Spike from Loud Music (Approx 90 dB) or Maybe from Alcohol? Or Maybe Just a Product of Worrying?

Hello,

Yesterday I attended a birthday party. It was very crowded and inside a fairly large hall with a DJ. The music was terribly loud, my dB app measured it around 90 dB, and I was there for about 4 to 5 hours with some small breaks in between.

Of course I wore my trusty custom made Elacin earplugs which are supposed to reduce the sound by approximately 20 dB, so it should bring down the sounds level well within safe exposure levels. It was great fun, had some (a lot) of beers and everything seemed fine when I got home, my tinnitus was actually quite low.

But today I woke up with pretty bad ringing, now I am worried my earplugs might have some leakage as they are a couple of years old and I was supposed to replace them in August of last year.

Of course it is very well possible my spike might be just the product of worrying and/or the alcohol.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated, thanks!

 

I always get a spike after alcohol. Try not to think about it

You might consider getting some magnesium - it might not help but will make you feel more proactive and "like you're doing something about it".

Take care

 

For years I had trusted my custom earplugs but always suspicious about their effectiveness regardless of their ratings because I can still hear everything loud and clear (OK maybe less loud). Their comfort is hard to beat. I finally gave up and now use only squeshy plugs that you must squeeze to fit. They just seal much better and the difference in sound reduction is huge, even with same ratings as custom. I hate to give up the expensive and comfortable custom plugs but the false sense of security is very dangerous.

 

How are you feeling today? Did it settle?

 

Sounds like a delayed spike from the noise exposure, and with tinnitus from NIHL, it remains the ever threat. Alcohol can also contribute to this both directly from causing tinnitus, and also indirectly as it makes the person less aware of how loud the exposure really is, exacerbating the damage.

Hey, stuff happens, and just try to promote healing by avoiding additional noise exposure. Can also try some omega-3 supplements that may help as they can be anti-inflammatory.

 

I agree. I have found that my custom molded plugs will leak sound in when I open my mouth I got a spike after wearing them too. I don't trust them anymore for loud environments and plan to use foam ones instead.

 

It might be that your earplugs weren't up to scratch - but there are dangers in relying on earplugs to reduce the impact of loud noise - especially very high noise levels which can lead to bone-conduction of sound (which even the best earplugs can't prevent). Hopefully your tinnitus will settle down again soon but it is a warning signal that long periods of very loud noise exposure are a bad idea even with earplugs.

 

I just got back from the audiologist and they did a leak test.

The left plug, the one where my tinnitus is and the ear with the most hearing loss was fine and showed no leakage, it damped between 23 and even 40 dB in some frequencies, but the right one was terrible and almost dampened nothing from leakage, maximum 10 dB and in some frequencies even nothing!

They rudimentarily tested my hearing and it did not seem to show any major hearing loss but they advised to do a proper and extensive test with an ENT just to be sure.

I am taking a corticosteroid course as precaution and ordered a new set of Variphone plugs, pretty damn expensive but well worth the money in my opinion.

They also advised to do an annual leakage test to make sure they are providing optimal protection.

So fingers crossed the spike will be temporary.

On a side note, they handed out free foam ear plugs at the entrance, the crappy yellow ones, but I don't think I saw anyone wear them

 

HI @Bart

I am sorry to hear about the increase in your tinnitus and hope it settles down soon. Please remember, one can be wearing the best earplugs or moulded type ear protection but, if external sound is loud enough, it can spike the tinnitus, by passing through the head/skull and being transferred to the inner ear by bone conduction. This could be what has happened in your case, since you stayed at the venue for 4hrs or more. Using a decibel app or dedicated sound level meter, is no guarantee that external sound is safe as sound can bounce of the walls and floor.

Hope you start to feel better soon.
Michael

 

@Bart

How are custom modeled earplugs made? I don’t have a pair but are looking into it. How do they take the mold?

Did your doctor prescribe the meds?

 

I don’t think alcohol is ototoxic like certain antibiotics, but can cause temporary spikes in tinnitus due to blood pressure changes like caffeine.

 

How are you doing @Bart?

