We all enjoy hearing our favorite band or singer live in concert from time to time. The music and rhythm pulsate in our heads; the excitement of the band and crowd is contagious! It’s quite an enjoyable experience. Do we have to forgo this type of entertainment in order to protect our hearing? Thankfully the answer is no, but we should be aware of the possible damage to our ears and our hearing and take appropriate precautions.

Often, after attending a concert, we’ll hear a high pitched ringing or whine in our ears. Some say it sounds like static while others describe this noise they hear as a white noise. The ear ringing may last for a few minutes, hours, or even a few days. Of course this can be both worrisome and irritating. What is the reason for this, will it go away, and is it damaging my hearing? Do I have to quit doing something I really enjoy in order to prevent damage to my ears?

There is no one simple answer to all of these questions. Understanding what is happening and taking certain precautions can help ease one’s mind and protect the ear from damage.

So, before you cut eliminate live concerts from your life, understand what is happening inside your ear. Realize that it is usually a temporary nuisance, and only temporary damage, but is a warning sign for sure. If you make loud, live concerts a frequent activity or are closely involved in such entertainment on a regular basis, there are certain precautions you should take in order to prevent hearing damage.

When exposed to loud noises, the hair cells in the inner ear react to the loud sound. Prolonged and extra loud sounds cause these hair like microscopic hearing cells to bend and vibrate as they are producing nerve signals that travel to the auditory part of the brain and give us sound.

The extremely loud sounds cause trauma to these nerve cells, and the hair cells will often continue to ignite after the loud source is gone, causing the ringing in the ear. Most often than not, this ear ringing does go away within minutes, hours, or in some cases, a day or so.

Concert fans and band members may want to protect their ears by wearing earplugs. One can still experience the event, hear the sound, the beat, and the excitement of the crowds, but will protect the inner ear with this added layer of protection. Earplugs are now made so that they are practically impossible to detect that one is wearing them.

This protection will usually be enough to prevent the tinnitus caused by the ultra loud sounds and extreme trauma and bending of the nerve endings. Musicians often wear them all the time when they are performing. One may also want to consider his location in the concert hall, and not be right by the speakers.

A general rule of thumb to keep in mind if one is concerned about damage to one’s ears and subsequently tinnitus is that if one has to raise their voice to make themselves heard to someone standing three feet away, the noise it not at a safe level and damage could be done.

Scientifically speaking, one should not expose themselves to decibels over 110 as they may be subject to damage to their ears. 85 decibels is about as loud as is safe, and this is approximately the sound level one hears when standing by a running lawn mower.

There are other measures you can take. It is important to educate yourself on all the causes and cures of tinnitus if you or a friend may be experiencing tinnitus symptoms.