First Night Out with the Big Tinnitus

Going to a mate's 21st tonight, any tips on how to not act like I'm hindered but to also control the worsening of my tinnitus which will inevitably be louder tomorrow?

I plan on both drinking a decent amount and smoking a little. What am I in for if I don't control my actions? Cheers.

 

"But the fruit of spirit is ..... and self-control" -- Galatians 5:22

Dear T friend, I have no other advice but to suggest -
"self-control" will lead your tinnitus life easier in the long run.
Protect your ears well with earplugs and stay away from loud noise.

 

It depends on how severe your T is but id wear earplugs, take breaks, expect a spike and dont panic about it. As long as its worth the few days hangover you should be ok but id certainly take some silicone plugs. Dont get lax about your situation, if your having a bad time go home. Your going to be testing how mentally strong you are more than anything really.

 

I go out all the time and have had tinnitus for a few years now, take some ER20 ear plugs and don't ever take them off on the dancefloor, spend some time outside and try drinking water if you're worried, the next day you might notice a little spike, but it should subside.

 

The best that can happen is that nothing will happen. The worst that can happen is that, for the rest of your life, you will end up with a permanently louder T that will be harder to ignore. Everything in between is also a possibility.

 

Are you sure you would still be having tinnitus if you were to not go out all of the time?

 

Most likely, i'm pretty sure that mines permanent, but I've learned to accept it. The first year was hell and after that I avoided concerts and clubs for over 2 years, but then I decided not to let it rule my life and get on with it.

 

The damage to the ears is cumulative, but I agree that it might be sensible to get on with it, given your experiences.

 

I have Severe T and I m too afraid to do something like that. I already have huge hearing loss.

 

I think the difference with you guys is that you got tinnitus recently where as I had it a long time ago, I am really easily able to tune out of mine now, occasionally it will spike randomly but I am pretty decent at tuning out and then it always returns to normal.

I don't think a few hours in a club and some bars is going to do severe damage if appropriate protection is in place. With my earplugs in the volume is comfortable and I make sure that I take frequent breaks and try to stay hydrated (even if that means drinking a few liters of water when I get home.)

 

How loud is it your T? is it moderate? Mild?

 

That doesn't sound like you Bill. He's taking a big risk.

 

Good. You should be afraid. I am. That will help keep you safe.

 

When I first got it, it was audible 24/7 - nothing could take over, now I don't really hear it unless I think about it or i'm in a totally silent room.

I am a firm believer that tinnitus gets louder the more you think about it, for example, right now I can hear it over the music I have on in the background but usually I wouldn't be able to.

Once you learn to accept it and stop thinking about it, it isn't as loud.

 

Really? They look like junk. Only 12 decibel reduction.

 

The ones I use provide a 20DB reduction - These are the ones I use (search Amazon UK store) -

ACS ACS-ER20 Hearing Protectors

 

How does your audiogram look like?

 

Yeah that's what the company claims. But look on the package - it's NRR 12.

https://www.etymotic.com/technology/nrr

 

I haven't had a hearing test in years however when I had them originally I had no hearing loss. I go out on average once to twice a month but occasionally on holiday or if friends are visiting I will go clubbing 3-5 days straight.
I have also been to big concerts in Ibiza and I have no noticeable hearing loss.

 

I remember reading about many counterexamples (people taking this risk, and the risk not working out for them) involving people who have had T for years before the incident...

I did acknowledge that since hearing damage is cumulative, it could happen that eventually something will "give" and his T will spike. Having said this, he Had spent two years protecting his ears (which, in his case, hasn't caused any improvement), and then nothing changed after he began being reckless again. So his actions are not too irrational. Too bad he hasn't tried protecting his ears during his first year. Perhaps that would have led to a different outcome for him.

20 dB reduction must be one of the lowest reductions you can find. I am not sure why you wouldn't try to find earplugs with the maximum possible noise reduction.

 

Let me clear something up.

First of all, i'm not advocating that OP goes out clubbing if he doesn't want to (or anyone for that matter), but from the post it seemed pretty conclusive that he was going to anyway. I am just providing my account and experience.

I was 15 (almost 16) when I got my permanent tinnitus, from a night club that a friend rented out for her birthday. I avoided clubs and loud places for 3 years until I was 19. I wore my ear plugs and have never had a problems since then.

Is it possible that one day i'll wake up the next day and my T will be louder and never return? - of course - however I believe that anxiety has a lot to do with tinnitus as when I learned how to cope with my feelings around it following CBT therapy it was no longer a problem for me and got easier to manage and live with.

Having tinnitus already doesn't make you more prone to hearing damage or hearing loss, you just notice it because you have physical symptoms compared to the millions of others who do exactly what I do without any protection whatsoever.

I just refuse to let this condition which is nothing more than a minor annoyance to me anymore control my life, and stop me doing the things I want to do.

 

If you don't control your actions, you could possibly have a new baseline with your tinnitus and it could possibly get louder. You never know how tinnitus will act/re-act. I'd play it safe and avoid loud places and I'd not touch liquor as well, both CAN annoy the tinnitus badly....

Tinnitus is no joke, serious cautions must be met when dealing with it. Also, I'd careless how people think or feel about me when it's ME/YOU/US that is dealing with this issue and NOT THEM. If your friend accept you, accept your tinnitus KEEP THEM. If they cannot, then find NEW friends and adjust your life to protect your tinnitus/ears.

I have crossed out many people in my life because they do not understand , care, and fail to show empathy for this situation. At first it might feel weird to do this, but in the long run you and your ears can benefit from this.

I am just posting a realistic post from someone that has beyond loud and intrusive tinnitus and It's a life I/WE live 24/7....

PS- At the end of the day it's us that suffer and deal with this horrible issue, no one else CAN feel your pain or sorrows....

 

Yea and? If you expect me, to have a gloomy icon, that ain't me sorry.....

 

I was just puzzled how you would tell someone to avoid liquor while promoting alcohol in your banner?

 

I haven't drank liquor in 2-3 years. I chose that icon because it's just how I am in life, happy and drunk happy even though I don't drink......

 

• The NRR for ETY•Plugs is 12 dB, which underestimates the true effectiveness of these earplugs. Clinical measurements show that properly inserted ETY•Plugs provide an average of 20 dB sound reduction across frequencies in real ears.

 

The above might be true, however the sounds that are harmless for the healthy people can cause spikes (even permanent spikes) for someone who is suffering from T. Our ears have been compromised. If you disagree, check out the first post on
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/learn-from-others-mistakes.29437/
There are many posts in that thread that are unrelated to the thread. To see posts related to the thread, check out posts #17, #32, #34, #39, #48, #50 and #62.

 

You are making a lot of assumptions here and you have many beliefs. But reality might knock you on your ass.

 

The problem is that there is a chance that your actions will make your body uninhabitable, which will be a Major annoyance.