What mother hasn’t warned her children they would go deaf if they attended a music concert or listened to loud rock ‘n’ roll on their earphones? Turns out, mom may not be infallible, after all.
A recent study by researchers at the University of Texas at Dallas found that so called “hidden hearing loss” does not appear to be a danger for young adults going to occasional, loud recreational events where music is played. Those include movies, concerts, dance clubs and even bars where loud music is played.
Studies have previously suggested such noise exposure could play havoc with the ears, leading to possible damage in the circuitry between sensory hair cells in the inner ear and auditory nerve targets delivering information to the brain.
Researchers conducted pre- and post-event hearing tests and found participants suffered some temporary hearing problems. But they had no permanent hearing loss and didn’t damage that ear-brain circuitry.
That was true even for two study participants who attended a noisy, 16-hour music festival where they experienced around 1,000 percent of the daily occupational noise limit. No word on what kind of music served up those decibels.
Notwithstanding those rockers with their hardy eardrums, researchers warn that repeated exposure to loud noise over an extended period put someone at risk of permanent hearing loss.
And the study’s authors said ear protection is a good idea, especially if you notice a change in your hearing like ringing in the ears.
So, if mom hands you high fidelity earplugs as you head out the door to a concert, it’s best not to argue.