If you suffer from tinnitus and also like live music, you’re probably already aware that exposure to loud noise can lead to flare-ups and overall worsen your tinnitus. Summer is kicking into high gear, and summer concerts and festivals are becoming more frequent; don’t let tinnitus keep you from enjoying the music you love. Here are some practical tips on managing tinnitus and enjoying a concert.
How Loud Noise Affects Tinnitus
Exposure to loud noise is one of the most common causes of tinnitus. Loud noises produce extremely wide, forceful sound waves that barrel through the cochlea like a hurricane. The force from these powerful sound waves damages and kills the delicate sensory cells in the cochlea, which are critical to our ability to hear. When these cells are damaged, your brain notices that it can’t hear certain sounds anymore, and it tries to fill in the gaps by generating its own.
Not only does loud noise cause tinnitus, but it can also exacerbate existing tinnitus for some people. In the hours or days following exposure, some people may experience louder ringing, more frequent episodes or even nonstop ringing.
How to Protect Against More Damage
If you’ve bought tickets to a concert, there are some measures you can take to protect your ears against damage that could cause or worsen tinnitus.
- Wear hearing protection. Earplugs are a concert must-have for anyone, whether you have hearing loss, tinnitus, both or undamaged hearing. They block and dampen the more powerful sound waves so they aren’t as forceful when they reach the cochlea.
- Check out specialty earplugs. To piggyback on the previous option, there are specialty earplugs that use sound filtering to reduce all sound evenly, ensuring the music isn’t distorted by the material. Ask us about custom-fit earplugs!
- Position yourself wisely. Sit or stand away from the speakers, where the music will be loudest. If the concert is indoors, try to keep near the middle of the room, as the walls can bounce sound waves back at you.
- Take breaks. Taking regular breaks away from the loud noise to give your ears some respite. Get some air outdoors, get a drink or even run to the bathroom to get five to ten minutes of relative quiet.
After the Concert: How to Manage Tinnitus
If you notice any changes to your tinnitus, or if you develop tinnitus in the wake of the concert, seek out a professional hearing health specialist for a tinnitus evaluation and to potentially start tinnitus treatment. While there is no cure for tinnitus, there are ways to reduce the symptoms and move forward with it. Contact Kampsen Hearing today to learn more about tinnitus management programs.