I Made a Stupid Mistake by Going Into a Bar without Earplugs — Tinnitus Now Worse

[Strife_84]

It's been over 3 years since I got tinnitus & hyperacusis. It's been a long fight and for the last 6 months I have barely even noticed my tinnitus or hyperacusis anymore, they were almost gone. I was happy.

Then last weekend my friends asked me out for a night. I thought "Oh well. It's been years since I've been out with my friends. And my ears feel like they used to before the accident! I can be there for an hour".

Oh how wrong I was. 1 hour inside the bar and now I've got much louder tinnitus again. Gladly, my hyperacusis did not get worse, but I can hear my tinnitus more clearly again. Can't honestly remember the last time tinnitus even bothered my life.

I am so mad at myself. And also scared a bit. I've had similar long lasting spikes before, but of course I worry that it will stay.

Why I didn't use earplugs? Well, I guess I wanted to seem "normal". And that was a stupid mistake. In the future, I really cannot afford to think what people think about me using earplugs in a bar. Probably I don't ever go into a bar - even with earplugs.

I've been so careful with my ears during these years. Avoided loud places, used ear-protection when using power tools, vacuuming etc. and I was so happy. I was so happy I've survived this condition and it's been slowly improving. It's the best feeling on earth when you finally hear crickets again during the summer.

You notice that "hey, that sound that used to hurt doesn't hurt my ear anymore!" or "Wow, I just had a moment of silence". Those are amazing things when you experience them. You feel hopeful.

Then I do one stupid mistake and beat myself about it. Well, I can only hope it gets better.

Be careful people.

 

[SamRosemary]

Don't beat yourself up. What's done is done. I might have been screwing myself this whole time because, since my hearing's fine and I didn't have any acoustic trauma, I haven't been protecting my ears at all. Fireworks, bars, festivals, nothing. Now I'm realizing that probably has been very bad for my situation. But we are here now. Just have to be more careful going forward. From what I've seen online and in all the groups- spikes go away. Some last a few days or a few weeks but they mostly go away.

 

[Michael Leigh]

Then I do one stupid mistake and beat myself about it. Well, I can only hope it gets better.

Hi Strife,

I am sorry to hear about the increase in your tinnitus and understand the difficulties that you are going through at the moment. Try not to feel too disheartened for making an error in judgement, as you weren't to know of the potential risks involved, since your tinnitus reduced to such a low level your brain was able to dismiss it for most of the time. This happens quite a lot to people that have successfully habituated to noise induced tinnitus for over a year, then at some point notice a resurgence of the tinnitus.

In many instances the increase in tinnitus is caused by the person being subjected to further loud noise, usually more than once which has irritated the auditory system. Unfortunately, the affected individual is usually unaware they are putting themselves at risk. The wearing of earplugs is no guarantee they won't be adversely affected. If external sound is loud enough, it will pass through the head and transfer to the inner ear by bone conduction which can cause irritation and spike the tinnitus. Sometimes the spike will reduce, or it can increase the tinnitus for quite some time.

Anyone that has habituated to noise induced tinnitus, I suggest they don't listen to audio through headphones, earbuds or headsets even at low volume, as there's the risk of making the tinnitus worse. This may not happen immediately but each time headphones are used, they are putting themselves at risk.

Please click on the link below and read my post: Can I Habituate to Variable Tinnitus?

All the best,
Michael

Can I Habituate to Variable Tinnitus? | Tinnitus Talk Support Forum

 

[Strife_84]

Hi Strife,

I am sorry to hear about the increase in your tinnitus and understand the difficulties that you are going through at the moment. Try not to feel too disheartened for making an error in judgement, as you weren't to know of the potential risks involved, since your tinnitus reduced to such a low level your brain was able to dismiss it for most of the time. This happens quite a lot to people that have successfully habituated to noise induced tinnitus for over a year, then at some point notice a resurgence of the tinnitus.

