We love music in New Orleans. Every weekend, there are opportunities to hear live music at festivals and in clubs. Very often the music is loud – very loud.
Heading to Jazz Fest or a live concert? Here are a few tips to protect your hearing:
- Rolled-up napkins or tissues do almost nothing to protect your ears at concerts.
- Sit at least 10 feet or more away from speakers
- Take breaks in quieter areas. Limit your time around noise.
- Move around the venue to find a quieter spot.
- Avoid having others shout in your ear to be heard. This can cause further harm to your ears.
- Avoid too much alcohol, which can make you unaware of the pain louder sounds can cause.
- Rest your ears for 24 hours after exposure to loud music to give them a chance to recover.
Two types of earplugs are available to wear:
- Foam or silicone earplugs, available at drugstores, help reduce noise. They will muffle sounds and voices but may fit poorly.
- Custom-fit musician earplugs fit better than foam or silicone ones and do not change the sound quality.
Our audiologists can protect your hearing by fitting custom ear plugs by Westone.
To protect your hearing, you’ll want to limit your exposure to these moderately high noise levels and give your ears a chance to recover after any period of noise exposure.
Whether you’ve got a front row seat at a music concert or plan to spend the day hunting, we can provide the hearing protection you need.
According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine:
The risk of damage to your hearing when listening to music depends on:
- How loud the music is
- How close you may be to the speakers
- How long and how often you are exposed to loud music
- Headphone use
- Family history of hearing loss
Jobs or activities that increase your chance of hearing loss from music are:
- Being a musician, sound crew member, or recording engineer
- Working at a night club
- Attending concerts
- Using portable music devices with headphones or ear buds
Children who play in school bands can be exposed to high decibel sounds, depending on which instruments they sit near or play.
