How to Prevent Tinnitus at Concert?

[Jason Davids]

So I'm going to see a band in a few weeks in New York and I have low tinnitus right now. It's like a 2/10 sometimes 1/10. I'm very lucky. For all I know in couple of weeks my tinnitus could be gone cause I do have serious anxiety and I'm very obsessive. That could be the problem.

Anyhow I'm carrying this out too long but does anyone have a tip to prepare for the concert?

I know earplugs is a must but anything else i want to have perfect hearing.

Like I said I'm very compulsive thanks!

 

[linearb]

earplugs are the best you can do; they'll protect you unless it's a really loud show.

 

[addot]

Yes, earplugs will do nicely seeing as your T is mild. Look for the Etymotic ER-20 earplugs, as they tend to muffle up frequencies less than normal plugs. Just don't stand too close to the stage/speakers and you'll be fine

 

[Sam Bridge]

Ear plugs + don't stant close to speakers.

 

[GregCA]

So I'm going to see a band in a few weeks in New York and I have low tinnitus right now. It's like a 2/10 sometimes 1/10. I'm very lucky. For all I know in couple of weeks my tinnitus could be gone cause I do have serious anxiety and I'm very obsessive.

Your tinnitus is recent (1/17) and it's music induced (which I interpret as "loud music"). It's currently low and you are feeling lucky.
All these things are encouraging: your ears have endured a trauma, and you are probably healing.

I think your ears are still fragile however, so as much as I'm sure you don't want to hear this, I would personally skip the concert and give my ears more time to heal. Even with ear plugs and what not, the concert is too full of opportunities for "accidents" to happen. I won't tell you what to do, but I'm telling you what I would do.

Once your ears have healed and you feel comfortable, you can ramp up the exposure so you see how they react to increased stimulus, so you can build yourself a therapeutic path to a concert.

I know my advice is probably going to be ignored, but that's ok, I'm used to it: I have a 3 year old at home!

I know earplugs is a must but anything else i want to have perfect hearing.

If you want perfect hearing, you better protect those ears.

 

[Hopeful1]

Simple...by not going to one....i cant think of any better answer.

If you want to go anyway....there is no ear plug that protect you from 120db tharlt concerts do. So, take a professional sound meter which costs 300 pounds upwards......take foam ear plugs and say they reduced sound by 33db....count on them for only 20 db reduction...safe db level is 75db that is for normal people not people like us where there is some damage already.... if your sound meter says 95db( 75 + 20 ) or above then run for your life!!!

 

[NimQ]

I don't want to ruin your plans, but I feel the need to express a warning. Many concerts are insanely loud and even if your earplugs are of a high quality, they just may not be able to reduce enough decibels.

I had a mild tinnitus, got it back in 2011 from an acoustic trauma. It was a very high and quiet beep in one ear and back then losing silence was horrible. Eventually I got used to it. At times I would miss being able to enjoy the quiet, but ultimately it wasn't bothering me much or interfering with my day-to-day life. This changed ~4 months ago, probably permanently.

I attended an electronic music concert and as always after getting my mild tinnitus, I was wearing a safe choice of earplugs. I could feel the music being really loud, but many years had passed since my first onset and I had been in several concerts with earplugs preventing further T damage. In other words, I thought it was safe - I guess I had lulled myself into this whole "just protect your ears and you'll be fine" mantra - which is bullshit when decibels climb as high as they do in many concerts.

The end result? Those mere 2-3 hours I spent in that concert gave me a lot worse tinnitus. My one mild high pitch sound in right ear developed into a nightmare of numerous different, screeching sounds now in both ears. A dull beep in my left one and a set of different frequencies in my right one, with this disruptive spiky quality to it. Since it also became reactive, I now get a cacophony in my head just for being stressed or after a normal noisy day out & about. I am constantly in fear of it getting worse and I get spikes even from short loud sounds. I have only just now realized how freaking loud the whole world is and it feels like everyday is a struggle to keep my tinnitus at bay.

