At concerts or festivals, the music and noise levels can be high. Our ears are exposed to dangerously loud sound intensities. Here are 4 tips to follow in order to fully enjoy your festival while perfectly preserving your hearing.
At concerts or festivals, you can be exposed to sound intensities reaching 100, sometimes even 110 decibels. An ear can withstand such intensities for an average of 2 to 3 minutes. Beyond this exposure duration, sound intensities can cause sometimes irreversible auditory damage (hearing loss, tinnitus, etc.).
Here are 4 tips to preserve your hearing at concerts while still enjoying the music:
1. Stay away from the speakers
First and foremost, it's crucial to stay away from the speakers and loudspeakers when attending a concert. Indeed, the sound intensities at the output of the speakers are higher than those in the middle or back of the crowd. Your ear cannot withstand such sound intensities, which can lead to serious hearing damage. Generally, sound intensity decreases by 6 decibels when you double the distance from the sound source. For example, if you're positioned 20 meters away from a speaker and you move to 40 meters away from it, the sound intensity will decrease by 6 decibels.
2. Take breaks
During a festival, your ears are subjected to high sound levels for extended periods. Therefore, it's crucial to take regular breaks. We recommend taking a 15-minute break every hour in quiet areas to give your ears a rest.
3. Limit alcohol consumption
Alcohol, often prevalent at festivals, impairs reflexes regarding ear protection. Indeed, most psychoactive substances like alcohol, drugs, and certain medications dull the sensation of pain and reduce alertness levels. Therefore, it's important to control this consumption to maximize protection for your hearing.
4. Protect your ears
The last and undoubtedly most important tip concerns using ear protection. Let's remember that the danger threshold for the ear starts at 85 decibels. Sound intensities at concerts can reach 100 or even 110 decibels.
You cannot be exposed to these intensities for more than 2-3 minutes without auditory damage. Feel free to check the ambient sound level using an app on your smartphone, available for free. Below, discover the solutions to protect your ears at concerts or festivals:
Standard disposable earplugs: These are made of foam and offer low protection (30%). Not fitting perfectly into the ear, these plugs tend to fall out and thus lose their protective effect. Moreover, they generally reduce sound quality. They cost around €2 and are usually provided at festivals.
Standard reusable earplugs: These are composed of an acoustic filter that maintains good sound quality. Since the plug is standard, it may cause discomfort or come out of the ear canal as it doesn't conform perfectly to the shape of the ears. That's why they offer low protection (30%). These silicone protections are usually sold between €10 and €20.
Standard noise-canceling headphones for children: The headphone has also become an essential accessory at festivals and is ideal for protecting your children's ears. It provides maximum sound protection (100%). The headphones are suitable for babies and children aged between 3 months and 14 years. They are sold between €20 and €35.
Custom reusable earplugs: These earplugs are currently the most recommended for protecting your hearing at 100%. Since each ear is unique, these plugs are custom-made. They fit perfectly into each ear canal. These plugs also offer excellent sound reduction while maintaining perfect sound quality. Depending on the chosen specifications (type of filter, etc.), these plugs cost between €130/pair and €170/pair. Custom plugs are durable for up to 5 years. Since this is the best protection, some health insurance providers may reimburse part of the cost of custom plugs, up to €50.
Discover custom-made hearing protection dedicated to music by clicking on the following link: https://www.decilo.be/music-earplugs?lang=fr
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