Twenty years ago Timo Lasche suffered from tinnitus: “I was about fifteen years old. I had ringing in my ears since firecrackers went off.” Now he knows how to live with it, but that’s fine: “I don’t know quiet and peaceful moments anymore, I want to hear real peace again,” he says.

With Timo it rings in both ears, but complaints may vary. “It’s a beep, noise, noise or whistle,” says OLVG Marjolin van Luij ENT doctor. “Tinnitus comes from exposure to loud noises, and it doesn’t go away. It’s hearing sounds that aren’t really there.”

An estimated two million people suffer from tinnitus in the Netherlands. “Not everyone knows it, or goes to the doctor. So it can’t really be expressed in numbers.” Van Looij sees more young people entering the ENT field.

“Sound enters your ear through the ear canal,” the doctor begins his explanation. Through the eardrum it travels to three bones that transmit sound vibrations to the cochlea. “That’s where it gets stuck. In the cochlea, the vibrations are transferred to the brain to hear sound. But in tinnitus, the hairs that cause this are damaged. As a result, certain tones can no longer be transmitted properly. Fills in.” They show themselves.”

Blockage of ears when passing out

It seems logical, but it’s worth noting, according to Lashev. He is one of the organizers of ATE, which starts in town next week: “People should bring earplugs anyway if the speaker is around.” Van Luij also emphasizes its importance: “There is no cure, so you have to prevent it as much as possible.”

According to Lasshe, his responsibility is mainly to provide information: “We can’t do anything more than provide information and sell earplugs. Unfortunately, we can’t do this for free, because that also costs us money. “Always carry good plugs with you, and invest in them,” says Lasshe. .van Luij.

103 to 100 dB

A majority of the House of Representatives proposes to lower the maximum noise level currently allowed in the Netherlands. Currently it is 103 dB, according to them it should be 100. “Three decibels down means the sound intensity is halved,” says van Looij. “So we ENT doctors think it’s a good idea.”

Lasse hesitates. “I think it sums it up. People go to a party not just to hear music, but to feel it.” And you want to give the same experience to the people in the front of the room as you do to the people in the back. So I don’t know if this is really the right thing to do. All we have to do is focus on the problem. Because in the end, somebody has to bring their own hats.”