In many instances the increase in tinnitus is caused by the person being subjected to further loud noise, usually more than once which has irritated the auditory system. Unfortunately, the affected individual is usually unaware they are putting themselves at risk. The wearing of earplugs is no guarantee they won't be adversely affected. If external sound is loud enough, it will pass through the head and transfer to the inner ear by bone conduction which can cause irritation and spike the tinnitus. Sometimes the spike will reduce, or it can increase the tinnitus for quite some time.

Anyone that has habituated to noise induced tinnitus, I suggest they don't listen to audio through headphones, earbuds or headsets even at low volume, as there's the risk of making the tinnitus worse. This may not happen immediately but each time headphones are used, they are putting themselves at risk.

Please click on the link below and read my post: Can I Habituate to Variable Tinnitus?

All the best,
Michael

Can I Habituate to Variable Tinnitus? | Tinnitus Talk Support Forum

I never replied to you, it seems. Thank you for your answer. I eventually recovered from that spike, and after that, I avoided loud places. I did experience a few more spikes later, one from a dentist visit and another from a bar, which was actually very quiet. Still, I managed to live a pretty good life after recovering from that initial spike.

But once again, a week ago, I made a huge mistake by going to a bar and a club. This time, I thought I was well prepared and kept my earplugs in the entire time. I just wanted to have a good time with my school friends. Despite taking precautions, I still ended up with a significant spike afterward. It was a hard lesson learned.

The frustrating part is that during the night, I felt no discomfort at all. The music level seemed fine with my earplugs in, and I made sure they were properly fitted. Yet, despite feeling secure, I ended up with a bad spike, fullness in my ears, slightly increased sensitivity, and a higher level of tinnitus. I have experienced worse spikes over the years, but the fear of not knowing whether it will become permanent is always there.

I think this situation was bound to happen eventually. Ever since I started studying again in fall 2022, I wondered if I could handle a normal social life with earplugs. It felt disappointing to miss out on events with my school friends. But now, I have my answer and no longer need to question it.

I will never go to any place louder than a food restaurant, even with earplugs. It does not matter, even if the president himself invited me. It is simply not worth it. And I no longer have to wonder if I can go to bars or clubs with earplugs. I cannot.

Having your health is more important than anything in this world.

 

[Jupiterman]

Harsh lesson, but well learned.

Let others learn from this experience.

 

[Jammer]

Bone conduction worsening tinnitus is a genuine consequence of relying on earplugs when you believe you are protected.

 

[Michael Leigh]

But once again, a week ago, I made a huge mistake by going to a bar and a club. This time, I thought I was well prepared and kept my earplugs in the entire time. I just wanted to have a good time with my school friends. Despite taking precautions, I still ended up with a significant spike afterward. It was a hard lesson learned.

Some people who have noise-induced tinnitus believe that wearing earplugs will keep them safe when going to a bar or club where loud music is played. However, this is not necessarily true. If external sound is loud enough, it can pass through the head and reach the inner ear via bone conduction. This can cause a tinnitus spike, as in your case, or even lead to a new, permanent increase in tinnitus. Therefore, it is essential to be cautious.

The key is to be careful, but this does not mean you should avoid places where music is played. I suspect your auditory system is hypersensitive to certain sound levels. I also believe you may benefit from treatment to reduce this sound sensitivity. One of the most effective approaches is sound enrichment, ideally using white noise generators under the supervision of an audiologist who specializes in tinnitus and hyperacusis management.

If you prefer self-help, you can use a sound machine for sound enrichment. It is best not to sleep in a completely quiet room. Place a sound machine by your bedside and set the volume low. You can find more information on sound enrichment by reading my threads mentioned below.

• Hyperacusis, As I See It
• Wearing White Noise Generators
• Tinnitus, Earplugs, and Nightclubs
• Sound Machines and Tinnitus
• I Have Noise-Induced Tinnitus, What Should I Do?

All the best,
Michael

 

[Ken219]

I never replied to you, it seems. Thank you for your answer. I eventually recovered from that spike, and after that, I avoided loud places. I did experience a few more spikes later, one from a dentist visit and another from a bar, which was actually very quiet. Still, I managed to live a pretty good life after recovering from that initial spike.

