6 ms·

I became disabled after a music festival last year. The music was too loud and something broke in my ear. Now every sound hurts me, my voice is far too painful

I became disabled after a music festival last year. The music was too loud and something broke in my ear. Now every sound hurts me, my voice is far too painful, going for a walk outside is too painful. Basically I can't do anything but sit in a silent room and browse the internet. Pain hyperacusis sucks. I wish I'd been more careful with my hearing.

chadcmulligan 3y ago
I was standing near a speaker at a concert, and all of a sudden my ear just sounded like an amp that was overdriven, all distortion, fortunately I recovered, but I don't go near speakers at concerts any more.
- bowsamic 3y ago
  I've been to concerts where the entire thing sounded like that.
laputan_machine 3y ago
These things can happen suddenly and without warning. When I was 18 I was in a nightclub, my mate shouted a bit too loud into my ear (because the music was loud) and permanently damaged my hearing in my right ear, it hurts to hear certain frequencies in that ear now, and sounds like water stuck in there when it happens. I'm sorry to hear you have it (or something worse) in both Take care of your ears, folks.
itsmartapuntocm 3y ago
Standing too close to a speaker at a house party gave me permanent tinnitus. Took me a long time to accept it mentally and emotionally. Now I’m a lot more careful with my hearing.
- k__ 3y ago
  Same. Somehow it never bothered me.
  - oblio 3y ago
    There are a ton of weak sounds I'd want to hear. A baby's (or toddler's) voice, the meowing of a newborn kitten, quieter sections of my favorite songs, the sound of a car that's backing my way while I'm not looking in its direction...
    - k__ 3y ago
      I see. I still hear pretty well, I just also hear a constant high pitched sound, but it isn't very loud.
      - kibwen 3y ago
        Some people have tinnitus worse than others, making it harder for them to ignore. In addition, some people become acclimated to it; my tinnitus used to make it impossible to sleep without some form of white noise, but nowadays I only remember that it's there when I read comment threads about people discussing their tinnitus. Time for some white noise...
        itsmartapuntocm 3y ago
        Same here. Reading about people anguishing about it online only made me sink further into despair about it. And white noise, while it helped at first, eventually became sort of a crutch and didn’t really help me get over it in the long term. What eventually worked for me ironically was reading a study that the vast majority of people with tinnitus do improve over time, whether it’s an actual reduction in the noise or at least the perception of it. Tinnitus is funny in that it bothers us because the brain sees a sound it is creating itself as a threat, and eventually it learns to longer treat itself that way. Mine did eventually get better. I don’t know if it actually got better, or if I just stopped caring about it so much. But I do enjoy silence again because for me, this is my new form of silence. It’s still there in some form, and some days like when I’m stressed it is noticeably louder. But it no longer bothers me.
    - cableshaft 3y ago
      I don't care about that as much as never hearing silence, or near silence, without a constant ringing sound. Man do I miss the "sound" of silence. And no, that one Tinnitus trick of thumping the back of your head with your fingers that everyone shares doesn't really work for that, at least not for me. For me it just turns the volume down on the ringing a slight bit, and even then only lasts about 30 seconds, which isn't really worth it.
plaidfuji 3y ago
I’m really sorry. I got temporary hyperacusis from a similar situation a few years back and wouldn’t wish it on anyone. It did eventually subside, and I hope it does for you too, although the time scale of recovery varies. I’m hopeful that people start finding ways to treat this as it’s probably becoming a bigger problem as our generation ages.
magnetic 3y ago
Sorry that you're going through that. As someone who once had severe hyperacusis, I sympathize with your situation as my own whispers as well as keystrokes would hurt my ear. It was challenging to browse the web due to the inability to type in a website URL or input into a search bar. One of the hardest parts of this disability is that it is invisible and so difficult to explain to a third party. People think you are overly dramatic. In many cases, hyperacusis does get better on its own with time, so keep hanging in there. Good luck to you.
alextheparrot 3y ago
Really sorry to hear about what happened to you Would recommend to everyone / have bought as a gift a pair of ear plugs that fit onto your key chain. They are like $10 and are honestly the most useful thing I carry on that ring aside from the actual keys. Plus they can be useful in random situations (Needed them to sleep while camping recently because the wind was so strong)
- magnetic 3y ago
  Great advice! I realize this is going to sound dumb, but please also consider that we all (almost all) carry natural ear plugs with us in the form of our hands/fingers. When sound gets loud, do not hesitate to plug in quickly. Damage to our hearing apparatus depends on intensity and duration, so the sooner you plug the better. It may be safer to plug your ears with your fingers quickly than to spend a few seconds looking for your fancy -33 dB ear plugs, as unexpected loud noises tend to surprise us but not last very long (ambulance, fighter jet, honking, etc). In addition to this, there are lots of sound level measuring apps for our smartphones and it can be helpful to measure long lasting levels at venues (concerts, bars, etc). Airplane cabin noise is surprisingly loud. Noise canceling headphones are a great tool for this scenario. Finally, remember that hearing damage is cumulative: what many of your peers will tolerate fine may not work for you and vice versa. Watch for "the straw that breaks the camel's back". If your hearing apparatus has already been insulted, treat it with lots of care. If it hasn't already been insulted, treat it with lots of care.
Technotroll 3y ago
Got Tinnitus from working as a concert photographer. It's not so bad. I've learned to live with it. But yeah... It's permanent. So, to not make it worse, I've bought protection that I carry with me when I go to loud clubs or concerts. I use it religiously. Highly recommended! Especially if you work in a bar or club, or in some capacity at concerts. Do it now, because Tinnitus doesn't go away. Some of them are very discrete, but if you like making a splash there are ones that look quite stylish as well.
- zippergz 3y ago
  Is there any particular type or brand of earplugs you recommend, that are comfortable enough to wear for multiple hours and don't make the music sound too muffled (while still reducing the volume to safe levels)?
  - velavar 3y ago
    I got Loops on Amazon based on someone's recommendation and they work pretty well for me. They're cheap enough to try once and see if they work for you.
  - wilgertvelinga 3y ago
    If you're in Europe, these are amazing: https://www.alpine.nl/products/partyplug https://www.alpine.nl/products/partyplug
    - Doxin 3y ago
      From what I hear a lot of audio techs wear Alpine MusicSafe Pros, so if anything wearing ear plugs will make the music sound better since you're matching what you're hearing to what the audio tech is hearing. I got myself a pair and if nothing else they are decently comfortable to wear.
  - digging 3y ago
    I've heard Loop is very good from friends but I don't have any comparisons.
mmcgaha 3y ago
This is off topic but the last ten or so years, the volume level at shows has gone over the top. I did indoor and outdoor shows in the 80s and 90s without plugs and worst case was a little ringing the next day. I mostly did outdoor concerts in the 2000's so I don't know what indoor shows were like but in 2013 I started taking my daughter to shows and holly shit balls it was loud. The last show that I went to I had to step outside to get a break even though I was wearing -32db plugs.
say__what 3y ago
I have got my right lung busted by a sub-woofer at the techno rave party in 2011. Still hurts from time to time as there are some wierd scars left inside. I think the concert\rave\nightclub sound levels should be revised globally. It is so stupid to blast mostly shitty music that loud. It will not make it better...

