One more thing to worry about while having a good time
Illustration by Sie Douglas-Fish.
You’ve just left a concert, you’re walking home drunk, and your ears are ringing from all the great music you just listened to. Life is good — until you wake up the next morning and your ears are still ringing.
I always scoffed when my mum told me to wear earplugs when heading out to party. No one wants to be the dork on the dancefloor getting down with orange foam sticking out of their ears. Besides, I wasn’t even going out that much, and the loud bass hurt so good.
But one day my mentality changed. It was at a basement punk show, and the moshpit was just inches away from a deafening amp. After about an hour there, my hearing was shot, and I called it a night. I woke up the next morning with a light ringing in my ears. No big deal.
But it was still there the day after. And the next day, and the next day.
Luckily, the ringing has mostly gone away, only flaring up occasionally. But it got me curious about the long-term effects of hearing loss and ringing in the ears.
Hearing loss happens naturally as we age. Every 20 years or so, you lose about 10 per cent of your ability to hear. So, it makes sense to do everything in your power to not speed that process up.
According to the CDC, “Noise above 70 decibels (dB) over a prolonged period of time may start to damage your hearing. Loud noise above 120 dB can cause immediate harm to your ears.”
To put this in perspective, a normal conversation is about 60 dB. Most clubs and music shows are about 105-110 dB.
Here’s the scary thing about most hearing damage — it’s irreversible. Now don’t freak out, if your ears are ringing after a concert for a few hours, you’re probably fine. But frequent and extended exposure to loud noises can have permanent ramifications.
The next time I went out dancing, I shoved some wax earplugs in and got boogying. And you know what? I still had a great time, with the added bonus of not having to worry about causing irreparable damage to one of my primary senses.
I started noticing that quite a few people were dancing with ear protection in. Many who seemed to be musicians themselves — people who care about preserving their hearing.
Losing your hearing can be a vicious cycle. Noises don’t seem as loud to you anymore, so you crank the music up just to have the same effect, which in turn causes more damage. Ever wondered why some people have their headphones so loud you can hear them from across the bus? If your phone is telling you that your music is too loud, it might be worth heeding its warning.
Foam and wax earplugs are disposable options for hearing protection available at most pharmacies, and you might even be surprised by how many venues have some if you ask.
If you’re a more hardcore raver or clubber, there are plenty of options that protect your hearing while not affecting sound quality too much. Loop has a large selection of earplugs that try to be as stylish as they are safe.
I’m not trying to scare you into being anxious every time you go out dancing. If you listen to some loud music every once in a while, just enjoy yourself. But if you’re headed out every Friday and Saturday night to get down in the club, you should invest in your future and try wearing some earplugs.
