By Barry Keate
Barry Keate, has lived with tinnitus over 40 years and has published 150+ research articles on numerous aspects of tinnitus. He is an expert on the condition and a well-known advocate for those with tinnitus.
(Maor Attias/pexels)
Clubbing and concerts can be a fun way to hang out with friends or de-stress after a week at work. But have you ever noticed that when you leave the venue, the club seems to follow you home? Ear ringing after a night out is common, but it isn’t good. It can be a sign of damage to your ears. It can also put you at a higher risk of tinnitus. If you already have tinnitus, it can make symptoms worse.
Don’t let this scare you, though. A night out can be a great time, and you shouldn’t let your hearing health stop you from having fun. Below, we outline why loud concerts, dance clubs, and other enjoyable social activities can damage your hearing health. Plus, how you can mitigate its effects and manage your tinnitus so you can dance the night away.
Can Clubbing Cause Tinnitus?
The short answer is that yes, going clubbing or frequently attending concerts can lead to tinnitus. After all, the leading cause of tinnitus is consistent exposure to loud noises. The music and noise in nightclubs can often exceed 100 decibels, and that volume can be higher if you are close to speakers. Generally, exposure to that volume for 15 minutes or less is considered safe. When you are at a concert or nightclub, though, you could be there for hours.
Loud noises are created with very intense sound waves. These waves create a vibration, the very same ones that you feel in the floor of a club or in your chest at a concert. These waves can damage the hair cells in your inner ear. These tiny hairs help pick up sound and send it through your nerves to your brain for processing. When damaged, they begin to short circuit, which is what causes the ringing, hissing, buzzing, or humming associated with tinnitus.
Are the Symptoms Permanent?
Most people experience some form of tinnitus after leaving a nightclub. Known as a “phantom ringing,” the sound usually goes away after a day or two as the hairs in your inner ear heal. Now, if you regularly damage your ears with frequent visits to a club, this ringing may not go away after a few days. Repeated damage to the inner ears can harm your body’s ability to heal the hair cells in your ears, causing lasting tinnitus and potentially hearing loss.
How Can I Prevent Hearing Damage?
Sadly, there has yet to be a cure developed for tinnitus. That is why it is so important to ensure you protect your hearing to the best of your ability. You can use a few strategies to continue enjoying clubbing and concerts to protect your ears.
Wear Hearing Protection
Many earplugs and headphones on the market are specifically tailored for loud music venues. They allow you to hear the music still clearly and speak to the people around you but reduce the decibel levels to a safer range. If you go frequently to the clubs in your area or can never say no to a good concert, they are well worth the investment. A bit of money spent now can save you a world of hurt later. But even inexpensive foam ear plugs provide beneficial protection from the loud music.
Stand Further Away
While it can be a really cool experience to be in the front row of a concert or at the front of a club, decibel levels are higher the closer you are to the source of sound. Try to position yourself further away from the speakers in the venue. You’ll still be able to hear it quite well.
Stay Hydrated
Caffeine and alcohol can both cause dehydration, and both are common in nightclubs and concert venues. While staying hydrated for your overall health and preventing a nasty hangover in the morning is important, dehydration can also worsen tinnitus symptoms. Keep the water flowing to help protect your head, and your hearing.
Take Breaks
Every so often it is helpful to get away from the crowd and the loud noise and escape into a quieter environment. This gives your ears a break from the constant assault of sound waves to your inner ear, and can also help you relax a bit and catch your breath.
Attend Venues Less Often
When you attend nightclubs multiple nights in a row or multiple times a week, you do not give your body enough time to recover. It takes a few days for the delicate hairs in your ears to heal from damage fully, and if you continue to damage your ears while they are healing, they may not repair completely. Spacing out your club nights and concerts can help protect your hearing.
Should I Go Clubbing if I Have Tinnitus?
Even if you already have tinnitus, it is still important to protect your hearing. Further damage can occur in your inner ear, which can worsen the symptoms you already experience. All of the strategies that we talked about above, from using hearing protection to clubbing less often can all prevent your tinnitus from becoming worse.
Additionally, it is important to manage your tinnitus outside of nightclubs. Taking supplements for tinnitus and eating a balanced diet full of vitamins for ear ringing can help reduce the impact of your tinnitus both in and out of the club. Alternative treatments for tinnitus show great promise and have helped many. Find the one that works for you and stay consistent with your treatment. All these things together may allow you to enjoy nights out without worrying too much about your hearing health.
Tinnitus can be a frustrating issue to deal with, but it shouldn’t mean that you can’t enjoy the activities you love. While clubbing and frequent concert going can be hazardous to your hearing health, proper protection and smart strategies can help you have a great night out on the town without damaging your hearing.
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