NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — As summer approaches in Music City, a local audiologist warns music fans to take precautions to protect their hearing during the upcoming festival and concert season.
Dr. Rebecca Grome, an audiologist at Ears 4 U Hearing Services, says many people are unaware of just how loud music venues can be, which can lead to hearing damage.
Doctors recommend hearing protection like foam earplugs or even custom molds for those attending multiple events this season.
"The foam earplugs are readily available pretty much anywhere you go. And they do a great job of protecting the ears. It's just people don't get them in their ears appropriately. So to do a foam earplug, that's the easiest one. You go and you roll it up as tight as you possibly can, pull back on your ear and push it in and hold it until it expands," Grome said.
The risk of hearing damage increases with exposure time. Being in a loud environment for 90 minutes or longer can cause more damage than brief exposure, potentially resulting in temporary hearing loss or tinnitus (ringing in the ears).
While some concertgoers worry that hearing protection might diminish their experience, Grome disagrees.
"I hear what people are saying. But typically, if you're appropriately fit for that environment and for your specific ear, then the overall vibe of the concert is not diminished. Now, if you're over protected or under protected, you know, those are definitely situations where maybe your listening experience isn't as, I guess, robust as what it would be like if you don't wear hearing protection. But there's plenty of situations that I have gone to a concert and I have forgotten my hearing protection and it's so loud it makes me sick to my stomach," Grome said.
Health experts caution that while temporary hearing loss or ringing in the ears usually resolves after a short period, repeated exposure without protection increases the risk of permanent damage.
Have you experienced ringing in your ears after a concert? Share your story and learn more about protecting your hearing by watching our full interview with Dr. Grome. You can also reach out to our reporter with your questions about hearing protection at Eric.Pointer@NewsChannel5.com.
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