Concert-related hearing loss

[oistheone]

So I made the dumb decision to stand right next to the stacks at a Jack White show last night without wearing ear plugs. I haven't been able to hear anything out of my left ear since.

Has anyone here ever experienced this? I am looking for some assurance that this will indeed go away, but I'm starting to worry. Every loud sound I hear hurts and I am seriously half-deaf.

[Fully]

That doesn't sound good. If it doesn't clear up soon, go to the dr. Maybe he can make the pain go away. I didn't wear earplugs at the Alpharetta Show except during BoH. My ears rang for several days afterward. Penny and I were right in front of a speaker. But your problem sounds worse. I hope it clears up.

[oistheone]

Thanks for the well wishes, Fully!

Hasn't improved at all throughout the day but I'm reading online that sometimes your ears just "shut down" when they are exposed to ridiculously loud noise for a prolonged amount of time, and that it may take a few days for my ears to get back to normal. I hope this is the case because if I can only hear outta one ear for every MMJ concert from here on out, I'm gonna miss the hell outta those panning effects!

[Northern Neighbour]

I went a NYE show a few years ago at a local blues club.  I was next to the speaker as well, and my left ear was ringing for days and would hurt a bit when exposed to high-pitched or loud noises, such as a person clapping next to me.  My hearing would improve, but for 2 or 3 years my ears would be really sensitive to certain noises.  Even today, someone clapping right next to me can irritate my ear drum.  Now I always wear earplugs.

However, it sounds like you have a worse case of hearing loss than I did.  As Fully stated, see a doctor if it doesn't improve in a couple of days.  All the best to you.

[Jeff Murray]

I had the same problem after the Jane's Addiction show last August as I was 2nd row.  My right ear hurt for a couple of days and was sensitive to loud noises as well.  Thankfully it cleared up after a few days since the MMJ MPP show was the following Saturday!  I was worried about how my ears would handle the MMJ show and totally forgot earplugs.  Luckily my ears were fine during and after that show, I think being in an open air venue helped. 

I know I need to protect my ears.  How do the earplugs effect the sound of the show?  I know there are different earplugs for different occassions, just curious what other people use.

[Northern Neighbour]

We had a discussion on ear plugs not long ago.  Many Jacket fans, including myself, use Etymotic ones, which are excellent.  They don't distort the sound a great deal but definitely reduce the bass and loudness of shows.  You can find these ear plugs on Amazon, although you don't need to buy the $400 pair.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=bl_sr_hpc?_encoding=UTF8&field-brandtextbin=Etymotic%20Research&node=3760901

[Jeff Murray]

Thanks for the suggestion!   

I have a Deftones show coming up in a club and I'm pretty sure this is what I'll need to avoid the experience I had at the JA show.

[NoVa_NoLa]

Ditto all the suggestions including the Etymotic ear plugs.  I have 3 pair...a pair in the car, a pair at home, and a pair in the office.  You never know when music might happen.

I went to a Drive by Truckers show with PennyLane and rode the rail very near the right stage speaker.  The whooshing sound lasted for 4 or 5 days after the show and once my hearing came back, the slightest loud noise hurt.  A good friend of mine developed tinnitus when he was still in his 20s.  Don't let that happen to you.  Get some earplugs and use them...the night of DBT, my earplugs were in the car and I was too lazy (and stupid) to go get them.  A mistake I won't make again.

[Fully]

It's amazing Penny can hear anything as often as she's on the rail.

[Sticky Icky Green Stuff]

o is there a high pitch ringing at all?  sounds like you roughed up your ear drum.  my hearing is slightly worse in my left ear because I use to be in a rock band and we practiced in my friends basement.  if standing a foot away from a bunch of symbols and drums and being surrounded by huge stacks and loud amps doesn't make you deaf, most people should be fine at a rock concert.   

earplugs are for people who fear the zone.  the best part of leaving a good show is the feeling in your ears from the huge speakers.  during wordless chorus at meadowbrook I had my ear on the stage.  your ears get stronger.  it's those high pitched mic feedback screeches that wreck your shit for the long term. 

loud bass makes my ears hurt the worst.  gang starr opening for RATM was the only band to ever make my ears fucked.  too much deep gut busting bass. 

