Almost three-quarters of teens who went to a rock concert had some kind of hearing loss afterwards, a new study has shown.
Experts from the House Research Institute gave 29 teenagers tickets to a concert and checked their hearing beforehand. Once the gig was over, the researchers measured each individual’s hearing.
The noise levels during the concert ranged from 82-110 decibel A-weighting (dBA), with the average reaching 98.5 dBA. Of the 26 songs played, ten reached recorded levels above 100 dBA. The children sat by the front of the stage, approximately 15 rows from the floor.
Before the show began, all the children were given advice on protecting their hearing, but of the group, only three opted to wear the earplugs that were provided to them.
Afterwards, 53.6 per cent of the teens reported slightly impaired hearing, but the results of the study showed that 72 per cent were now in fact hearing less effectively. Tinnitus was experienced by 25 per cent of the teens, which was not present before the concert.
There are many causes of hearing loss, but Dr. Jennifer Derebery, lead author and physician at the House Research Institute, said: “With multiple exposures to noise over 85 decibels, the tiny hair cells may stop functioning and the hearing loss may be permanent.”
