Earplugs…A must have!

Recently, I’ve seen a post by one of my favorite artist in the scene (Ruben de Ronde) on the socials,
He posted a picture of his earplugs and stated “safety first”….actually we all should 100% agree with him on this point.
But when I attend events, honestly I still see people who don’t wear any plugs, exposing their ears to terrible damages…I also seen some weirdos putting their heads directly into the speakers at some parties!!

Normal levels of conversation are around 65 decibels loud. At a level of 110 decibels, (which is the Noise levels around the stages at music festivals) hearing loss can occur after only two minutes of exposure.

That’s like standing next to a jackhammer drilling into concrete

The longer you are exposed to levels that loud, the greater chance of hearing loss you have. So, just think about attending an all-day music festival without any ear protection.
It is not just the music that can quickly exceed the danger zone of 80 decibels, but also the noise around you that can cause long-term damage to your hearing, let’s think to all the people talking around you, partying and dancing, they all make loads of noise.

Even if at the biggest festivals, foam earplugs are given for free, most people refuse to use them and in a recent survey I found out that 84% of festival-goers experienced dullness of hearing or ringing in the ears after listening to loud music…this is alarming
We could say we don’t have a proper education to this….we grow up exposed to a lot of dangerous noises, factories, traffic, power tools and of course loud music.
And While we don’t think twice about getting our eyes checked on a regular basis and to wear contact lenses or glasses, for some weird reasons, we often neglect to take care about our ears.
I always underestimated the fact I could really damage my ears, and when I was kid I always listened to loud music, and never worn plugs at clubs…
Until…………………
I attended a party in one of my favorite Italian club, Armin was the headliner and of course I wanted to stay front row until the end.
Let me tell you that night the music loudness was really off the roof!
My ears were buzzing for a couple of days …I had a big headache and couldn’t communicate properly the day after the gig and my ears rung
After that, it all was ok, I was feeling good again and apparently I could ear normally…..
But…my bf, a sound engineer who is always trying to give me an education about music in general (must say I’m pretty wild in this and never listen to him 🙂 ) explained me quite clearly that what happened was probably a serious damage to my ears, even if, at first the hearing loss was temporarily, if I went on that way, the hearing degeneration could have been permanent with all the consequences of the case;
Hearing loss and tinnitus can cause a significant decline in overall quality of life. It can lead to reduced cognitive function, communication problems, depression, high blood pressure, and an increased risk of falls, irritability , frustration and of course the incapability to enjoy my favorite music.

From that point I started taking care of my ears properly following all his advices, (yes, I even set my limit volume on iphone, ipod and so on) I use quality headphones when I listen to music (actually I am a lucky owner of Tiesto’s signed AKG) and I try to avoid to be exposed to loud noises when I can ( I still listen to dubstep from time to time tho….lol )
And of course, I started using plugs at every event I attended….I tried several earplugs till now, some worked, some others just were not ok for me …there are so many plugs and so many prices:
Ear plugs are inserted to block the ear canal.
They may be premolded (preformed) or moldable (foam ear plugs). Ear plugs are sold as disposable products or reusable plugs. Custom molded ear plugs are also available.
Semi-insert ear plugs which consist of two ear plugs held over the ends of the ear canal by a rigid headband.
Ear muffs consist of sound-attenuating material and soft ear cushions that fit around the ear and hard outer cups. They are held together by a head band.

The choice of hearing protectors is a very personal one and depends on a number of factors including level of noise and comfort. Most importantly, the hearing protector should provide the desired noise reduction. It is best, where protectors must be used, to provide a choice of a number of different types to choose from.
If the noise exposure is intermittent, ear muffs are more desirable, since it may be inconvenient to remove and reinsert earplugs.

And if you think your ears just got used to high volumes and crazy db levels at festivals well it’s possible the damage has done already and remember when hearing is gone, it’s gone for good .
So I hope this article helped you understand the importance of protecting your ears,and please remember it doesn’t take a life time of attending loud events to cause a hearing loss, you can damage your ears in just one event.
So, what about you, are you wearing plugs when you go clubbing or to festivals ? Or maybe you use them at work? What kind you prefer? Let me know 🙂