So there is is, a very short version of my story. I would have wanted to know this before I attended the damned concert in September - I keep wishing I never went! I know it might feel like overreacting to not attend concerts anymore, but this is something that you risk happening. And perhaps going to concerts is very important to you and you are therefore willing to take the risk. Perhaps nothing bad happens. I just wanted you to know the possibility, that is all.

 

[VRZ78]

Simple...by not going to one....i cant think of any better answer.

If you want to go anyway....there is no ear plug that protect you from 120db tharlt concerts do. So, take a professional sound meter which costs 300 pounds upwards......take foam ear plugs and say they reduced sound by 33db....count on them for only 20 db reduction...safe db level is 75db that is for normal people not people like us where there is some damage already.... if your sound meter says 95db( 75 + 20 ) or above then run for your life!!!

Actually if you live in Europe there is a big chance that your country limit the noise allowed at shows or clubs. Where I live it is limited at 105 db. But hardly any concert goes at that level, if you're at the back it will usually by around 95 db.
Plus if you don't have hyperacousis or if everyday noises don't make your T spike then you won't have any damage at 75 dB especially for like one hour and a half...

 

[VRZ78]

Take a Decibel meter and if the level is above 95 db leave

 

[Rubenslash]

I agree with most posts here, be careful. I am not saying you shouldn't go but if you somehow get the feeling it feels loud even with ear plugs, just leave. You wouldn't be the first one coming back from a concert with a T five times worse than before.

 

[Greg Clarke]

I think you should go and enjoy it. I still regularly attend concerts myself. I hit Meshuggah in Dublin last night, you won't get much louder than that and I'm fine - no changes.

Good earplugs and keep away from the front.

Once again I see people saying the dB level hits 125 etc. That's an exaggeration. Maybe in an arena at the front of the stage but most gigs average 88-95.

Obviously this is my recommendation based on my own experience the choice is ultimately yours.....

 

[RaZaH]

Count the posts from people that went to concerts and regret it , then decide.
You are early , I would not go to any concerts or loud events for a few months.

 

[racerfish]

Rock concerts for me at this point are totally out of the question, even with plugs. I agree with another user that said to bring a decibel meter and leave if it goes over a certain threshold. Definitely wear ear protection and don't be close to any speakers if you can. Weigh the desire to go to the concert very, very carefully with your willingness to live with a possible increase in your tinnitus that might be permanent.

 

[racerfish]

I think you should go and enjoy it. I still regularly attend concerts myself. I hit Meshuggah in Dublin last night, you won't get much louder than that and I'm fine - no changes.

Good earplugs and keep away from the front.

Once again I see people saying the dB level hits 125 etc. That's an exaggeration. Maybe in an arena at the front of the stage but most gigs average 88-95.

Obviously this is my recommendation based on my own experience the choice is ultimately yours.....

The National Institute of Health states that rock concerts are around 110-120 dB and can go as high as 140 dB if you're right in front of a speaker.

https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000495.htm

 

[linearb]

@VRZ78 wearing 32db rated earplugs in 107db noise is not at all the same as being in 75db noise.

 

[Sam Bridge]

hi

I have been to a few concerts since t with 20db ear plugs and have had no increase. Everyone is different though and ultimately its down to your judgement.

 

[Ed209]

I think you should go and enjoy it. I still regularly attend concerts myself. I hit Meshuggah in Dublin last night, you won't get much louder than that and I'm fine - no changes.

Good earplugs and keep away from the front.

Once again I see people saying the dB level hits 125 etc. That's an exaggeration. Maybe in an arena at the front of the stage but most gigs average 88-95.

Obviously this is my recommendation based on my own experience the choice is ultimately yours.....

Yea I agree with you here. 125db is insanely loud. I've read people on here saying the cinema can be around 130db!! I was at a gig in a bar last Friday and it was averaging around 90db. I reckon a hall or arena gig is gonna hit around 105db to possibly 110db if you're nearer the front. Stand well away from the speakers and you should find a sweet spot where it's a lot quieter.

Out of interest I'd add that Corey Taylor recently said that Slipknot gigs peak at 109db.

