Had to Go to Bar for Work Meeting. Feel My Ears May Be Worse Even Though I Had Earplugs. Help?

So, I recently got a new job and of COURSE high management comes in and we have to go to bar with them after work.

I never go to bars ever. Well, in order to keep my job, I went. I put in musician earplugs. The plugs are these ones:

https://www.amazon.com/LiveMus-Hear...s&qid=1554395711&s=gateway&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1

I wore the green ones, which are medium power. At low Hz the box says it protects around 15 dB. Then goes up to 20 to 30 dB in higher ranges.

I measured the dBs at around 80 dB at the bar. Sometimes lower, sometimes 85ish dB, but around that. YES, my iPhone is accurate as I test my dB app with a accurate dB reader and they are always within 3 dB of each other. So it is accurate.

Well after leaving, even though my earplugs were perfectly in the whole time, I felt like ears may have rung a little louder. Then, I was there for 1 hour 50 minutes.

I’ve had louder than normal tinnitus already for about 3 years.

I super worried I damaged my hearing more or made tinnitus worse. I felt trapped due to this being work.

Can someone please help me? I figured if noise was around 80 or 85 dB, then 12 to 15 drop would bring it down to 70 dB ish, which is safe. The higher frequencies would have been 60 ish dB.

I’m so stressed. Someone please help me. I don't know what to do now or what to do in future. Please help.

 

Perhaps it is your anxiety? Sometimes when I wear hearing protection my perception of tinnitus spikes and I perceive it louder for a while until it drops down.

How long has it spiked?

You are correct your hearing protection should have dropped you down to 70 dB.

 

I went to the bar two days ago. So it has been two days. Outside noise felt quieter while wearing the earplugs, while still being able to understand people’s conversations (again, musician earplugs are supposed to help with that). But maybe they are not good enough? Or they weren’t accurate...idk what is going on as I have always protected my hearing since issues came up in the past.

Also, I already have hearing loss. Like actual measurable hearing loss that goes down to 30 and 40 dB in one ear for the higher frequencies on a hearing test.

 

LOL We get those reports on a daily (or at most weekly) basis, and you just Can't accept that this is real.

In the future, you might consider recognizing that earplugs might be providing a false sense of security. You might consider staying away from loud places.

The good news is that most spikes are temporary spikes. Now, temporary spikes can last for over three months. If I were you, I wouldn't worry about this spike being permanent, unless there is no improvement after 4-8 weeks.

It is possible that now that your ears got hurt again, you will become more sensitive to sounds than you used to be before this latest incident. You might get spikes as a result of moderate noises. One (but not the only!) way to interpret those spikes is that they are similar to pain when one breaks their arm. Both the spikes and pain are a way for the body to signal that what one is doing is interfering with the healing.

Unless you have a history of getting serious spikes following being stressed, I don't think it is likely that what you are experiencing now is due to stress. Of course you will want to do what you can to reduce your stress, as it is not promoting your healing. If this is not due to stress, you need to take avoidance of noise seriously, or eventually you might end up with a permanent spike.

 

alcohol + "super worried" -> spike

I wouldn't worry

 

I did not drink alcohol while there either. Only was there to socialize with others.

 

He expresssed anxiety before going to the event. He prob worried while there and after. It has been proven (read Rauschecker’s research) that anxiety plays a huge roll in our perception of tinnitus. Hence it is my go to since he even expressed there was anxiety involved before and after.

Also, people can’t distiguish between anxiety spikes and noise trauma hence I always bring it up so they can be aware of it.

 

I find that my ears become full at around 70 dB. It's always subsided though. We have to accept that our ears are weakened and that we cannot tolerate what healthy ears can. I recommend highest rating foam plugs next time. I don't do well in noisy environments with my musicians plugs and no longer trust them to do the job in extreme cases. With that said, I don't think you suffered any permanent damage. We just need to be extra careful!

