If You Yell for a Second, Do You Think It Could Make Tinnitus Worse?

Hello Dr. Nagler! I have looked through forums a good bit and all, but I was just wondering your opinion on this:

If I yell pretty loudly for like a second, do you think that would damage hearing/make tinnitus louder at all? I did that a couple of weeks ago to get my brother’s attention who was in another room.

 

Hello @Gerbit -

Interesting question about yelling. I had to do a bit of research!

So it turns out that the loudest yell ever measured was produced from the vocal cords of a Belfast grade school teacher, who yelled "Quiet" at an ear-splitting 121.7dB. She was quick to clarify that she never used that particular weapon of torture in the classroom. It was actually measured at a summer camp yelling contest. (You can't make this stuff up!)

A typical very loud yell might be more along the lines of 100dB, which is comparable to the noise level produced by an approaching subway train. Of course, crowd noise at football stadiums can get substantially louder - up to 140dB.

Noise-induced auditory damage is a function of both loudness and the length of time exposed to that loudness. According to OSHA (the Occupational Safety and Heath Administration), workers can be exposed to noises as loud as 110dB for 30 minutes every day without risking auditory damage. I would tend to adjust that figure downward a bit; but regardless, I think that it is highly unlikely that yelling "pretty loudly for like a second" could damage your hearing. Could it make your tinnitus louder? Maybe briefly, but I doubt lastingly.

Hope this helps -

Stephen M. Nagler, M.D.