Earplugs for going out: hearing protection in the nightlife

You get home at four in the morning, the house is quiet, and then you hear it: a high-pitched ringing that wasn’t there all night. Almost everyone who goes out knows that sound. By the next morning it has usually gone, so it feels harmless. Yet it is exactly the signal you should do something about.

In this article you’ll read how long the ringing usually lasts, when it’s better to see your GP, how loud a club really is and which earplugs protect you in the nightlife without cutting you off from your friends.

How long does ringing in your ears last after a night out?

Usually a few hours to a day. The ringing comes from a temporary overload: your ears have had too much sound and hear a little less well for a while. In the silence of your bedroom the noise stands out even more. For most people it has gone after a night’s sleep.

Exactly how long it lasts depends on how loud it was, how long you were there and how sensitive your ears are. Has the ringing not gone after 24 to 48 hours, or does it come back after every night out? Then make an appointment with your GP. Don’t wait for it to pass on its own: the sooner someone looks at your ears, the better.

While the ringing lasts, it helps to give your ears a rest. Don’t go back into loud sound the next day, and turn your headphones down or leave them off for a while. A soft background sound, such as quiet music or a fan, makes the ringing less intrusive when you want to sleep.

What is that ringing, actually?

The ringing you hear after a night out is called tinnitus: you hear a sound that doesn’t come from outside. It can be a beep, a whistle, a hum or a hiss. For most people it is temporary after a night out.

Deep in your inner ear, in the cochlea, hair cells turn vibrations into signals for your brain. Loud sound overloads those hair cells and the nerve connections behind them. After one night that usually recovers, but damaged hair cells don’t grow back. If you keep pushing your ears to that point, you risk permanent hearing loss or tinnitus that no longer goes away. It often starts with the high tones, and you don’t notice for a long time: you follow conversations fine, until one day you can’t keep up in a busy room.

Loud sound is the best-known cause of tinnitus, but not the only one. Stress, tiredness, an ear infection or certain medicines can play a part too. You’ll find more background on our page about tinnitus, and what you can do to prevent it in how to prevent tinnitus.

How loud is a club?

A common rule of thumb takes 80 dB(A) for 8 hours as the safe daily dose. Every 3 dB more halves the safe exposure time: at 89 dB it’s one hour, at 95 dB a quarter of an hour. In clubs and at concerts the sound is often around 100 dB, and there you reach your daily dose in about 5 minutes. A night out easily lasts four to six hours.

The tricky part is that you don’t notice it on the dance floor. Loud sound doesn’t hurt, at most it feels impressive. The damage builds up silently, and you only see the effect years later in a hearing test.

”I’m used to it” is exactly the danger

Many people who go out a lot say at some point that they barely hear the ringing any more, or that loud sound no longer bothers them. That sounds like getting used to it, but it can also mean your hearing has already become less sensitive.

As long as you still have a choice, a few things help. Don’t stand right next to the speakers; a few metres further away quickly makes several decibels of difference. And give your ears breaks: a quarter of an hour outside or by the cloakroom gives them some rest. Going to events that last several days? Then also read our tips for carnival and for a long festival day.

Which earplugs are suitable for going out?

Foam earplugs are better than nothing, but in a club they work poorly. They are often not inserted deep enough, so they barely attenuate. When they do sit well, the music sounds dull and you can’t understand anyone. That is exactly why people take them out.

What you want in a club is a music filter: it lowers the volume while you keep hearing the music and the people around you. Universal filter earplugs from the chemist are a fine start if you go out a few times a year. Go more often, and a custom earplug is more comfortable: it is made from an impression of your ear, seals all round, doesn’t fall out while you dance and is hardly visible. You’ll find all the options side by side in our earplugs for going out and festivals.

At Audinc we make two kinds of custom music earplugs:

Don’t automatically pick the strongest filter. For a night in a club a medium filter is often enough; too much attenuation mainly makes you take them out. After your nights out, the easiest way to keep them clean is with the tips in how to clean earplugs.

There every week? DJs, bar staff and security

For visitors it’s a few nights a month. For people who work in the nightlife, the exposure adds up every week. DJs, technicians, bar staff and security staff stand in sound of around 100 dB as a matter of routine, and they have to keep understanding colleagues and guests.

For that group, earplugs with a music filter are basic equipment. The material is made for daily use and lasts for years with good care. Employers in hospitality will find more information at hearing protection for work.

Keep the ringing away

We make your earplugs in our own 3D lab in Eindhoven, with a production time of 15 working days (rush available), at least 2 years’ warranty and a 6-month comfort guarantee: if they don’t fit well, we adjust them.

Free fittingCustom earplugs for the clubWe take impressions of your ears and choose the filter that suits your nights out together. Book a free fitting