If you are an avid concertgoer and you like to have an alcoholic beverage or two – its time to think about using ear plugs at your next music event. Several studies, here and abroad, have linked alcohol use and loud music as a factor in hearing loss. Hearing Wellness Solutions offers a variety of custom ear protection options. We can equip you with custom ear buds or plugs.
It’s All in the Decibels
Concerts and music festivals, especially outdoor events, just lend themselves to socializing and a drink or two. The high-decibel music at a concert can lead to short-term hearing loss as well as tinnitus and both of those things have been found to be higher if the loud music is combined with alcohol. “Loud” is considered 85 decibels or more. The average concert has a decibel range of over 115. Have you watched the staff or roadies at concerts? They are all wearing headphones, with noise canceling features and likely communication set-ups and/or ear plugs. If they value their hearing – shouldn’t you?
Hearing loss studied
Research was done on a group of 51 concertgoers and their hearing before and after the concert was evaluated. Twenty-five of the participants wore ear plugs during the concert. The concert lasted about four hours, a typical time span for a concert or club performance.
Those who wore the ear plugs experienced less hearing loss and less issues with tinnitus. And, men who did not wear ear plugs were more affected then women who didn’t wear ear plugs! Drinking was found to increase the risk factor.
For some reason, intoxicated concertgoers were found to congregate closer to the speakers and show a lot more tolerance for noise. They subjected themselves to louder decibels for a prolonged period of time and also compounded the issue by having to carry on a conversation by literally screaming into the ear of the person next to them.
Hearing loss on the rise for young people
Hearing loss among young adults has been found to be higher partially due to the increased popularity of concerts, clubs and festivals. These events lead to short term hearing loss, but there is also a higher noted incidence of long-term hearing loss among young people.
Research indicates the consumption of four drinks can lead to alcohol-induced dangerous behavior such as moving closer to speakers as well as failing to notice conversations are becoming muffled and distorted.
All-day outdoor music festivals are gaining in popularity and with them comes an increased danger of hearing loss due to longer exposure to high-decibel sound as well as alcohol use.
Protect your hearing
An increasing number of concert venues, especially in Europe, have started selling cheap foam ear plugs for concertgoers because of issues surrounding hearing loss. This should be a strong indication to the average concertgoer and music event attendee that they need to take care of their hearing.
The musical experience is not diminished by using ear plugs. On the contrary, young people surveyed during the concert/ear plug study actually determined they had a better musical experience with the ear plugs.
Ear plugs help filter out the distortion your brain may be processes as part of the loud decibel music. Drinking and loud decibels causes the blood to rush to your ears muffling the sound and resulting in dangerous behavior because you move closer to the speakers to keep hearing the music.
Part of your concertgoing experience should not be days of hearing loss and tinnitus.
Customized protection
Hearing Wellness Solutions can make a mold of your ears and design protection that will still let you enjoy the music! The earplugs that musicians wear – the ones you see them using at a performance on TV or in a recording studio – are available to the public and you won’t lose any of the music quality experience. Call today and talk to one of our professional staff members we are dedicated to making sure you hear life and live it well.
