Worried about hearing after concert

[Monique1892]

I am very worried about my hearing. I would say I have pretty good/sensitive hearing, and I don't want to ruin it because I know hearing loss is irreversiable.

For me, I try to listen to music at a low volume and if I do listen to music at a loud volume, I try not to listen to it for too long. I have been to three big concenrts: 1. about 10 years ago, 2. last summer, and 3. last Sunday. I never really worried about my hearing when I went to the concert last year, but it seems that as I get older I am starting to worry about these things more...

So I meant to buy some earplugs on Sunday before going to the concert, but we were kind of in a rush getting there so I forgot to pick some up. The concert was outdoors so it was not like I was in a closed room (the sounds were able to get outside). It lasted about 2 hours-2 hours and a half so it was not super long. I was sitting almost towards the back end of the row so I was not right in front of the band. They were not a rock concert so the sounds were not like those crazy loud ones. There were a lot of breaks in between so I stepped outside for those.

I also don't think (?) I heard any ringing when the concert ended (unless I was too distracted from talking to my husband or something). I was however very cold at the concert and now I feel like my ears hurt when I swallow sometimes. I also think they hurt a little now but they might just be in my head and my ears do hurt sometimes because I tend to scratch the walls of it since they get itchy (I know that is also bad for your ears lol). Like last night I thought I felt some kind of pain in my ears while sleeping, but maybe it's just from me scratching it or they are just in my mind.. I also don't hear any ringing now but I keep thinking they might feel a little clogged and a little bit of pain (but might just be all in my mind). I forgot to add this but I also ended up putting some tissues in my ears about half way through the concert because I started to get really really worried.. don't know if this has or had any effect..

So my main question is: Will going to 2-3 major concerts all in an open space for 2 hours-2 hours and 30 minutes damage your ears? Do my "symptoms" sound like my ears got any damage from Sunday's concert? Or am I perhaps being a bit too paranoid?

Ugh I feel more like an idiot because we literally stopped by Walmart on Sunday to pick up an extra SD card for memory and I could have just easily picked some earbuds up and not have been so paranoid. sad Please help!!