chadcmulligan 3y ago

I was standing near a speaker at a concert, and all of a sudden my ear just sounded like an amp that was overdriven, all distortion, fortunately I recovered, but I don't go near speakers at concerts any more.

bowsamic 3y ago
I've been to concerts where the entire thing sounded like that.

laputan_machine 3y ago

These things can happen suddenly and without warning. When I was 18 I was in a nightclub, my mate shouted a bit too loud into my ear (because the music was loud) and permanently damaged my hearing in my right ear, it hurts to hear certain frequencies in that ear now, and sounds like water stuck in there when it happens. I'm sorry to hear you have it (or something worse) in both Take care of your ears, folks.

itsmartapuntocm 3y ago

Standing too close to a speaker at a house party gave me permanent tinnitus. Took me a long time to accept it mentally and emotionally. Now I’m a lot more careful with my hearing.

k__ 3y ago
Same. Somehow it never bothered me.
- oblio 3y ago
  There are a ton of weak sounds I'd want to hear. A baby's (or toddler's) voice, the meowing of a newborn kitten, quieter sections of my favorite songs, the sound of a car that's backing my way while I'm not looking in its direction...
  - k__ 3y ago
    I see. I still hear pretty well, I just also hear a constant high pitched sound, but it isn't very loud.
    - kibwen 3y ago
      Some people have tinnitus worse than others, making it harder for them to ignore. In addition, some people become acclimated to it; my tinnitus used to make it impossible to sleep without some form of white noise, but nowadays I only remember that it's there when I read comment threads about people discussing their tinnitus. Time for some white noise...
      - itsmartapuntocm 3y ago
        Same here. Reading about people anguishing about it online only made me sink further into despair about it. And white noise, while it helped at first, eventually became sort of a crutch and didn’t really help me get over it in the long term. What eventually worked for me ironically was reading a study that the vast majority of people with tinnitus do improve over time, whether it’s an actual reduction in the noise or at least the perception of it. Tinnitus is funny in that it bothers us because the brain sees a sound it is creating itself as a threat, and eventually it learns to longer treat itself that way. Mine did eventually get better. I don’t know if it actually got better, or if I just stopped caring about it so much. But I do enjoy silence again because for me, this is my new form of silence. It’s still there in some form, and some days like when I’m stressed it is noticeably louder. But it no longer bothers me.
  - cableshaft 3y ago
    I don't care about that as much as never hearing silence, or near silence, without a constant ringing sound. Man do I miss the "sound" of silence. And no, that one Tinnitus trick of thumping the back of your head with your fingers that everyone shares doesn't really work for that, at least not for me. For me it just turns the volume down on the ringing a slight bit, and even then only lasts about 30 seconds, which isn't really worth it.