But once again, a week ago, I made a huge mistake by going to a bar and a club. This time, I thought I was well prepared and kept my earplugs in the entire time. I just wanted to have a good time with my school friends. Despite taking precautions, I still ended up with a significant spike afterward. It was a hard lesson learned.

The frustrating part is that during the night, I felt no discomfort at all. The music level seemed fine with my earplugs in, and I made sure they were properly fitted. Yet, despite feeling secure, I ended up with a bad spike, fullness in my ears, slightly increased sensitivity, and a higher level of tinnitus. I have experienced worse spikes over the years, but the fear of not knowing whether it will become permanent is always there.

I think this situation was bound to happen eventually. Ever since I started studying again in fall 2022, I wondered if I could handle a normal social life with earplugs. It felt disappointing to miss out on events with my school friends. But now, I have my answer and no longer need to question it.

I will never go to any place louder than a food restaurant, even with earplugs. It does not matter, even if the president himself invited me. It is simply not worth it. And I no longer have to wonder if I can go to bars or clubs with earplugs. I cannot.

Having your health is more important than anything in this world.

You may think you are well prepared. However, you should research real-life Noise Reduction Rating (NRR) values. They are often much lower than the NRR listed on the package.

 

[Strife_84]

Bone conduction worsening tinnitus is a genuine consequence of relying on earplugs when you believe you are protected.

Yeah, I never thought about bone conduction. I could have been better off with my AirPods Max on. But what happened, happened. Now I can only hope to recover. For the rest of my life, no more bars or clubs, and the library is my new best friend.

 

[PeterParker]

I recently experienced a spike due to Delta 9, which a friend persuaded me to try because it was cheap. It was a bad decision. My initial permanent tinnitus actually started from a brief but intense exposure to sound. Specifically, it was caused by a one-second blast at full volume from an iPhone using some cheap Apple earbuds, triggered by a sudden switch from Bluetooth. This happened before sound maximum limits were built into devices. Fortunately, it only affected one ear.

Despite this, I have never had a spike from regular concerts, even loud ones, or from attending "Rammstein" concerts with earplugs, where the sound levels can reach 150 dB—something I believe is harmful to public health in general.

Regarding bone conduction, I had never heard of it in this context. I am aware of bone conduction headphones, but I find the idea of bone conduction from air soundwaves questionable. While sound can travel through the body to the ears, I do not believe it is enough to damage or irritate hair cells in the inner ear. In my experience, high-volume environments are usually just physically uncomfortable unless someone is heavily intoxicated.

Most noise-canceling headphones combine passive and active noise reduction. Active noise cancellation works by creating a counter sound wave to incoming noise, which is more about altering perception rather than providing physical protection. The passive seal of most consumer headphones—like those from Sony or Bose—is decent but nowhere near the protection offered by industrial foam earplugs rated at 33 dB. For serious hearing protection, it is best to use products designed for industrial settings or gun ranges rather than consumer-grade options like AirPods.

Interestingly, there are gun-range earmuffs equipped with built-in microphones and speakers. These allow the user to hear ambient sounds, like instructions from a range master, while blocking dangerously loud noise. Admittedly, they may look odd at a concert or movie theater, but they are worth considering for effective hearing protection.

 

[Jupiterman]

Regarding bone conduction, I had never heard of it in this context.

You'd do well to researc it and learn.

I find the idea of bone conduction from air soundwaves questionable.

You can't hear external sounds AT ALL with earplugs in?

This is a most irresponsible act of ignorance, considering the damage the original poster has suffered and what others have experienced from bone conduction due to "air soundwaves."

Consider yourself lucky that your tinnitus doesn't worsen when wearing earplugs in loud environments.

While sound can travel through the body to the ears, I do not believe it is enough to damage or irritate hair cells in the inner ear.

Utter rubbish and dangerous to assert on this forum.

In my experience, high-volume environments are usually just physically uncomfortable...

Your experience is interesting to know, but certainly not factually true for everyone else.

@PeterParker, be thankful your tinnitus hasn't gotten to a point where it worsens from bone conduction. I hope it remains that way for you.