So you went to a loud rock concert, had a great time, only to come home after the concert to an obnoxious, persistent and grating ringing in your ears. Eventually the ringing went away (hopefully) and the next time you wore earplugs. But that doesn't answer the question of why exactly do your ears ring after concerts. Read on to learn more about this phenomenon.
Identification
Ringing in the ears is medically referred to as "tinnitus." Many people describe the ringing sounds in different ways. Some descriptions include clicking, ticking, tree frogs, buzzing, whining, locusts, beeping and humming. Some people also say it sounds like a "whoosh" sound. All of these sounds are vastly different, but can all fall under the category of tinnitus. If you hear any of these types of sounds ringing in your ears and it's causing you distress, it's very likely you have tinnitus.
Expert Insight
When your ears ring after a loud concert, that means damage has been done. The sound waves from the offending noise enter into your ears and overexcite the cochleas. The nerves that are connected to the cochlea and are responsible for carrying sound information to the brain. The dead nerves and damaged cochlea thus create an excitation from inside of the brain, which in turn makes the wayward nerve connections in the brain produce a ringing sound.
Considerations
Try this test to determine whether you should be wearing earplugs at a concert. If you are about 2 feet away from a person and you cannot communicate with them without having to shout or raise your voice, then the setting is definitely too loud and you need to be protecting your ears. However, to be on the safe side, it's a good idea to wear earplugs at any concert, whether it's rock music or not.
Potential
There are also a few ways to decrease the intensity and severity of tinnitus. These include limiting and lessening your salt intake, decreasing anxiety, controlling your blood pressure, exercising regularly, taking your mind off the tinnitus and avoiding loud sounds and noises in general.
Prevention/Solution
There are a couple of ways to avoid the ringing from occurring in the first place. The first way is to wear earplugs. Earplugs are cheap and can be purchased at any drugstore or music supply store. They are also very easy to insert in the ears and do not hurt at all. Another way to try to avoid the ringing is by standing away from the stage and not getting too close to the speakers.
Tags: your ears, avoid ringing, away from, , ears ring after, ring after