plaidfuji 3y ago

I’m really sorry. I got temporary hyperacusis from a similar situation a few years back and wouldn’t wish it on anyone. It did eventually subside, and I hope it does for you too, although the time scale of recovery varies. I’m hopeful that people start finding ways to treat this as it’s probably becoming a bigger problem as our generation ages.

magnetic 3y ago

Sorry that you're going through that. As someone who once had severe hyperacusis, I sympathize with your situation as my own whispers as well as keystrokes would hurt my ear. It was challenging to browse the web due to the inability to type in a website URL or input into a search bar. One of the hardest parts of this disability is that it is invisible and so difficult to explain to a third party. People think you are overly dramatic. In many cases, hyperacusis does get better on its own with time, so keep hanging in there. Good luck to you.

alextheparrot 3y ago

Really sorry to hear about what happened to you Would recommend to everyone / have bought as a gift a pair of ear plugs that fit onto your key chain. They are like $10 and are honestly the most useful thing I carry on that ring aside from the actual keys. Plus they can be useful in random situations (Needed them to sleep while camping recently because the wind was so strong)

magnetic 3y ago
Great advice! I realize this is going to sound dumb, but please also consider that we all (almost all) carry natural ear plugs with us in the form of our hands/fingers. When sound gets loud, do not hesitate to plug in quickly. Damage to our hearing apparatus depends on intensity and duration, so the sooner you plug the better. It may be safer to plug your ears with your fingers quickly than to spend a few seconds looking for your fancy -33 dB ear plugs, as unexpected loud noises tend to surprise us but not last very long (ambulance, fighter jet, honking, etc). In addition to this, there are lots of sound level measuring apps for our smartphones and it can be helpful to measure long lasting levels at venues (concerts, bars, etc). Airplane cabin noise is surprisingly loud. Noise canceling headphones are a great tool for this scenario. Finally, remember that hearing damage is cumulative: what many of your peers will tolerate fine may not work for you and vice versa. Watch for "the straw that breaks the camel's back". If your hearing apparatus has already been insulted, treat it with lots of care. If it hasn't already been insulted, treat it with lots of care.

Technotroll 3y ago

Got Tinnitus from working as a concert photographer. It's not so bad. I've learned to live with it. But yeah... It's permanent. So, to not make it worse, I've bought protection that I carry with me when I go to loud clubs or concerts. I use it religiously. Highly recommended! Especially if you work in a bar or club, or in some capacity at concerts. Do it now, because Tinnitus doesn't go away. Some of them are very discrete, but if you like making a splash there are ones that look quite stylish as well.

zippergz 3y ago
Is there any particular type or brand of earplugs you recommend, that are comfortable enough to wear for multiple hours and don't make the music sound too muffled (while still reducing the volume to safe levels)?
- velavar 3y ago
  I got Loops on Amazon based on someone's recommendation and they work pretty well for me. They're cheap enough to try once and see if they work for you.
- wilgertvelinga 3y ago
  If you're in Europe, these are amazing: https://www.alpine.nl/products/partyplug https://www.alpine.nl/products/partyplug
  - Doxin 3y ago
    From what I hear a lot of audio techs wear Alpine MusicSafe Pros, so if anything wearing ear plugs will make the music sound better since you're matching what you're hearing to what the audio tech is hearing. I got myself a pair and if nothing else they are decently comfortable to wear.
- digging 3y ago
  I've heard Loop is very good from friends but I don't have any comparisons.

mmcgaha 3y ago

This is off topic but the last ten or so years, the volume level at shows has gone over the top. I did indoor and outdoor shows in the 80s and 90s without plugs and worst case was a little ringing the next day. I mostly did outdoor concerts in the 2000's so I don't know what indoor shows were like but in 2013 I started taking my daughter to shows and holly shit balls it was loud. The last show that I went to I had to step outside to get a break even though I was wearing -32db plugs.

say__what 3y ago

I have got my right lung busted by a sub-woofer at the techno rave party in 2011. Still hurts from time to time as there are some wierd scars left inside. I think the concert\rave\nightclub sound levels should be revised globally. It is so stupid to blast mostly shitty music that loud. It will not make it better...