you're all joking about not wearing earplugs to concerts, right? we're not out here rawdogging 120dB. right.
to be clear i'm not trying to be moralizing or anything it's just important to me that people at least know they should be protecting their ears at concerts and clubs. repeated exposure to loud enough music will lead to hearing loss. you will get tinnitus. you don't want tinnitus.
[garfield meme edited to read “you are not immune to hearing loss”]
I understand tinnitus can sound really vague and inconsequential to someone who hasn't experienced it, I really get where everyone making jokes about it in the notes is coming from. that said:
- tinnitus can be extremely debilitating. mine still sometimes keeps me awake for hours at night, despite having gotten better over the years. it can make it difficult to concentrate on anything else.
- the more you are exposed to loud sounds, the higher the chance of getting tinnitus, and the worse it will get. even if you already have it, or already have hearing loss, you should be wearing protection in places like concerts and clubs.
- you can have both hearing loss and tinnitus.
- there are many ways to find relief for tinnitus, and it may fade on its own, especially if you take care of your ears, but there is no known cure.
If you've never had it, I really recommend looking up videos of what tinnitus sounds like, and just imagine that, always. or go through the tags and read through what people have said about their tinnitus. wear earplugs!!!
