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Study Examines Effects Of Concerts On Long-Term Hearing

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Should concert-goers protect their hearing?

"Hearing loss is getting worse in young individuals. There's been some national studies that have shown that more young people than ever have hearing loss at a younger age," says Dr. Todd Hillman, an otolaryngologist at Allegheny General Hospital. "Young people have this idea it's not going to happen to them, they aren't thinking long term, their ears are stronger than the average person."

A study from the Netherlands shows the ears are not so strong.

A group of 50 young people, average age 27, were randomly assigned to use earplugs or not at a four-and-a-half hour long outdoor music festival in Amsterdam.

The average decibel level at the concert -- 100. That's as loud as a power lawn mower. Ordinary conversation is about 60 decibels.

Then, hearing tests were done.

Turns out, the group that wore ear plugs had no temporary hearing loss. In the group that went without, half of them did.

"So if someone was going to a concert every week, for instance, that temporary loss can turn into a permanent loss," Dr. Hillman adds.

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Dr. Hillman says some of the opposition to hearing protection is it distorts the sound of the music.

He says his professional musician patients value their hearing and monitor sound levels and use neutral, non-distorting ear plugs.

"Believe it or not, there's really not a lot of good research that hearing protection can protect your ears in the concert setting. That's why the study was so important," he says.

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