 

"Drinking alcohol increases blood flow to the inner ear, which can cause tinnitus – a ringing, buzzing or swooshing sound in the ears. This condition can resolve itself in a few hours, but can still be quite annoying while it is present. Excessive drinking on a regular basis can lead to permanent tinnitus."

https://www.hearingaiddoctors.com/news/how-alcohol-affects-your-hearing-1425079252143.html

I honestly don't know either if alcohol is as ototoxic as some drugs, such as aminogylcosides, but the above reference would indicate to me that it has some potential. The more common case is that I would think that the alcohol lets the person stay longer exposed to the louder sounds, like at a bar, and then the NIHL version of T develops. Either way, this hardly helps the T.

 

I think that if you are an alcoholic or someone who drinks everyday this may be an issue. But drinking casually a couple times a week shouldn't be an issue.

 

Most drugs toxicity are dose dependent, so that is most likely correct. It does not seem, once again, that we have enough good research to really have a solid answer to the question of alcohol and T.

 

@Stu1983 I am doing a bit better, thanks, fingers crossed!

@Jack Straw

Custom Earplugs - how do they get made?

The audiologist fills up both ear canals with some sort of wax and let that harden out for a couple of minutes before removing it, that mold gets than send to a lab where they use it to create a perfect fitting earplug, you can choose between a wide range of filters for different needs, they are quite expensive but well worth the money in my opinion.

I always have some Medrol at hand, I just need to call my doctor for a prescription and I can get them for free at the pharmacist. It is standard treatment where I live for hearing loss/tinnitus, 9 day courses including the taper.

 

@Bart

A little nervous about them putting a wax like material in my ear. How did it feel when they took it out?

 

It does not feel uncomfortable at all , it is done by proffesionals who know what they are doing, the procedure is perfectly safe . After the mold is taken, it takes about 10 minutes , you have to wait about 15 days untill the actual earplugs are made based on the mold , they first do a leakage test to make sure they fit perfectly and provide optimal protection, custom made earplugs are the gold standard, those horrid foam ones always have leakage .

 

@Bart
What companies are reputable?

 

@Jack Straw Elacin and Variphone .

 

@Bart any updates on the spike? Feeling better?

 

Does anybody know how deeply they usually make these? If it's close enough to the eardrum it should eliminate the occlusion effect, but I have heard that if it's that close it will be really uncomfortable.

I just had impressions made for a set of interchangeable filtered earplugs, hoping that will eliminate some of the occlusion effect, but I'm unsure.

I asked the audiologist for one with the max NRR possible and one where I could adjust the attenuation, but he kept trying to convince me that 'less is more' and that I didn't need the max protection. This was the first time I've met this audiologist and I'm not really sure if he understood my history or was really listening to me.

 

I have had two sets made in the past (one musician and one solid silicone) and while it does feel a bit weird, and a little pressure when they put the material in to made a cast of your ear, I've never had any issues.

If you can try finding a place that specializes with hearing aids or other services for the deaf or hard of hearing. For example, here in my province there is the Western Institute for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. They made my musician ear plugs and were super mellow and explained the whole process to me.

I've used them many times on and off, so they are a good investment and give a bit more security compared to just regular ear plugs.

 

Are the musician ones the ones with interchangeable inserts? If so, when you put in the fullest insert do they block out as much noise as the solid ones?

How does the noise reduction compare to deeply inserted foam earplugs?

 

Not to mention the potential to hit the drum and do damage. I would stay away from anything that gets close to my ear drum. It's a very fragile structure with a mechanical linkage to the cochlea.

 

I believe some of the musician earplugs have interchangeable filters. Mine are permanent so I can't change them out, but they have the highest level of filters.

They block out a decent about of sound, but also allow me to hear surrounding sounds - which is good if you are going to a concert or a movie (which is when I've used them). However, if you are around stuff that has impulse sounds (construction equipment) or a real loud concert then the solid ear plugs are a better way to go in my opinion. I don't have to use them often, but when I do they definitely have helped me out.

If it is a custom set of ear plugs, then you shouldn't be able to push them in anywhere near the ear drum. The biggest issue that you can have is occasionally ear wax can become a bit impacted. Which I've had issues with on and off.