Going to a concert is an amazing experience that everyone should experience at some point. However, concerts can be dangerously loud sometimes, especially if one is sitting close to the speakers. Volumes can get to the point where going to a concert without hearing protection can lead to serious hearing damage.
“It’s recommended for people to use earplugs if they’re going to be attending a loud concert. Custom fitted ones work best in filtering excess noise but regular earplugs also work,” said concert fanatic Jenny Cardenas (‘25).
What makes concerts harmful?
According to AHTHearing, concerts usually reach the 100-120 decibel mark, which can quickly cause hearing damage. The safe sound level for adults is 80 dB for 40 hours a week. Increasing the sound level by three decibels halves the safe exposure time, making it crucial to protect your hearing at concerts.
Tinnitus appears as another side affect of loud volumes. Described as causing perpetual ringing in the ear in most cases, some people hear other kinds of sounds, ranging from buzzing, humming, roaring, or hissing. In most cases, tinnitus goes away over time, but in cases where it is bad enough or cases where it worsens, it can cause anxiety, irritability, concentration and communication issues, or even insanity. While treatments and ways to mitigate the symptoms of tinnitus exist, there’s no real cure yet. This is because the “sounds” don’t come from the ear, the auditory cortex inside the brain generates them instead. That’s just one of the reasons why protecting your hearing is important.
How can I protect my hearing?
“A lot of festivals have custom earplug brands that set up booths in order to encourage people to buy ear protection. For example, the coat check at the Fillmore in San Francisco sells earplugs in case you don’t have any,” said Cardenas.
Good earplugs that don’t undermine your experience at a concert used to be very pricey, but in recent years they’ve become much more affordable, some costing as little as $35. One pair that has the best noise reduction and clarity for its price is the Loop Experience, with 18 decibels of noise reduction. Loop Earplugs also have a plus version, with 23 decibels of noise reduction. For less than fifty dollars, you’re able to save yourself from hearing damage and the potential costs of hearing aids in the future.
“Most nights after concerts without earplugs, my ears ring all night and sometimes into the next day,” said Cardenas.While it might seem pretty obvious that concerts can damage your hearing, the same threat is posed by loud gaming and wearing headphones at high volumes. Here’s an article about that if you’re interested.
