Horrid Spike After Exposed to Loud Music at an Engagement Party

Hi All,

Just chiming in to see if I could grab some support?

I had an engagement party last night, I decided I’d have a dance and try to live normally. I danced for s good hour or so, music was loud and so was outdoor area with tables and chairs (closed in under a cover and had to yell to speak).

Wore my 30-40 dB NRR custom made Hearsaver plugs for majority of the night, wore them all the time I was dancing and even outside when talking. The only time I didn’t wear them was when I was outside and took the left one out to hear my friend speak for 20 minutes and at the beginning and end of evening (total amount of time about 40 minutes combined) when saying hello and goodbye to people. No music then, just a lot of yelling and noise from people talking.

Anyways, huge spike today, woke up not even thinking or worrying about a spike and it hit me like a full speed train.

I tried my best by wearing my custom plugs, but I’m concerned with the amount of time I spent on the dance floor / the fact I was dancing’s next to the speaker the entire time before realising and moving! (I didn’t notice that much because the plugs cut out a lot of noise).

Anyways, looking for support in regards to spikes? I thought I did the right thing but maybe I didn’t

Hoping this will go down, I struggled enough learning to live with the tinnitus the way it was, I don’t think I could handle a permanent spike!

Thank you in advance,
Stacey x

 

I hate to say this, but do not engage in loud club activities again as you can lose more hearing and get louder tinnitus. I hope your spike settles and hearing/tinnitus recovers to less awful levels.

 

You are not alone. Many people learn the hard way that earplugs provide a false sense of security.

Hopefully eventually this spike will settle. (Note that temporary spikes can last for months.
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/head-movement-spikes-tinnitus.25179/#post-290614
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/poll-how-long-do-your-tinnitus-spikes-usually-last.23110/
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/poll-how-long-was-your-longest-spike.22099/ ) But if you keep trying

eventually the spike might become permanent.

Check out the two posts below

 

Hi @Stacey427

I've been in this situation a good few times too, each time the spikes have subsided.

I know exactly how you are feeling right now and it's an awful feeling - the best way to deal with it is to give yourself some time to recover.

I had a terrible spike from the first wedding I attended since acquiring tinnitus around two years ago. It was horrible at the time, but a few months later I was dealing with it fine and so will you. Just be kind to yourself and give yourself plenty of time to recover.

With regards to worrying if you did the right thing or not, I don't imagine you'll get a standard response here - many of the members are at the extreme end of a very wide spectrum of sufferers.

All I can say is, I've been here, it was terrible but it gets better. I've been to weddings, etc, since then and have been absolutely fine but it has been a learning curve. However, I've also had spikes for no reason at all, which have made me feel equally as bad.

I still want to engage in life, so I accept that I have to make some concessions in order to do so. I take more breaks from loud sound, I'll avoid clubs/gigs, but I will try, when I can, to attend gatherings, weddings and other social events because they are important to me. It has taken me some time to figure out what works for me, and I've had some setbacks along the way.

I hope you feel better soon. Take it a day at a time.

Take care,

Ross.

 

This is horrible to hear - you did everything right!

I've got a wedding to attend soon, I'll need to be extra cautious myself. The last one was where my T I got T from the wedding band.

I do hope the spike subsides, you did *everything* you could.

 

Many people think by wearing noise reducing earplugs or custom made types with high attenuation, it will eliminate the risk of having a tinnitus spike. This is definitely not the case. If external sound is loud enough, it will pass through your head/skull and be transferred to your inner ear by "bone conduction" and most likely spike the tinnitus. If a person is fortunate, the spike might reduce but it all depends on how loud the sound was and time exposed to it.

If a person is unlucky the tinnitus will increase to a new and permanent level. Sorry to sound so sobering but these are the facts. It is for this reason I do not like to put my faith in earplugs. Please click on the links below and read my posts Hyperacusis, As I see it & Tinnitus, A Personal View, which you might find helpful.

Michael

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/hyperacusis-as-i-see-it.19174/

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/tinnitus-a-personal-view.18668/

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

 

@Ross McLauchlan

Thank you very much for the detailed reply!

Maybe I ask, was your spike permanent?

Thank you xxx

 

Hey @Stacey427

Aspects of my spike were permanent, for example my tinnitus has been a hissing sound since then. But the overall volume has generally been lower - this did take a few months.

I've had days of near silence and days of ridiculous volume, but generally I have more good days than bad days. It's hard to keep that in mind when you're going through a bad patch - so tell yourself it'll pass, just takes time.

I'm in the middle of a spike now (no reason for it, just one of those weeks) but I know it'll get easier. Maybe not today, or tomorrow, but at some point I'll realise it's not as bad as it was.

Worth noting that I do not wear earplugs anywhere other than loud places. Normal/everyday sounds are no longer an issue for me despite the setbacks I've had. I over protected before and I was miserable - the mind set was debilitating. You'll be fine, just be sensible about volume going forward. Hopefully in a few weeks you'll be a bit happier.

Take care,

Ross.