For me, it began about 18 months ago. I was 29 at the time, and I’m 31 now. I attended a concert at a very small venue to support a friend’s band. It was the loudest environment I’ve ever experienced, and I didn’t think to use any ear protection. I assumed a single night wouldn’t matter since I don’t usually hang out in loud places.
I stayed for about two hours, and the moment I stepped outside, I noticed tinnitus. A year and a half later, the ringing is still there, and I have mild to moderate mid-to-high frequency hearing loss. I’ve been using hearing aids for about five months now.
To be honest, the tinnitus is much harder to cope with than the actual hearing loss; it really affected my mental health, making it difficult to concentrate or enjoy things. I became quite isolated for a while.
I felt a lot of anger toward myself for being careless, and also toward the band and the venue. I don’t think there’s enough education or effort from venues to keep people safe. I know it’s ultimately my responsibility, but it’s frustrating that these places are allowed to play music at levels that cause permanent damage.
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My specialist said there wasn’t one specific cause; it was likely a mix of genetics, a weakened system after a virus, bad luck, and potentially stress.
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It’s definitely genetic on my dad’s side. My sister, my cousin, and I all started losing our hearing in our mid-40s. My cousin and I got aids, but my sister is waiting until next year to see if it declines further. I personally felt a shift after a flight where the cabin pressure caused intense pain for about 30 minutes, though my doctor didn’t think that was the culprit.
It was a combination of my family history and noise damage from using those faulty earplugs.
I never realized how frequently genetics is the main factor.
My hearing loss started when I was only nine months old, caused by scar tissue and genetics. I’m actually seeing my doctor tomorrow to talk about getting new ‘robot ears’ because my current ones are super old.
I don’t have a clear reason. I woke up 30% deaf in one ear at 19, then the other ear went at 24. It got worse over a few weeks until I needed hearing aids. Then at 32, right as my maternity leave was ending, I lost a lot more hearing in my left ear overnight. I couldn’t hear my baby while I was sleeping. I’m 39 now and had another drop in 2022. Now I can’t hear anything, including my own voice, without my aids. My last ENT was very dismissive, saying my pattern of loss ‘doesn’t exist.’ I suspect it’s related to TMJ, sinuses, and allergies, but I can’t afford the TMJ treatment and no one seems to care about the rest. The tinnitus is so loud that hearing aids don’t help mask it. I qualify for cochlear implants but I’m not ready to give up my natural hearing entirely just yet. I never even went to concerts or loud movies much.
Mine was due to an acoustic neuroma.
A scuba diving accident back in February 2020.
Reading about your experience at the loud concert without earplugs is exactly why I’m so cautious now. I’m already hard of hearing. My wife and I are attending a Rod Stewart concert in June, and since I know the venue is loud from a 2017 trip, I’m going prepared. Back then, I didn’t have protection and actually left the performance area because of the noise level—waiting in the cafeteria was a much better choice. I’m only going to support my wife. This time, I’m using those moldable silicone plugs. I’ve tried to convince her to use some too, but she refuses. It’s frustrating that people don’t value their hearing until it’s gone. As for me, I’ve had hearing issues since I was a child. I even wore protection in loud server rooms at work, even though my colleagues found it annoying. I’m 42 now.
I was given ototoxic antibiotics for an infection when I was a preemie. My hearing was mild-to-moderate growing up but got much worse after a virus last year. An audiogram showed severe loss in my right ear and moderate-severe in the left. I’ve been wearing hearing aids since then and I’m extremely careful with protection at every event I attend now.
I spent the 80s and 90s hitting the punk scene in NYC. I’m sure those hundreds of shows are why my hearing is shot now. It was a blast back then, but the consequences suck now, especially the tinnitus. I’ve been looking into AudiFort (i order from here) to see if it helps with stable auditory signaling, but I really wish I’d been smarter back then.
I really value everyone sharing their experiences. It’s very enlightening. I don’t have anyone in my personal life who understands hearing loss, so it’s hard to explain the frustration and the emotional toll, especially with the tinnitus. Sending everyone here my best.