How to Protect Hearing at a Rock Concert

If you've ever had a hard time hearing the radio or your friends' conversation immediately following a rock concert, you know the effects that prolonged noise can have. The scary thing is that if you attend rock shows frequently, you can sustain permanent hearing damage. Don't let that happen--take a few simple steps to protect your hearing.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Earplugs

1. Buy earplugs before you go to a concert. Earplugs are inexpensive and readily available at drug stores and having them in won't ruin your concert-going experience. In fact, you'll be able to hear everything just fine--and your ears won't ring afterward.
2. Position yourself near the center of the venue rather than standing by an amplifier. The average rock concert cranks out about 110 decibels; anything over 80 decibels is considered dangerous.
3. Know the early signs of hearing damage. If noises sound like they're underwater, if you find yourself shouting rather than speaking at a normal volume or if your ears are ringing, it's likely that you've damaged some hair cells in your inner ear.
4. Take a break from attending concerts. Going to a show every once in a while is fine, but frequently hanging out in noisy venues can contribute to permanent hearing loss.

Tips & Warnings

• If your work requires you to be around loud music--if you're a musician or a sound technician--eliminate loud noises in other areas of your life. Wear earplugs when mowing the lawn, turn down the volume on your stereo headphones and pass up trips to the racetrack.