went to a gig last night and now have ringing in the ears, just wondering how long it usually lasts? Guess it depends on the severity of the damage?

you get used to it after 30yrs or so……. 😥

Possibly wot bruneep said sadly. I’m paying the price for too many loud clubnights 🙁

Ear plugs for me now!

It stays with you. You could possibly make it worse, better – not in my experience.

18 years and counting here

If it doesn’t go within a few hours then thats it, it’s with you forever

Had mine about a year now. Seems to get worse when the stress levels start to rise. Doc said I could get some therapy to help me filter it out but haven’t got around to it. Anyone tried the therapy?

25yers and counting for me.

Use earplugs

organic – If it’s the normal “post-really loud gig” tinnitus rather than the proper permanent stuff it usually goes in a day or two.

Lasted a week after my first gig. Constant now after years of working with jet aircraft, going to gigs and playing the stereo too loud.

15 years for me.

Mastoidectomy to the right ear and about 50% loss of hearing which has been replaced by constant ringing. 🙁

Edit; On the plus side, I now have a party trick where I can stick half of my little finger down my ear canal were it’s been expanded. Not recommended though. 😯

If your ears are ringing you’ve damaged them to some extent. If you can hear it the next day it’s worse. If it’s still going after a week it’s probably permanent but sometimes eases up within 3 months. Still there after 3 months get used to it.

Get yourself some earplugs now – don’t do what most of us did and wait for permanent ringing first. I got away with it many many times but eventually it’ll take hold if you don’t take care.

toab – it’s a cumulative effect of all those “post-really loud gigs” though. Prevention, because there is no cure. Seriously, it’s f***ing awful – wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

All day, every day, for ever. Ear plugs kids!

Wot they all said. With luck it’ll go away today. If it doesn’t you’re probably stuck with it. I was told it’s agravated by caffeine, red wine, tonic, citrus fruit. I’ve cut out the caffeine but would prefer not to live a life without fruit or wine.

On the plus side I’m lucky enough to associate it with the pleasant feeling of being dead tired. It doesn’t annoy me, it just gets in the way of hearing stuff.

Ebay for a big pile of different earplugs – find one you like. My favourite are MAX LITE SNR34 in flouro green.

I have menieres and have very loud tinnitus.

I doubt you’ve done any damage with one night out, it’ll pass eventually.

Most tinnitus is not caused by external loud noise, mine for example is caused by pressure in my inner ear. People who play in bands or DJs, basically anyone who is exposed to loud noise very regularly, will sometimes develop tinnitus. But for most people who go to a loud nightclub every now and then, the most you’ll get is a bit of ringing for a day or two.

Don’t worry about it.

woody – I’ve realsied that now; Mr. Toab has severe hearing loss and tinnitus after a bout of meningitis and it makes things a total PITA.

I’m much more careful with my ears now.

Loud noise is a cause of tinnitus though McHamish, regardless of whether it’s the MAIN cause. Loud noise can, and will damage your hearing – even one occasion.

I wonder if some cases are caused by years of using mobile phones. Not much is known about the long term effects yet.

agravated by caffeine, red wine, tonic, citrus

That pretty much sums up the night. 🙂

I started to suffer from it in my mid-teens, so about 25 years ago.

It comes and goes, but thankfully it has not become any worse over time.

“eeeeeeeeee…” that pretty much sums up the rest of your life (that’ll be the ringing not the drugs). Mine’s become a permanant fixture in the last year or so, but in the last couple of weeks I occasionally get two different notes that switch. Wierd as it happens for no reason, but if it carries on It’ll be producing it’s own tunes at this rate.

I didn’t say loud noise doesn’t cause tinnitus…but often there is another cause.

I’m just repeating what my ENT consultant has told me, and from my own research into my tinnitus.

But in the interest of pedantry, noise in your ear of any nature, for any period, where there is no external source, is tinnitus.

But permanent tinnitus from going to a gig or night club doesn’t happen that often…unless you were right next to the speakers for an extended period, and the music was very, very loud. Exposure to sudden very loud noise, or loud noise over an extended period can cause tinnitus.

Many people have tinnitus in one form or another, at at sometime during their lives. For the majority it goes away, for others it’s permanent. For sufferers who have mild tinnitus, their brain can often learn to filter it out.

must have been a loud one if they’re still ringing the day after. I can’t remember the last gig I went to, or played, that left me with ringing in the ears. But I guess it’s not as loud onstage is it is out front.

