I just went to a pep rally today, i had never been to one. it was extremely loud. whenever i left my ears hurt

Question

could it have caused permanent damage. why does it hurt so bad. it feels like my ears were being pushed from the inside. also, from time to time, my ears ring. please give me info. i don't listen to loud music. but i am very worried

Answer 1

When I was a teen, we called this a "sound hangover". It should be temporary. If it persists for 3 days, get medical advise.

Your ears will react this way to short term exposure to very loud noise. The length of the exposure, and the amount of repeated exposures, play a role in whether permanent damage will occur.

I looked into OSHA hearing protection requirements (20 years ago) and I think they back up my position. OSHA's guidelines were not based soley on the decibel level. It depended how long the exposure was for the specific decibel level. Thus a noise which you experience for 8 hours may require hearing protection, but the same noise does not require hearing protection if you are only exposed for 1 hour intervals.

You don't need to panic over this. I too have been to events which turned out to be louder than I expected. I still have very good hearing (at age 44). But you would be wise to avoid a repeat of this type of exposure. You can get foam earplugs at the drugstore very cheaply and keep them in you pocket/purse. Or, you can cover your ears with your palms or put fingers in your ears to reduce the noise you hear.

Answer 2

you'll recover. but next time bring earplugs or cotton balls.
prolonged listening to extremely high decibels can permanently damage your hearing.