[Fully]

Sticky, no.

[adastra]

Guys, do yourselves a favor and consider Sensaphonics ER series for musicians.
http://www.sensaphonics.com/?p=331
Sensaphonics products are used by the MMJ band and crew and are some of the best in the world.  Dr. Santucci is an industry leader in hearing conservation and takes his craft very seriously.  These plugs are designed to reduce frequencies across the audible spectrum at a relatively even rate, rather than just filtering out high frequencies like most earplugs.  They are also custom molded to your ear and will fit infinitely better than any alternative.  At $150 they are lot better deal than a lot of non-custom options.  You can also select various finishes and the overall attenuation level.  I recommend 12dB or more.   

To order, you will first have to visit an audiologist and pay a nominal fee  ($20-40) to have an impression of your ears taken.  While you are there, GET YOUR EARS CHECKED!!! There is a list of qualified audiologists on the Sensaphonics website. 

For the record, I do not work for Sensaphonics and this is not spam, but I do make a living using my ears and these plugs are a very worthwhile investment if you want to continue enjoying concerts (preferably MMJs)

Happy Listening!

[LeanneP]

I have a friend who played guitar in a band that rivaled My Bloody Valentine (who were once acclaimed as the loudest band on the planet) and he didn't wear ear protection for years and years and as a result the hairs inside his ears were permanently bent over (tho, luckily, not all the way). These bent over hairs are the key to temp and permanent noise-induced hearing loss. It would take him days to recover from shows and regain his hearing. Those hairs transmit the many tiny, varied sound waves that bounce through the air around us. If the hairs are lying down, they can't catch those waves and shiver the sound into the air. That's likely what happened (in the absence of bleeding, which would indicate a pierced drum). 

Best of luck!  Your hearing will probably be back to normal(ish?) soon.

I'm awful about hearing protection and have been standing in front of stacks for many years. I find that now, if there is a lot of different noises going on around me (walking outside with the wind in the trees and traffic up and down the road) I can't make out speaking voices well. I'm always snapping at the kids to "talk TO me!  Turn around!" and, of course, "Huh?!  I can't hear you. Say it again?"

Those ER earplugs look amazing and really inexpensive, considering. And they do sleeping earplugs!  I would love those since Mister P snores the a mo/fo! I might get Mister P a pair of the ER plugs for his Christmas/birthday since he is still going to shows a few times a week (and listening to an infernal amount of metal in his phones).

[manonthemoon]

For most people that go to shows the cheaper option should be fine as for hearing protection, I tend to wear a disposable type that resemble those pretty often for shows.  The upscale models that the band wears are due to the high exposure on a routine basis where the possiblility for long term damage is much higher.  If you play in a band or something similar then the more expensive option or even having fitted ones designed for your own ear canals might be preferable, but they are expensive.  Overall your ears can heal from the trama to some degree, but I wouldn't reccommend exposure of high decibles repeatedly without protection of some type.

O, if your symptoms persist I would visit your PMD as soon as possible to get it checked out.

[Sticky Icky Green Stuff]

Sticky, no.

uh, yes.  if you went to the who or hendrix or some bullshit back in the day and wore earplugs you'd be called a pussy.  and rightly so.  those hairs in your ears will regrow into fine, strong, ear sensors. 

maybe try popping your ear.  then again that might totally fuck it up.

[Fully]

No, Sticky.

[Sticky Icky Green Stuff]

No, Sticky.

it's not my fault you don't know how to rage.

[Fully]

No.

[ericm]

No, Sticky.

it's not my fault you don't know how to rage.

Trust me, Fully can rage. 

The thing you're missing is people can rage, and wear ear protection. Good ear protection is not going to affect the enjoyment, or enthusiasm of a person's show, or the sound quality. It will only affect their enjoyment of hearing clearly afterwards.   

[Fully]

Thanks ericm,  I've been raging all morning, btw. And I have proper ear protection.

Sticky - My 91 year old neighbor worked in the switching building at the telephone company for years. It made him deaf. He would love to go back in time and wear ear protection. This isn't something to be hard-headed about. They are your ears, and if you want to lose your hearing, fine. Just don't advocate it for anyone else. I know that no one takes what you said in this thread seriously, but still - no.