It's down to common sense. Use good ear plugs (correctly inserted) and take a SPL meter if you're not sure about the noise; stay away from speakers, take breaks and don't be afraid to walk away if it's stupidly loud. If you're not 100% then don't go. The anxiety of going, thinking you could cause damage, is just as bad.

 

[Greg Clarke]

The National Institute of Health states that rock concerts are around 110-120 dB and can go as high as 140 dB if you're right in front of a speaker.

https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000495.htm

Well I beg to differ. It's a vague statement. I've played in bands all my life and have always attended concerts. There's no way the average concert is that loud. Think about it, if a show reached 140dB , everybody's ears would be blown.

 

[VRZ78]

Yea I agree with differe theates insanely loud. I've read people on here saying the cinema can be around 130db!! I was at a gig in a bar last Friday and it was averaging around 90db. I reckon a hall or arena gig is gonna hit around 105db to possibly 110db if you're nearer the front. Stand well away from the speakers and you should find a sweet spot where it's a lot quieter.

Out of interest I'd add that Corey Taylor recently said that Slipknot gigs peak at 109db.

It's down to common sense. Use good ear plugs (correctly inserted) and take a SPL meter if you're not sure about the noise; stay away from speakers, take breaks and don't be afraid to walk away if it's stupidly loud. If you're not 100% then don't go. The anxiety of going, thinking you could cause damage, is just as bad.

For the movies I read a study which measured sound level at different theaters and the max they measurer is 98.8 db. Still insanely loud for a movie... It's not rare that movies pick above 85db.
But yeah for shows the band and the sound guys are not stupid they know that high sound level will wreck your ears and you could sue if they are above the legal limit. It's probably different for shitty venues or non official underground events in weird places.

 

[Sam Bridge]

For the movies I read a study which measured sound level at different theaters and the max they measurer is 98.8 db. Still insanely loud for a movie... It's not rare that movies pick above 85db.
But yeah for shows the band and the sound guys are not stupid they know that high sound level will wreck your ears and you could sue if they are above the legal limit. It's probably different for shitty venues or non official underground events in weird places.

Surely the legal limit is still too high if its giving people t?

 

[VRZ78]

Surely the legal limit is still too high if its giving people t?

Yeah limit is 105 db on average with pick at 120. Way too high don't go to a show without plugs. But yeah not a lot of shows go above 100 db. Especially if you're in the middle of the city I doubt the place would be able to blast 120 db every night in the city center.

Regarding clubs I've been to 2 which displayed the dB live in the clubs and both were between 90 and 95 so it's possible to find plugs where I'd say you can go quite safely with plugs. Personally I find this level of volume perfect because you can still talk to your friends... But a report stated that several clubs were above the 105 average limit.

 

[Ed209]

For the movies I read a study which measured sound level at different theaters and the max they measurer is 98.8 db. Still insanely loud for a movie... It's not rare that movies pick above 85db.
But yeah for shows the band and the sound guys are not stupid they know that high sound level will wreck your ears and you could sue if they are above the legal limit. It's probably different for shitty venues or non official underground events in weird places.

Exactly VRZ, that's what I've tried to tell people on here in the past. 130db for a cinema is ludicrous, and would literally empty the room.

Again, it comes down to people overestimating how loud certain situations really are.

Concerts can hit 130db but it's extremely rare, and is usually certain bands in certain venues. Your average concert, and this includes metal bands and such, would be between 90 - 115db, depending where you are. If you stand right at the back it's possible in some places to get it under 90db.

115db would be at the front which is an obvious no go area. This would still only be certain bands however. The front row could be circa 100db in a lot of other cases.

 

[RaZaH]

There is a difference between RMS- average dB values and peak. Usually a Iphone db meter , which is crap to begin with will not necessarily record the peaks , only the mean value . There is also a weight value to different dB readings.
If I remember correctly the RMS to peak value is 1.4 X the RMS .I am rusty in this ..so

Most "safe" dB figures are also calculated including time of exposure as a factor.
Db's are also logarithmic so a small digit increase is a much larger real life increase.
There is also bone conduction to consider when using earplugs, bass etc.

