Hearing damage from rock concert?

[Kipper is King]

so, i was at virgin feet tonight. I was 7-10 rows away from the front. I did not move further back mainly because of how many people were around me. I was up there for the Hip, which was about a couple hours long.

Now my ears are ringing, moreso in my left. Now I am terrified to think I have significantly damaged my hearing.

Do people who go to concerts like that normally turn out OK? I am frightened.

[Daradon]

Originally Posted by Kipper is King

so, i was at virgin feet tonight. I was 7-10 rows away from the front. I did not move further back mainly because of how many people were around me. I was up there for the Hip, which was about a couple hours long.

Now my ears are ringing, moreso in my left. Now I am terrified to think I have significantly damaged my hearing.

Do people who go to concerts like that normally turn out OK? I am frightened.

The ringing should go away after sleeping once, maybe a few more days than that depending on how badly you damaged you hearing.

But yes, if you have signifciant ringing in your ears, that is a sign of permanent damage and probably loss. But it won't be as bad as it is now. You probably won't notice a difference overall.

EDIT: I've had that happen to me may times, and I do know my hearing isn't what it used to be. The worst day was actually just the system at The Crack Alley. I couldn't get away from the noise anywhere in the bar. And the worst part was I didn't even want to be there, got convinced by others. I had ringing for about 4 days, it was bad.

I've been to a ton of concerts though and had many nights of ringing ears. When you start to get a bit older and notice the problems you take it a bit more serious and bring earplugs to use anytime you feel a little overwhelmed by the sound.

I guess what I'm saying is technically yes, you have done permanent damage, but you probably won't notice any effects unless you engage in stuff like this often, IE one or two nights probably won't make much of a difference.

If you are a regular concert goer, then you will want to think about bringing plugs to most events and using them when appropriate.

[HotHotHeat]

Ya mine always ring after a concert...It goes away within a day, but ringing ears is a sign of possible permanent hearing loss. Definitely not something you want to be exposed to very often.

[doozwimp]

it goes away. If it was a good show it is worth it. At least thats how I think of it.

[JiriHrdina]

What?

[foofighter15]

Originally Posted by JiriHrdina

What?

i was wondering who would go there. Nicely done my man.

Try standing in front of one of those speakers on a regular basis and you'll learn why ear plugs are one of mans most underrated inventions!

[Engine09]

I played in bands for 15 years off and on. Heavy rock, no limp wristed Coldplay type music and I've never once used earplugs. I had my hearing tested a few years ago and I was fine.

Earplugs are for girls.

[Dion]

Our inner ear hair cells pick up the mechanical energy of sound, convert it into electrical signals and transmit it to the brain. When we're born, each of us has about 30,000 such cells, and this number decreases slowly after the age of 25. But prolonged exposure to noise makes cells less sensitive. And once they're gone, they don't come back.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/20...alth.musicnews

Also......

A survey in 2006 by Deafness Research UK and Specsavers concluded that 'today's youth are at risk of going deaf up to 30 years earlier than their parents because they are listening to MP3 players too loudly and too often'. They blamed the fact that 'more than 75 per cent of people own a personal music player and sophisticated sound systems in their car and homes, which allow them to blast out music day and night. We also spend more time in clubs where the noise is so loud we can barely hear the person opposite and few people, particularly in the 16- to 34-year-old age group, are aware of the damaging effect all this can have on their hearing.'

[Dion]

Originally Posted by JiriHrdina

What?

[Kipper is King]

I am really scared. My hearing in my right ear seems fine, but my left ear is ringing, and sounds seem a little muffled from that ear. I realize I have done some damage, but will the effect of it subside? Or is my left ear toast?

[Shin Pad]

I saw Led Zepplin in Vancouver in 1975. I'll never forget how loud the first few tunes sounded. Then it seemed to be better for the rest of the Concert. When I got out of the Pacific Colosieum, I realized why the rest of the show wasn't as loud - I was half deaf when I got out of there. My hearing did come back over the next few days, but, to this day, it has never fully recovered.

[Daradon]

Originally Posted by Kipper is King

I am really scared. My hearing in my right ear seems fine, but my left ear is ringing, and sounds seem a little muffled from that ear. I realize I have done some damage, but will the effect of it subside? Or is my left ear toast?

Like I said, the ringing and muffled'ness' should stop soon, usually after the first day but sometimes takes longer. Like I mentioned, I had one experience where I had those symptoms for 4 days.

There is damage, but it's probably so small you won't even notice it once the ringing stops. I don't know of anyone who has done permanent SERIOUS damage at one concert or one event. It's usually years of continual damage like that.

[Boblobla]

Originally Posted by Kryzsky

I played in bands for 15 years off and on. Heavy rock, no limp wristed Coldplay type music and I've never once used earplugs. I had my hearing tested a few years ago and I was fine.

Earplugs are for girls.

LOL. I played in a band for about six years and earplugs are you friend. The vast majority of rockers wear them. I had special ones made so I didn't use the neon green foam ones that filtered out everything. Mine just filtered out the highs that were in the dangerous range.

To each their own but I like keeping my hearing.

That being said, wearing earplugs to listen to a concert is lame.

[llama64]

To damage your hearing significantly, you would need to be exposed to extraordinarily high decibels; likely more then is usually present at an outdoor rock concert. Typically hearing degradation is a long process lasting your entire life.

Yeah, you've damaged your hearing. But don't freak out about it because you likely won't notice the difference once the ringing has gone. Be more concerned about headphones. Those can be highly focused ear drum destroyers if used improperly.

[CaptainCrunch]

When I was 20 I went to a George Thorougood (sp?) concert in a small bar and stood in front of the speakers and I had ringing and muffled hearing for 3 days. I also saw a guy get stabbed through the chest with his own crutch outside of said bar, so overall the damage done to me was massive.

I used to do security at those stupid raves and between stupid ugly kids high on drugs I would have ringing ears for a week.

Man, the rock and roll life style.

I miss it.

[Daradon]

Originally Posted by llama64

To damage your hearing significantly, you would need to be exposed to extraordinarily high decibels; likely more then is usually present at an outdoor rock concert. Typically hearing degradation is a long process lasting your entire life.

Yeah, you've damaged your hearing. But don't freak out about it because you likely won't notice the difference once the ringing has gone. Be more concerned about headphones. Those can be highly focused ear drum destroyers if used improperly.

That's true, I've probably injured my hears more with headphones, than actual concerts.

And I agree, wearing earplugs to concerts isn't the coolest thing around, but sometimes you can't avoid it. I was thinking more in situations like a club or bar, during an act you weren't there to see anyway.

I've seen a lot of local music, and sometimes you want the plugs regardless of how loud they are playing...

[Frequitude]

Happens everytime I go to the Back Alley. It should recover in 2 or 3 days...

[habernac]

toasted most of the hearing in my right ear at an AC/DC concert 20 years ago. Years of listening to a walkman with the voume knob broken off at maximum didn't help me either.

[Ford Prefect]

Originally Posted by habernac

toasted most of the hearing in my right ear at an AC/DC concert 20 years ago. Years of listening to a walkman with the voume knob broken off at maximum didn't help me either.

I suffered some permanent damage from an AC/DC concert too. I wonder if it was the same one ... was it in the Max Bell in the early '80s?

[habernac]

AC/DC played Max Bell? No, I was in Edmonton, it was at the coliseum in 88.