...take the ringing seriously!

You know that ringing in your ears after you listen to loud music? Maybe you notice it after being in a club, pub, concert or even after listening to an mp3 player...

That ringing is called ‘tinnitus’ and for some people, it may never go away. 

You should treat this ringing as a warning sign, telling you that you have subjected your ears to dangerously high levels of noise...if you continue to do this, you will experience further hearing loss.

Tinnitus is a physical condition, experienced as noises or ringing in the ears when no such external noise is present. It is actually a symptom (of a fault in the hearing system) and not a disease in itself.  Tinnitus can occur in one or both ears and may subside over time or continue throughout the affected individual’s life.  A large percentage of Australians suffer from tinnitus at some stage in their lives - for some, it can have a large impact on their life.

It is proven that loud music and loud noise in general can cause tinnitus and/or make tinnitus worse. Earplugs and earmuffs will reduce the noise source and protect your ears.

I have ringing in my ears after loud music...what should i do?

Listen to the warning...if the ringing goes away, consider yourself lucky.  Take steps to keep your hearing "F.I.T".  Even if the ringing subsides you have still done damage.

I have constant ringing in my ears...what should i do?

Don’t self diagnose at this stage...you may still be able to reduce the ringing in your ears.

Go and visit an audiologist and have your hearing examined. They can provide you with more information on tinnitus and today, there are treatments which can alleviate it. Make sure you avoid exposure to loud music and loud noise in general as this can make your tinnitus worse.

Prevention is the key.

You can buy cheap earplugs from chemists or hardware stores and wearing these will reduce the amount of noise entering your ears and increase the amount of time you can spend on the dance floor, or at a live concert etc. Musician earplugs are custom fitted and are very popular with musicians and concert-goers because unlike un-moulded earplugs, they don’t eliminate certain frequencies of sound.

Don’t earplugs look funny though?!

Actually, custom fitted earplugs are quite hard to notice unless someone looks into your ear. You can get them in a range of colours, including skin colours.  If you have long hair and wear it down, it makes it even harder for people to notice that you are wearing earplugs.  Don’t worry so much about what people think of you wearing earplugs - you will be the one who can still hear at the age of 50...they may not be so lucky!

Information sourced from the Australian Tinnitus Association Ltd & AudioClinic