Are Earplugs Really Effective in Protecting Hearing Health while attending Loud Concerts?

According to a 2016 study from the JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, wearing earplugs is effective in preventing temporary hearing loss that is caused by exposure to loud music over the course of several hours.

In a study on 51 adults (with an average of people who were 27 years old), researchers randomly selected 25 people and asked them to wear earplugs that were provided by the researchers while attending an outdoor concert. The other 26 concert attendees did not wear earplugs. The earplugs had a reduced rate of 18 decibels (dB). Before and after the 4.5-hour concert, a standard hearing test was conducted on each participant.

The authors of the report concluded that eight percent of the participants who wore earplugs for the duration of the concert had some temporary hearing loss; whereas 42 percent of the participants who did not wear earplugs experienced some hearing loss.  

Tinnitus - a beeping, buzzing, hissing, ringing, etc. noise that can be caused by exposure to loud noises - was diagnosed in 12 percent of participants who donned earplugs, compared to 40 percent of participants who did not wear earplugs.  

Hearing loss can be caused by a number of reasons from machinery used in a work environment to leisure activities. The only way to prevent noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL), is by wearing hearing protection - such as earplugs or earmuffs - or limiting the amount of time you are exposed to dangerous noise levels.  

If you or a loved one experiences hearing loss caused by exposure to loud noises or any other reason, please contact us at Pure Sound Hearing for a free hearing test and consultation. We offer many hearing aid styles and some assistive listening devices for your specific hearing needs.

contact us