Listening to live music and going to loud concerts or music festivals can put you at risk for noise-induced hearing loss, unless you use hearing protection. According to an online article from Medical News Today, noise levels at live music venues typically reach 100 dB, a level that is unsafe to people after just 15 minutes. In fact, repeated or extended exposure to noise at such levels can cause permanent, irreversible hearing loss. But it doesn’t have to be this way, if more people took advantage of the wide range of hearing protection products that are currently on the market, says the article’s author, James McIntosh.

As explained in his article, the 1.1 billion teenagers and adults who reportedly face the risk of hearing loss due to exposure to unsafe levels of sound could prevent it—and still enjoy the music—by taking advantage of the free ear plugs offered at many music venues, or by purchasing a decent pair of hearing protectors.

If you’re unsure which hearing protectors to invest in or recommend, you can read the full article on Medical News Today to learn from McIntosh’s first-hand experience. Using himself as the guinea pig, he tested out several different ear plugs in a range of listening environments. His article provides a helpful review of how a few of the ear plugs or hearing protection options worked for him and how much protection they provided. His review includes Auritech’s Music Hearing Protectors, Alpine Hearing Protection PartyPlugs, EarPeace HD Ear Plugs, Etymotic ETY Plugs High Fidelity Earplugs, and Ultimate Ear Musicians Plug, among others. Even the inexpensive ear plugs available at most drug stores offer some hearing protection, says the author, but the real trick is remembering to use them.

Source: Medical News Today 

Photo credits: EarPeace; Medical News Today