Anyone who regularly attends music concerts, whether as a fan, member of staff, should consider their hearing health. Regularly being exposed to loud music can cause permanent damage to your hearing, and even just one instance of very loud noise could lead to issues. Your ears are very sensitive and can be affected by music that is amplified above a comfortable level. If you’ve ever left a concert and realized that your ears are ringing, it’s because the loud noise of the music and other sounds like crowds of people talking have affected your ears.
The best thing to do if you often go to concerts or festivals, or even if you’re attending just one event, is to take steps to protect your hearing. There are different types of hearing protection available, and it’s important to make the right choice.
Hearing Protection for Musicians and Industry Workers
If you are a musician or you work in the music industry, it’s still important to be able to hear certain things during a concert. Although you don’t want the music to damage your hearing, you may still need to be able to communicate with bandmates or coworkers. This is where specialist hearing protection for musicians and music workers comes into place. This type of hearing protection can allow the right sounds to filter through, such as conversations with others. Some options even use smart features such as bone conduction to ensure you get clear sound on the things that you still need to hear.
Hearing Protection for Concert-goers
When you enjoy going to concerts, it’s natural to want to get the full experience. But repeated exposure to very loud music could be bad for your hearing. Fortunately, you can protect your hearing and still enjoy yourself. Disposable earplugs are an inexpensive option for concerts. If you only attend concerts on occasion, they can be a simple way to block out sound. However, you might find them less comfortable and perhaps less effective than other options.
If you’re a regular concert-goer, you might prefer something reusable or similar to what musicians and tech staff might be wearing. There’s even the option of having custom-made hearing protection that is designed to fit your ears. Reusable hearing protection is more robust, and you can get many uses out of it instead of just throwing out single-use earplugs.
It’s also important to protect children’s ears if they attend concerts or festivals with you. Their ears are even more sensitive, so it’s essential to wear hearing protection. Earmuff style hearing protection is often the most comfortable option for them and the easiest for them to wear and keep on.
As well as wearing hearing protection at concerts, try to stand back if you can. You might want to be as close to the performers as possible, but you can protect your hearing more if you’re not too close to the speakers.
For more advice on hearing protection for concerts, speak to a hearing health professional about the options they have available.
