Hearing Loss After a Concert - How Long?

[A Y]

People in the audio industry have noticed that many more young people have damaged hearing than a decade or two ago. Some of these people develop audio codecs like MP3 and AAC, and part of finding and screening test subjects involves a hearing test, and it's getting difficult to find people without some amount of hearing damage already --- they're finding 20 year olds with hearing losses you'd normally see in 50 or 60 year olds.

--Andre

 

[designprofessor]

I'm one of the nerds that puts cotton or a little tissue in my ears for shows. It does the trick. No ringing, and the shows are so loud, its not like your missing anything.

 

[A Y]

Cotton won't work as well as earplugs, because they don't block out as wide a range of frequencies or as much sound, but I suppose it's better than nothing. Earplugs are cheap easy to find at your local drug store and they don't look as nerdy! Or if you want to get fancy, you can try the hi-fi ear plugs from Etymotic:

http://www.etymotic.com/

I have both, and prefer the comfort and ease-of-use of the disposable ones (the flesh-colored ones that are deformable --- they have a pretty garish purple and yellow logo, but I can't remember their name). I use them on plane flights too, and I think I arrive more relaxed and refreshed than without them.

--Andre

 

[sam]

I have the Etymotic ER-20's. They're small, preserve sound quality very well, and are only $12.

 

[denning]

One of my best friends went to a concert and suffered permanent hearing damage as a result. It wasn't even supposed to be a loud or raucous concert either. Always, always, always wear earplugs when going to a concert.

 

[mcflip]

You did damage your ears, and that sort of thing is cumulative. I did it a bunch of times and while I'm sure I damaged my ears, I'm nowhere near as bad off as members of my band who can't hear for **** anymore.

Just wear earplugs. Wear toilet paper if you forget, but be careful not to stuff it too far down your ear canal or it'll get stuck and you'll have to go to the emergency room.

 

[Manny Calavera]

After a Go! Team show at Black Cat I had ringing for over a week. I was pretty miserable and couldn't sleep. It definitely depends on where you were positioned in comparison to amps and whatnot. Oh, and don't depend on plugs. I have a nice pair of Etymotics also but if you end up next to a stack (which happens to me a lot as I have to walk around during shows) it can still damage your ears. I have major hearing loss and have problems hearing periperal noises.

 

[JustinLB]

What? Did someone say something? Speak up dude... Nah man, it will go away after about 36-72 hours, maybe more depending on what your surroundings are in the first 24-36 hours. Basically, give them a rest and you should be fine. Of course, there is always a chance that you have caused permanent damage, and the best way to know for sure if your really concerned about it is to get them checked out, if only to ease your state of mind about it. Your doctor will inform you of all you need to know, and maybe a check up wouldn't hurt once in a while anyway I wouldn't recommend the front row or to be positioned directly in front of the speaker arrangement(s) at any concert, although pending the performer(s), it really doesn't matter where you are in the venue, it all sounds the same, like a pile of muffled sh*t beating itself against a crash symbol. Decibels aren't everything. "some hang on the strings of obscene"

 

[Infrasonic]

After a gig you'll get temporary threshold shift.

If you keep doing it for enough years it may go on to full tinnitus (permanent ringing in the ears).

As a drummer who went on to become a sound engineer (studio and then live), I've hammered my ears and have got chronic tinnitus in the left and not so bad in the right.
I got custom earplugs made (ER15's) but left if too late...so be warned.
If you go to loud gigs / clubs or bars with loud music, get some of the flat response plugs and wear them religiously.

Believe me, tinnitus is no fun.

Edit; And as AY intimated, the modern use of in ear phones/buds with MP3 etc. has lead to a lot of problems.
Friend has tinnitus just from those. Keep the level down.

 

[ter1413]



What? Did someone say something? Speak up dude... Nah man, it will go away after about 36-72 hours, maybe more depending on what your surroundings are in the first 24-36 hours. Basically, give them a rest and you should be fine. Of course, there is always a chance that you have caused permanent damage, and the best way to know for sure if your really concerned about it is to get them checked out, if only to ease your state of mind about it. Your doctor will inform you of all you need to know, and maybe a check up wouldn't hurt once in a while anyway I wouldn't recommend the front row or to be positioned directly in front of the speaker arrangement(s) at any concert, although pending the performer(s), it really doesn't matter where you are in the venue, it all sounds the same, like a pile of muffled sh*t beating itself against a crash symbol. Decibels aren't everything. "some hang on the strings of obscene"

After a gig you'll get temporary threshold shift.
If you keep doing it for enough years it may go on to full tinnitus (permanent ringing in the ears).
As a drummer who went on to become a sound engineer (studio and then live), I've hammered my ears and have got chronic tinnitus in the left and not so bad in the right.
I got custom earplugs made (ER15's) but left if too late...so be warned.
If you go to loud gigs / clubs or bars with loud music, get some of the flat response plugs and wear them religiously.
Believe me, tinnitus is no fun.
Edit; And as AY intimated, the modern use of in ear phones/buds with MP3 etc. has lead to a lot of problems.
Friend has tinnitus just from those. Keep the level down.

a 6yr old bumb???? wtf!

 

[Nosu3]

alcohol reduces the ear's natural ability to protect against loud noise. powerful antioxidants may help protect against and reverse ear damage.

 

[PMarquez]

I'm new to this, I'm not sure how old this post is. However, I went to a heavy metal concert show 2 days ago. My ears were ringing like crazy, I couldn't hear properly for the next 3 hours of the night. I woke up the next morning and my left ear had no problem, but I can't hear as well with my right ear (there is a constant / non-stopping ring on it).

I went to the doctor today and he told me that with a 13 day medicine treatment (started today) I might eliminate the ringing, but I will most-likely not recover the hearing part I've lost. I'm giving myself 13 days without alcohol, and barely any music (except for another concert I have on wednesday, I'll wear ear-plugs).

Has anyone been in a similar situation? A case of full recovery would really cheer me up.

 

[ring]

Hey Dude! Im having the same issue since the past 5 days. Tell me ... Did yours get fixed? Would appreciate a reply!

 

[Swstar]

Concert is good, and funny , if you go to the concert often it is nod good for your ears, take care you health, my uncle often went to rock concerts when he was young, maybe because of concert has problem with ear, I don't know. I bought him hearing aid on Artone organization, and he his happy, and living like he did as healthy man before. Now he doesn't go to concerts, because of the age