So I went to a gig 3 days ago now and it was only one hour long but everyone there was saying how loud it was...Too loud. This is the first time i've been to a gig in about a year, but went to quite a lot of gigs between the ages of 16-19. I'm now 22. Anyway 3 days after this gig my ears are still ringing...I'm concerned because i'm wondering if it'll ever go away! The only other time it dragged on this long was after a 12 hour punk festival where it subsided after 3-4 days. Aside from I should at least start wearing ear plugs to gigs...what do you reckon? Is this just temporary?
There are different levels of ringing. Some people can't sleep it gets so bad. That would be tinitus. I have a very low ringing in my right ear all the time. It is not enough to interfere with my life. I just ignore it now. I don't bother with earplugs anymore. It takes away from the music. Just give your ears a break sometimes. I went to plenty of concerts and clubs. I play drums also. My ears have seen a lot of noise; if it's possible to see noise. If you want to have your ears checked for free, go for a military physical. They put you in a soundproof room with headphones on your head. Then they ask you to push a button everytime you hear a faint tone. If you don't press the button it means you can't hear the tone.
You should definitely start wearing earplugs at shows. Not only can you hear the music better and more clearly, you will spare yourself the ringing in your ears. I find that if I can feel the music vibrating my eardrums that's a good sign to stick in the plugs. The safer your ears, the more shows you can go to with undamaged hearing... and that's always good!
yeah i definitely will. My ears are getting better slowly, but my left one is still slightly ringing whenever I hear loud sounds...So hopefully i havent done any permanent damage (thats noticable).
I think you'll be fine...I've been going to shows forever and I've been worried by the excessive loudness at some shows where I didn't have plugs, but I always eventually got my hearing back completely. Don't forsake your ears in the future. I carry earplugs with me all the time cuz you never know when you might hit that random show somewhere.
good advice. Went to the doctor today and asked him about it. Checked my ears said no damage to the actual ear drum..Told him i'm still getting whistling/ringing with loud noises and at bed time after 5 days of going to a gig...He said dont worry, i'm 99% sure it'll go away probably within the next few days, it's just repairing and rewiring itself... Still this has scared me into appreciating my hearing much more and I feel very sympathetic towards people who suffer from tinnitus...I value my hearing. Can you recommend any decent ear plugs?
I would definitley wear plugs, one of my old percussion instructors had to give up drumming and teaching because his tinnitus got so bad. He is the best multi-tenor drummer in the world probably.
They all work just fine, however, I prefer the ones that are already shaped and a bit firmer. They have a better fit than the squishy ones (squishies you have to roll around between your fingers and then stick them in your ears and they expand to fit your ear). The firm ones usually come in a little round plastic cylinder that fits magnificently in your pocket (sometimes the squishies come in those also so you've got to check 'em to make sure). Whichever you choose just go get 'em. Hearing rocks!
