-permanent.18156/


@Bill Weir

Hi!
I'm an audio engineer and now have T. I hate to have to tell you this but there are no earplugs that can protect you in the typical nightclub environment. The best protection will only lower the Sound Pressure Level (SPL) by about 30 db. Assuming the sound is typical, it's going to hover around 105 db A when measured using long term averaging, slow response on a meter. This means there will be peaks well in excess of 120 db"A" weighted. Weighting the scales of measurement on the sound meter gives more accurate readings. "A" weighting approximates what your eardrum is sensitive to... meaning sound with the deep bass filtered out. "C" weighting includes the bass and is generally 15-30 db higher than an "A" reading.

So, 105 db A (typical nightclub or major concert translates into 130 db "C" or more including the bass. How long do people generally stay in the average nightclub? Too long! 4 hour stay is average. A concert is generally 2.5 hours. Many people will stay in the club all night until they are "OK" to drive and be back in public LMAO. The drugs people do screws up their judgement and desensitizes them to physical sensation and people damage themselves without realizing it.

Sound levels pretty much everywhere are TOO loud IMO. Instead of the industry standard 105 db A (Live Nation SPL cap) I like to keep it at 96-98 for people. Why so loud? Above 96 db the fight or flight response begins to kick in and you get that rush of excitement you get at a concert. It's a lot of what people pay for. Deep bass goes in through bone transconductance. You don't "hear" it with your eardrum you feel it This is how it is possible to have bass with headphones. If this transconductance did not occur, the long wavelengths that make bass would not have enough distance to unfold when using headphones. So, earplugs DO NOT protect you from low frequency damage. Not even a little bit.

So, on the one hand, you're going to have 100db + peaks getting through your earplugs in the range above 100 Hz (low note on a 4 string bass guitar is 41.7 Hz) and the bass below will pressurize your cochlea like nothing is even there, straight through the bone. Some of the subwoofer arrays I have installed in places must have security grating around them to keep people from getting within ten feet of the subwoofer array because the array produces well over 150 db down at 35Hz at 1 meter distance and would make them nauseous or in some extreme cases even worse than that.

I can say this definitively from direct personal and professional experience. If you value your hearing and do not want your tinnitus to increase, avoid these places or if you must go limit your exposure considerably.

 

[GregCA]

My question boils down to this: If I expose myself to levels of sound that repeatedly prompt my reactive T and H (but that would not normally be deemed loud enough to do harm to ears) is that actually likely to worsen my T and H long term? Is it likely to make what is at present a mostly reactive condition a continuous one?

I don't know the answer to your question (nobody can predict the future), but it seems that your ears are already giving you feedback after exposure. It would seem wise to listen to that feedback and act accordingly.

I know it sucks and I understand your financial dilemma, but none of that will matter (even if you become a millionaire) if you are disabled by severe/debilitating T/H.

If I were you, I'd try to figure out if there is any set up that can get you through the gigs without triggering any negative response. For example, in ear monitors that can leave out a lot of sound energy and give you low volume feedback to perform your job, or some similar idea that would shield you from loud sounds. Don't worry about how it looks - perhaps the contraption can give you "an original style".

 

[Bill Bauer]

If I expose myself to levels of sound that repeatedly prompt my reactive T and H (but that would not normally be deemed loud enough to do harm to ears) is that actually likely to worsen my T and H long term? Is it likely to make what is at present a mostly reactive condition a continuous one?

It seems to me that your T spiking is a signal from your body similar to pain. It makes sense that if you continue doing this that Eventually the damage will be irreversible and you might end up with permanent T. What is unclear is how many of these micro-acoustic traumas you can experience before it is too late to stop. If that last gig could allow you to setup a career where you will be able to never get those micro-traumas again, it might make sense to do that gig. In this case, it is almost impossible to know what i sthe right thing to do.