Having said that, I read somewhere that the noise level from a snare drum, at the distance that a drummer’s head is from the drum, is enough to cause hearing loss after 90 seconds – but I suppose that’s 90 seconds of continuous noise at that level, not the very sharp attack & decay that lasts a fraction of a second for every stroke

Sleigh bells?

Mine was brought on in one ear by slamming a car door, September 2007 had it ever since. Got used to it now, the Dr said it might go away, it might not. I’ve learnt to filter it out now.

My mother has had tinnitus for years now. A couple of years ago we went up l’Aiguille du Midi cablecar in Chamonix (3800m) and she noticed an instant improvement.. This improvement stayed after the descent to the village and even to this day as far as I’m aware…

If it’s caused by inner ear pressure then this anecdotal story may actually be backed up by fact..

I would disagree with the statement

“But permanent tinnitus from going to a gig or night club doesn’t happen that often.”

Almost all the DJs and musicians I know have some form of Tinnitus. I also know people who have worked in noisy environments such as pubs who also have started to suffer.

Look after your ears and wear plugs.

does anyone actually read all the words in a post?

does anyone actually read all the words in a post?

hell no what’s the point of that?

McHamish – what have we missed?

People who play in bands or DJs, basically anyone who is exposed to loud noise very regularly, will sometimes develop tinnitus. But for most people who go to a loud nightclub every now and then, the most you’ll get is a bit of ringing for a day or two.

But permanent tinnitus from going to a gig or night club doesn’t happen that often…unless you were right next to the speakers for an extended period, and the music was very, very loud. Exposure to sudden very loud noise, or loud noise over an extended period can cause tinnitus.

Got ya!

had it in the left ear for just over a year – don’t know the cause but could have been concerts / clubbing / MP3 use so now wear Etymotic ER20 High Fidelity Ear Plugs at concerts and they reduce the volume but you can still hear everything clearly.

Actually…ignore what I say…check out NHS instead.

NHS Tinnitus Causes

I personally think the increase in external noise being a factor in the cause of tinnitus is related to the popular use of MP3 players.

Have had it for more years than I can remember. Playing in bands for nearly 40 years, stupidly practicing with headphones on when I was youger and working on stage during gigs really did for my hearing. When the band is too loud now I find it difficult to deal with. Have it worse in one ear than the other so at least I can turn on one side and get some sleep if it’s noisy outside.

Had mine since February ’89, saw Anthrax at the Hammersmith, ears rang for about a week, then got better, more gigs and now its there all the time.

I now wear earplugs for anything loud now, power tools, gigs, noisy factories etc.

I remember going to a Light of The World gig at Zero 6 in Southend in the very early 1980’s. They had a soundsystem with speakers floor to ceiling and powerful enough to easily fill the Albert Hall. We ended up 10 ft from the R/H stack. My right ear was ringing loudly for the first day, then less so for a couple of days after. Stupid things you do when you are a teenager!

Last weekend I went to see Lissie at The Junction in Cambridge (she is awesome btw. One of the audience shouted, “what a fabulous pair of lungs” and double entendres aside, I cannot dispute this! She will make it big one day)

Take a look at the vid….

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRlXausKdiQ[/video]

There are some Youtube vids of the actual gig at The Junction if you can be bothered.

Anyhow, although pretty loud, my ears weren’t ringing much after, but my daughter said hers were. That’s age for you I guess!! Now Lissie’s rig was nowhere near as big and as loud as that of L.O.T.W’s, but the Db’s were as much as you would want in a venue that size.

I don’t have a tinitus problem (thank ****), but these days, I always opt to be out of firing range of any speakers at gigs. The further back you get the better, or off to one side makes a big difference. You are also more likely to hear deep bass further back as this requires distance from the listener for the speakers to deliver what they are designed for.

Got my tinitus in about 1990 after a car crash and massive bump on the noggin.

Whilst I could be angry (crash not my fault) and upset, as I was the only one left alive, I am eternally thankful that I got away with so little, compared to the others.

Persistent loud noise will, according to the doc I spoke to a few years ago, induce tinnitus.
Daft as it may sound, the advice was “not to listen to it”, it does help, but only a little.

+1 for earplugs.