Can Concerts Cause Hearing Difficulties?

Who doesn’t love concerts? I mean if you ask me, I actually don’t miss any concert of my favorite band. The live music, colorful environment, and guitar solo bring a literal chill in my body and mind. I can always browse Spotify and listen to my favorite songs. But the experience of a concert is totally priceless.

However, the sound can often exceed our safe hearing limit. As we know, sounds below 70dB are considered safe for our ears. A rock concert can reach as much as 115 dB, and if it’s any kind of metal concert, well, it can reach higher.

So the question is, can concerts cause hearing difficulties? If so, do you need to stop going to concerts? Or, is there any other way to both enjoy concerts and keep your hearing healthy? Well, let’s find out.

Overview of the Problem

When we are constantly exposed to sounds over 85 dB, it highly impacts our hearing health. Depending on where you are standing, the sound from concerts can exceed more than 100dB. A concert can last from one hour to six hours maximum if multiple bands are playing. So, when you expose yourself to high frequencies of sounds for long periods, it hits your inner ear hard. When your inner ear is hit hard enough, the hair cells that reside there get damaged.

In the first stage, you may experience ringing sounds in your ears. This symptom is called tinnitus. Tinnitus is caused due to any underlying problems with your hearing health. This ringing or buzzing sound can occur constantly or periodically. In most cases, it may resolve within a few hours to a few days.

How Can You Stop the Ringing in the Ears?

If you are experiencing tinnitus after coming from a concert, oftentimes it is caused by the stress due to loud noise. So, how can you stop them? Here are some tips:

• White noise or relaxing sound: Ambient sound will help you relax. It will relieve the stress from your hearing organ and relieve you from experiencing tinnitus swiftly.
• Distract yourself: Although it may not be easy, once you do it, you can be relieved from the roaring sounds in your ears. You can focus on other sounds around you to make yourself distracted from tinnitus. You can also listen to podcasts or radio broadcasts as well. However, remember you have already been exposed to loud noise for several hours. So, keep the volume at a lower level.
• De-stress: Put your body into an ultimate relaxing position. You can do some meditation or yoga to relieve the stress from your body. Make sure you clear your head to get relief from the irritation or stress from the buzzing sounds in your ears.

How Long will the Buzzing Last?

If you expose yourself to loud noise occasionally, it can cause temporary tinnitus. If you also experience muffled sound along with the buzzing, it may be an indication of noise-induced hearing loss. Usually, you may find them gone within 48 hours. In extreme cases, it can last as long as two weeks. And if you expose yourself to loud noise within this time, your ears can start buzzing again.

Sometimes, this hearing loss will be associated with tinnitus and can stay for six months. It can cause long-term issues as well. However, it is quite rare and may not suggest that you have a medical condition. If you are frequently exposed to loud noise, make sure you take precautions.

How Can to Keep Your Ears in Good Shape

Well, it was also my question at first- should I stop going to concerts and not experience life? Well, that is certainly not me! So, I’ve learned even if the ringing stops, it may cause some residual damage. So, I started taking the following preventive measures:

• Wear earplugs: When in concert, I cannot predict where I will end up standing. So, I keep a pair of earplugs with me. If I’m too far from the speakers, the earplugs stay around my neck. If I’m closer to the speaker, they are hugging my ear.
• Limit alcohol consumption: Sipping in my beer can while listening to concerts can seem amazing. It will also increase the blood pressure in my body and hamper my hearing health. So, I try to stay dry or drink too little during a concert.
• Consult a Doctor: If I’m even a little bit skeptical about my hearing health, I consult my ENT specialist. He knows better than what Google can suggest and can provide me with a solution at the earliest possible moment.

If you are anything like me, you don’t miss any concert around you. I get it, and I totally support you. However, it can impact your hearing in very bad ways. So, take preventive measures before you enjoy the great live music you love. And if the ringing curse, you do the things that can get rid of that irritating situation. After all, we cannot get back our hearing once we lose it. So, take care of it when it is with us.