Two nights ago, I went to a loud rock concert. I was quite close to the speakers, and realized (too late) that I should’ve brought my earplugs. Oh well, I figured, I rarely expose myself to loud noise, I’ll have cottony ears for the rest of the night and then be fine. Nope. I’ve had a quiet ringing in my ears ever since. I don’t notice it except when everything else is quiet (when trying to get to sleep, mainly) or if I concentrate on it. Right now, I’m wondering if it’s safe to say that this is permanent, or if two days is still too early to judge. I looked up some information online - namely the American Tinnitus Association website - but I didn’t find anything about how long temporary tinnitus can take to go away.
I got most of mine (and then made it worse) by… two lame action movies involving gunfights in cheap theaters. :smack: :o :rolleyes:
I can’t say the problem really lessened after the first few days, but after a few months I didn’t find it nearly the problem I found it the first week or two. If hearing problems are hereditary (no idea if they are) I might have been at more risk than another person, as my mother has been somewhat hard of hearing for a while now.
I wouldn’t worry too much about it. The first concert I went to I didn’t bring earplugs and my ears rang for two or three days. It did get better over time. Now if a week later you’re still hearing bad I’d see someone.
Like Spinal Tap, in concert. 
Oh - you said “hearing bad”
You shouldn’t be worried. Ive gone to many concerts that had my ears ringing for a few days afterwards. It’ll probably die down on its own.
Always pack or pickup little ear plugs at the drug store before a concert. it is worth the hassle.
If you still have this problem after a couple more days, go see an ear doctor ( which have a very difficult to spell kinda name.)
<--------who has tinnitus 24/7 in her left ear for no known reason for two years now.
Not hard to spell at all: ENT, for Ear, Nose, and Throat doctor.
Oh, you must have meant otolaryngologist! 
Ed the Head, Webner, thanks for the reassurance. Shirley, I have a great pair of earplugs that I wear a lot (I go to bed earlier than my roommates and am a light sleeper), I was just in a hurry to get to the club and didn’t think to grab them on my way out. I definitely won’t make that mistake again!
I’ve had constant tinnitus for the last 15 years, at least. I had many rock concerts, many years in a loud factory, and a few years in a loud Walkman. It is never going to get better. Fortunately, I’m not one of those people who goes nuts from constant tinnitus. I just wish I could find kitchen timers with a lower pitch.
My advice to investors is “hearing aids.”
Stay away from aspirin and it’s relatives for a while.
See your doctor. There is a very real possiblity you’ve done serious damage to your hearing.
I suffer from tinnitus induced by too much loud music when I was younger. You should simply avoid loud music. It may be exciting, but it’s no good for you.
I have to echo what LonesomePolecat says. Get your ears checked. I too have tinnitis and permamanent hearing damage from falling asleep with headphones on.
Unfortunately, I’m unemployed and without health insurance right now, so doctor’s visits are reserved for Extreme Situations. I will look into the cost of an ENT visit if the ringing persists for the next few days, but is there anything that could be done to stop it anyway?
The Weird One.
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Prayer is occasionally efficacious.
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If there’s permanent nerve damage, there’s three techniques to minimize the internal noise until you get used to it: masking, meditation and distractions.
a) With masking, you need a low neutral noise to “cover” your ringing. Running water in the sink and static from your TV or radio help.
b) With meditation, achieve a calming state by concentrating on another sound: your own heart beating. Crazy, but it works for me.
c) Distract yourself with a kinesthetic/motor activity that doesn’t leave you a whole lot of time to dwell on your ringing ears.
- Lay off chocolate, aspirin, citrus fruits and all caffiene products. They tend to exascerbate the tinnitis. Also, don’t grind your teeth.
As someone who’s been on the broke-no-health-insurance merry-go-round a few times in the last year, I do sympathize. Look into any local clinics, too. Take care of your hearing, eyesight, taste buds, joints and teeth, man. Good luck. I hope it’s just temporary.
Another depressing tale, I’m afraid, The Weird One. I saw Jethro Tull at a smallish venue [Philadelphia’s beloved Electric Factory and Flea Market] back the early 70s. I was literally leaning against a giant speaker. The concert was great, but if you want to talk to me now, I suggest you sit on my left side. Can’t hear shit out of my right.
I sincerely hope YMV.
I once had tinnitus for about two weeks due to a fluid build-up. The doctor said originally it was a cold, but it turned out to be something else (pseudotumor cerebri); gladly I visited an eye doctor for a routine check around the same time so they caught it. If I forget my medication for too many doses, it can come back.
Please see a doctor if possible. As for dealing with the tinnitus in the meantime, here’s some things I did:
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Be distracted with active tasks. I played a lot of video games (with sound at normal level); this helped.
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Sleep with a loud fan or the window open, or some other constant ambient noise.
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Play music or the TV when you would otherwise normally have silence.
W H A T??
it seemed obligatory
:d
The hell? I know I did that right; I just clicked on the little smiley! Let’s try again:
Eyes, ears, it’s all connected, you know. It’s the Eustachean tubes.