Print  |   Bookmark 

3rd October 2008 - by Mark Moon
  
Don't Stop The Music, Why Wearing Music Earplugs Can Ensure You Have A Lifetime Of Musical Enjoyment

There are many people who enjoy music, or listen to music as part of their job, including DJ's and band members. However, whether you are listening to music for fun or as part of your working life, you must be aware of the potential damage that you are causing to your hearing and what can be done to protect yourself.
  
Sound is measured in decibels, and certain decibel levels can only be endured by the ear for short periods of time. Rock concerts or nightclubs are frequently found to be at around 110 - 125 decibels. When you realize that a chainsaw or motorcycle engine is only around 85 decibels, it is quite clear how potentially damaging prolonged exposure to loud music can be.

The sound of a motorcycle engine at 85 decibels can be tolerated for around 8 hours before it will permanently affect your hearing. However, a rock concert at 125 decibels can only be listened to for about 15 minutes at a time. This may come as quite a shock as it is common for concerts to last two or three hours and nightclubs to go on all night. It is rare to see anyone taking a break from a rock concert every 15 minutes to protect his or her hearing, but until recently, the potential for loud music to cause hearing damage wasn't recognised as a serious threat to health.

If you work in these environments repeatedly, or even if you have simply been to a concert, you will no doubt have experienced some hearing damage, albeit in a minor way. The best way that you can help to protect your hearing in these situations is through the use of music earplugs. It may sound contrary to wear earplugs to a music gig but, as any good DJ is going to tell you, it is better to be safe than sorry.

Often the only factor stopping people from not wearing earplugs is because of some sense of fashion. Earplugs simply don't seem that cool. However if you consider the risks carefully and examine the actual products available you will realise that this is a redundant argument. As a band member it is likely that you have already been made aware of the value of a good pair of music earplugs through personal experience.

Earplugs are fairly discreet. It is practically impossible to tell whether someone is wearing earplugs or not. Because of this, issues of fashion simply go out of the window. Other people think that they will cut out the noise so much that they will be unable to hear anything. This is another concern for the music lover and for those working in the industry. Once again this is simply not true. Rather than attempt to produce earplugs that block out sound completely, many companies have invested in perfecting technologies that can filter sound. This means that your earplugs will allow you to hear sound at a suitable level and not spoil your enjoyment of the music itself. Finally some earplugs are so advanced that they can be sculpted to the individual's ear and therefore are even more discreet and offer a greater level of protection than ever before.

It is an unfortunate fact that around 10% of the world's population have some level of hearing loss. However hearing damage caused by music in venues such as rock concerts or nightclubs can be avoided through the use of earplugs. It is also unfortunate that many people do not realise this fact until it too late. Do not put your hearing at risk when such a simple measure as a pair of earplugs can protect your hearing whilst allowing you to enjoy your music safely. 

Article Source: http://www.bb-articles.com

Bookmark this page

BlinkList Delicious Facebook Digg Google Bookmarks Stumbleupon Yahoo My Web Ma.gnolia Fark Furl Livejournal Netvouz Newsvine Reddit Spurl Wists