 

That's interesting @Flamingo1 . After 1 yr I've noticed my threshold is around 70-75 db where my ears start to feel uncomfortable and full, though luckily usually only the rest of that day. I was hoping given time the threshold would increase and the fullness would stop happening. I guess only time will tell.

 

@New Guy I've had mine for two years now.

 

I agree.

I just realized that you never explained why you are in a state of panic. You were exposed to all of that noise two days ago. How is your T now?

 

I’m still extremely stressed about this. I took magnesium, NAC, CoQ, and I just feel so scared I ruined my ears further. I have tried for years to make sure I do my best and got forced into this situation over a new job.

I’m so tired of it. No one understands what I deal with. My family thinks I’m nuts and no ones gets it.

Now, even when I do the right thing, I think I got a new ton in my ears. I think it is louder and possibly a new ton. It is hard to tell though because my tinnitus was already super loud.

I just can’t handle this anymore and don’t know if this is all in my head or if things are going to get worse.

Someone please provide me some sanity or what is going on?

 

Please someone help me make sense of this, please please please please please. I have tried to prevent things from happening and then th is happens.

 

Give it some time. Don't think about it for a week. I really don't think you did any permanent damage. My T had not increased in the 2 years I've had it and I've been in similar situations to what you've described.

 

You’re fine, nothing permanently happened with your tinnitus. It will get better, you need to ride it out.

 

@Flamingo1 , is your tinnitus due to noise or hearing loss?

I’m still stressed out. The new tone is lower in both ears and that is where my ear plugs least protected.

What do I do still? I’m so stressed out, this is a new tone I think in both ears.

 

How can someone have noise induced tinnitus without hearing loss?

 

I don’t know, it was just a question. Please know I’m not looking to debate right now though, I’m seeking help as I am losing it right now. I’m not new to tinnitus either, I already had loud tinnitus for over three years.

I’m just asking questions and seeking help.

 

Both! Noise - - > hearing loss. I have a notch at 4KHx. I was told by an audiologist that it is due to acoustic trauma.

 

How big is the dip? Has it recovered?

 

Send them the link below:
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/thread...m-being-murdered-by-merciless-tinnitus.29510/

It seems to me that the worst that can happen is that it will stay at the level it is at now. For every permanent spike, there are countless temporary spikes. Until you go for over a month without any improvement, you can safely assume the spike is temporary.

I am one of the main "glass is half empty"/"taking risks can lead to a lifetime of regret" people around here, but I sincerely believe that chances are that you will get better. Of course it goes without saying that you will want to do what you can to avoid repeating this sort of exposure, as we are given only a limited number of second chances.

 

Perhaps some of us have some hidden hearing loss...

 

Here are some polls and threads to convince you that temporary spikes can last a long time:

 

@Flamingo1 , thanks. When you had your spike, did a newish type tone appear and then eventually go back to normal? Not extremely new tone, but sort of different. Just sort of curious since you experienced similar situations.

What do you do now to avoid this completely?

 

I know that, I was trying to bait a clueless new comer into asking the question.

Don't ruin my fishing next time.

 

50 dB. I haven't had a hearing test in a long time but in my case I'm pretty sure it's permanent. I'm very careful now to preserve what hearing I do have. This is my top concern What's done is done.

 

Not really, although I try not to listen too closely to find out. That's a bad habit to get into. When I have spikes, the ringing gets louder and it feels like my ears are vibrating. Some of the tones get louder and maybe that's what you are experiencing. I do my best now to avoid noise. I stopped going out to clubs, bars and concerts and ALWAYS carry war plugs. I pop them in when noise levels reach into the 70+ decibels. This happens a lot in restaurants, unfortunately. I have to admit my life is pretty miserable now because I moved to a new town and am too scared to go out to bars, etc. to meet people. On the bright side, my tinnitus hasn't noticeably increased.

 

@jdjd09
I feel for you, I've been in the same situation with work before and it's a difficult situation to be put in.

 

He's been here longer than you.

 

They can still go there entire lives clueless about "hidden hearing loss when they are the prime victim.