fbpx

How to keep your ears safe without compromising on the Music Festival experience

Essential Knowledge to Understand the Prevention of Hearing Loss and Maintain Healthy Hearing

As rules have eased and ‘Freedom Day’ looms, the 2021 events calendar is slowly starting to fill. Artists are releasing tour dates, tickets are being sold and the dust is being brushed off festival wear. Anticipation is building for something which has become a distant memory – singing, dancing and having a good time!

Whichever festival, gig or event you are planning to attend, a vital body part for a great experience (in our opinion!) are your ears; after all, if you can’t hear the music properly or your ears are in pain, you won’t have as good of time. With that in mind, you need to think about adding hearing protection as part of your festival kit. And the great thing about wearing ear plugs is they are discreet, no need to ruin that carefully selected outfit.

Festivals and events are set to return – make sure you love your ears and wear hearing protection

How loud is damaging?

Festivals are noisy places to be, and as a consequence of that your ears are being exposed to damaging levels of noise. Here are some facts about noise levels, in decibels (dB), to have as a comparison:

Normal Talking – 40dB to 60dB

Rock Concert – 110dB to 120dB…this can go as high as 140dB in front of the speaker

Fireworks Show – 140dB to 160dB

So, if you are raving in front of the speakers for the day at a concert, you are essentially exposing your ears to the noise levels of a fireworks display…all day! This is particularly pertinent if your job is working in this environment – constant exposure is dangerous and against EU work regulations, so hearing protection is a must.

Fireworks are very loud. You may not expose your ears to them regularly, but you should still protect them when you do

 

The immediate effect of prolonged exposure to damaging sound level are often experienced. Hearing/ringing in your ears (known as Tinnitus), which will may fade over time. Many of us have experienced this sensation after music events or even after a night out clubbing. As it tends to fade away, you may forget or dismiss it, you should not…

However, over a period of time, it’s the small hair cells in your inner ear that will get damaged, and there may be long term residual damage to your hearing. This is known as Noise Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL).

One day you may wake up and the ringing simply does not go away, or over time you lose your hearing…and once it is gone, you can never get it back. Which all sounds a bit dramatic but for the regular festival goers and workers in that industry, it’s very important to protect your ears.

Remember, with no earplugs or hearing protection, it’s best to avoid continuing loud noises regardless of activities, whether sports or work related. In some situations, exposure to just a few minutes of high levels of noise can have a negative impact on your hearing sense.

The Solution

We can tell its it’s not earmuffs over your head to remove all the enjoyment. Rather, enter SnugsShield (Music), our custom fit hearing protection. These ear plugs are designed to fit your ears only, and they include an attenuated filter that essentially reduces the music volume to a safe decibel level, without compromising on the music quality.The perfect balance of freedom to enjoy while protecting your sense of hearing, both near and long term. . You’ll still be able to listen and have a great time, but won’t be damaging your ears during the festival experience.

SnugsShield (Music) – our custom fit hearing protection with attenuated filter (optional lanyard)

 

There are a number of other benefits to using SnugsShield (Music):

  • They are made from your physical ear impressions i.e. are the exact shape of your ears, so you can wear them all day in comfort
  • They can be made in a ‘half shell design’ which sits in your ear canal, so you can wear them discreetly
  • The built-in filter is interchangeable, so should you want to switch the filter (for different dB protection levels for different environments), you can order spares here
  • Snugs are washable, ensuring you maintain ear hygiene and reduce risk of ear infection
  • Positive impact on the environment by using re-useable ear plugs over disposable plugs

So, if you plan to attend some a festival in the future, it is definitely worth your while consider the investment of ear plugs, to protect your auditory sense for your future.

Listen safely. Listen with Snugs.

 

Sources

 

(1) Medline Plus 2020 – https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000495.htm

(2) National Institute of Deafness and other Communication Disorders, May 2019 https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/noise-induced-hearing-loss