One of things I enjoy most in life is meeting up with a group of friends for a nice meal and then heading out to a concert. Lately we have been focusing on ‘bucket list bands’ like The Stones, Bruce Springsteen, and Van Morrison. We even plan our travel around where a favorite group will be playing. One thing that I never forget to pack for the trip is my earplugs.
So far this summer, my earplugs have earned their keep at an airshow, Monster Truck rally (don’t judge me – my grandson loved it!), a parade and multiple concerts. My go-to hearing protection is a universal music plug, designed with a filter to attenuate sound evenly across the range of pitches, so music doesn’t sound distorted, just a little lower and safer volume.
It can be hard to know when hearing protection is needed. It really depends on how long you are going to be exposed to the noise. It’s generally accepted that 85dB is the maximum safe level for a typical 8 hour work day. From there, you can you a 3dB rule – when you add 3dB of loudness, it’s safe for half the time – so 88dB is only safe for 4 hours, 91dB for 2 hours, etc. If you have a smartphone, you can download a free app that will measure the noise level for you and Apple watch wearers will have noticed a recently added feature that alerts you to high noise levels.
Most concerts range in intensity or loudness from 90dB all the way up to over 120dB and can last for hours. Good music plugs cost around $70 and are definitely a good investment if you want to enjoy going to concerts for years to come. We have plenty in stock at our Brentwood clinic!