If you have a real, proper, life changing problem with T , going to a concert at all is just bananas.
Never mind the numbers on your phone app.

 

[Ed209]

Surely the legal limit is still too high if its giving people t?

The problem with live music Sam is that it's hard to control the peak sound. I played a wedding once and the venue had a decibel control limit which cut the equipment if you went over the threshold for so many seconds. It would constantly flash green every time it heard sounds that were acceptable, and would turn red when it was too loud. For the entire gig we never made it go red once, but I don't know what the threshold was. At the time I wasn't concerned about decibels at all (it just never crossed my mind) but you look back retrospectively and realise this venue was on the ball.

 

[Sam Bridge]

The problem with live music Sam is that it's hard to control the peak sound. I played a wedding once and the venue had a decibel control limit which cut the equipment if you went over the threshold for so many seconds. It would constantly flash green every time it heard sounds that were acceptable, and would turn red when it was too loud. For the entire gig we never made it go red once, but I don't know what the threshold was. At the time I wasn't concerned about decibels at all (it just never crossed my mind) but you look back retrospectively and realise this venue was on the ball.

Ah thats interesting. I've decided im going to go to a concert later this year after taking almost a year off. Reason being is that this site scared me a alot but looking back i never had any increases after concerts, and of course i used alpine ear plugs.

 

[Ed209]

Ah thats interesting. I've decided im going to go to a concert later this year after taking almost a year off. Reason being is that this site scared me a alot but looking back i never had any increases after concerts, and of course i used alpine ear plugs.

If you use good ear plugs and stay near the back I personally don't see an issue (as long as the sound is not crazily loud). People will say 'what about bone conduction, or bass frequencies!', but again, I don't see this as an issue either. Air conduction is the main concern; bone conduction is already around 40db less and no where near the intensity that hits you through the air. Bass frequencies are generally the least problematic - that's not to say they aren't dangerous - but high pitched sounds pose more of a threat and are far more damaging. As long as you are sensible, and don't go all the time, I think it's fine. But, that's just my opinion.

If you have H and it's not an enjoyable experience, or if music is not really your thing anyway, then the solution is really simple: don't go.

 

[Sam Bridge]

If you use good ear plugs and stay near the back I personally don't see an issue (as long as the sound is not crazily loud). People will say 'what about bone conduction, or bass frequencies!', but again, I don't see this as an issue either. Air conduction is the main concern; bone conduction is already around 40db less and no where near the intensity that hits you through the air. Bass frequencies are generally the least problematic - that's not to say they aren't dangerous - but high pitched sounds pose more of a threat and are far more damaging. As long as you are sensible, and don't go all the time, I think it's fine. But, that's just my opinion.

If you have H and it's not an enjoyable experience, or if music is not really your thing anyway, then the solution is really simple: don't go.

I don't plan on going often, maybe 2-3 times a year. I know of people that have t that still go (with plugs) and wouldnt consider not going. I guess personality plays a big part in this.

How loud have those bar/pub gigs that you have been to been?

 

[Ed209]

I don't plan on going often, maybe 2-3 times a year. I know of people that have t that still go (with plugs) and wouldnt consider not going. I guess personality plays a big part in this.

How loud have those bar/pub gigs that you have been to been?

Personality plays a monumental role in all of this. I know lots of people, personally, with varying degrees of T who are not 'worriers' like I am. They all carry on going to clubs or gigs, rightly or wrongly, and in most cases without ear plugs! This is what I don't understand; how can people still go with no protection? Some of the guys I'm talking about have T quite bad as well.

A couple of guys I know wear earplugs around all loud sound and are pretty much inline with how I deal with it. The only difference is that they both still play in their bands and I don't. We had a deep discussion about this last time I saw him, ironically at a birthday party which had a band playing. He told me it took him 3 years to get over it, to his point of total acceptance. Now he doesn't care at all and is as happy as he was pre T, back playing live.

 

[Jason Davids]

Thank you for the advice everyone. Turns out i got an ear infection! Is in right ear but also it rings on the left too. hope to feel better soon god bless