What's More Damaging? Clapping to Your Head Once or Being in a Bar (Only Chatter) for a Few Hours?

Just wanted to get a question and answer thread going on things compared to other things and which could pose a bigger risk to your hearing/tinnitus. So here's my question,

Which is worse, someone clapping close to your head once, or being in a bar (no live music just chatter) for a few hours?

 

So basically 120-130 decibels for a second or 85-90 for a few hours.

 

Well...I would prefer the clap to the bar noise. I can handle sudden sounds fairly well. I can't handle loud sustained noise. I suppose it would depend on your circumstances right?

 

I'd tend to agree, but I'm talking actually physical damage.

 

I think that loud impulse sounds cause more damage. The stapedial reflex does not have time to activate and the inner ear gets the sound in the face full force.

 

I sense there are others here (@Nucleo?) with more scientific knowledge than me. But I think neither scenario poses a serious long-term risk to your tinnitus or hearing. Protecting our ears and hearing is important, before and after tinnitus. But I think tinnitus tends to make some of us (including me initially) hyper vigilant.

 

Well a clap is more of a split second thing rather than an actual second...I know it's arguing symantics but it makes a difference and I'd be genuinely surprised if a clap was 130db.

A gunshot on the other hand is a different story...

 

Look up the sound exposure guide lines and articles on the actual purpose of the acoustic reflex. It is a temporary reflex which provides minimal attenuation. You could withstand 121 dB for 5-7 with out doing damage. A clap is generally 95 db if loud. This is a pointless thread though.

 

Man, whatever if it's a pointless thread. Every thread is pointless if you don't care about it. What's pointless to some might matter to others. Keep your negativity to yourself, it's not like the website has a finite amount of space as to not be able to have one more post on it. Thanks for the info, but kindly go away.

 

Good question, but it depends on some variables like the proximity of the clap to you ear- if its from 10feet away, that is much better than 10inches away full force clap, in which case I would prefer the bar.
There are documented incidences of people getting tinnitus and hearing loss from a kiss on the ear!

 

I wouldn't say "pointless" as much as "counterproductive", because endless speculation along lines of thinking which express excessive anxiety about usual sound, probably help fuel tinnitus obsession.

 

You'll get tinnitus from anything...Blooming evolution haha

 

I apologize for sounding negative. Seriously that's not me and I didn't mean to belittle a real fear you have . Please accept my apology if I came off that way. Oh and and btw the last post was directed at @Nucleo in response to his answer. I didn't mean to offend or belittle again.

 

I think this is a better way of putting it.

 

Sudden percussive noises are usually the worst. I can not be in the same room as a drummer without full ear protection.