Based on many research, attending to concerts  or any other loud events without a hearing protection can cause major consequences, especially to our HEARING! In addition to wearing earplugs, sitting farther away from the stage and speakers can provide another layer of protection. Many researchers have recommended seeking medical attention as soon as you think or you feel you have damaged your ears, especially if you hear a ringing sound or experience other unusual sensations. Even the Coldplay singer and rhythm guitarist Chris Martin  had given a good advice, which is be sure to wear a hearing protection. Martin has said that he has tinnitus. 

You might be wondering how does listening to loud music could damage the ear? Let me explain it. Loud noises are dangerous to the inner ear which is known as cochlea. One-time exposure to these extreme loud sounds or listening to loud sounds for a long time can cause you a hearing loss. Loud sounds will damage the cells and membranes in the cochlea. Listening to loud music or sounds for a long time can overwork the hair cells in our ear, which can cause these cells to die.

These damaged  hair cells in your ears could lead to hearing loss. The average person is born with about 16,000 hair cells per ear within their cochlea. These cells allow your brain to detect sounds. Not only damaging the hair cells, loud sounds can also damage the auditory nerve that carries information about sounds to your brain. Damage to the inner ear or to our auditory neural system is usually permanent.

By the time you notice a hearing loss, many hair cells would have been destroyed and cannot be repaired. People who frequently go to concerts should make an effort to protect their ears because persistent exposure to loud music will lead to hearing loss. 

Here are some helpful tips for enjoying concerts while protecting the ears.

1. Use an ear plugs or custom ear plugs

One of the best ways to protect your ears is with an ear plugs. If you are someone who attends concerts regularly, you may need to invest in a custom ear plugs as well. Custom ear plugs, are specifically designed for musical events like concerts and offered by audiologists, which will ensure that your ear plugs offer the highest level of protection as much as possible. This is because they are made out of a high-quality material and because they are customized for your particular ear shape that suppresses a higher level of decibels. These are the ones musicians use, and do not affect the sound quality in any way. 

Hearing protection that recommended by audiologist would be "Crescendo". It is a high-end hearing protection solutions designed to reduce noise and loud sounds while allowing the ear to breathe and keeping relevant sound and speech.
Do not use a handkerchief or tissue paper as an earplug as they will not protect your ears from the high decibels!

2. Stand or sit far away from the speakers

You will put yourself at the most risk by sitting close to the speakers or right in front of the band or musician, regardless of whether or not you’re wearing ear plugs. Always sit or stand at least 10 -25 feet away from the speakers or as far away from the stage as possible to protect your hearing.

3. Give your ears a break

After attending a concert, give your ears a break. Stay away from loud sounds , even listening to music via your headphones for at least 16 hours.

4. Know the signs of a hearing loss

Lastly, familiarize yourself with the signs of hearing damage. If you hear ringing in your ears after a concert, this means that you have experienced a degree of hearing loss (this is called tinnitus). Continuous ringing can eventually lead to more hearing loss. Feeling an ache in your ears is also a sign that you have damaged your ears. If you are worried about your hearing, it is important to speak to an audiologist or a doctor as soon as possible.

Most concert-goers will experience some short term effects to their hearing without a hearing protection. If symptoms such as ringing sound, pain, muffled hearing, or any other hearing issues persists for 2-3 days after the concert, you should immediately  contact an audiologist. Book appointment for hearing test at 20dB Hearing.

Please also be mindful of your hearing protection and looking after your ears is unfortunately something you don’t think about until there’s a problem.

Your Hearing Professional