What Causes Ringing in the Ears After a Concert?

Ringing in the ears, also known as tinnitus, is a common occurrence after a loud concert. Some people describe the ringing using other terms such as buzzing, roaring, clicking, beeping, ticking, hissing, whistling, chirping or whining. Whatever terms are used to describe the ringing, most people agree on one thing---it's annoying.

Understanding the cause of tinnitus begins with understanding how hearing works. The ear is comprised of three main parts---the outer, middle and inner ear. Sounds enter the outer ear and travel to the middle ear where the ear drum is located. The ear drum vibrates in response to the sound, and transmits these vibrations to the ossicles, which is made up of three small bones called the malleus, incus and stapes. The ossicles amplifies the sounds and transmits the vibrations to the inner ear (cochlea) via the oval window, which rests between the stapes and the cochlea.

At this point, a more complex process begins. The sound vibrations pass through the oval window and move through fluid in the cochlea to the hair cells. The fluid moves the top portion of the hair cells, which triggers the production of nerve impulses. These nerve impulses are transmitted through the cochlear nerve to the brain. Based on the position and movement of the hair cells sending the impulses, the brain distinguishes the tone, pitch and intensity of each impulse and interprets it as sound.

Exposure to loud noises can easily bend and damage the tiny hairs in the inner ear. If hairs are damaged, the cells may send out random electrical impulses. The impulses are received by the brain and incorrectly interpreted as a noise that sounds like ringing in the ears.

Unsafe noise levels can be determined by its measurement on the decibel scale, the unit used to measure the level of sound. Exposure to noise levels above 85 decibels is considered unsafe. The higher the decibel level, the less time it takes for damage to the hair cells to occur. For example, exposure to sounds above 100 decibels for more than 15 minutes is enough to cause permanent damage. An average rock concert is approximately 110 decibels. Given that rock concerts typically last much longer than 15 minutes, it should be no surprise that many concert attendees experience tinnitus.

Resources

• American Tinnitus Association
• Dangerous Decibels
• Tinnitus Information from the Mayo Clinic