Do you like going to concerts and parties? In the long term, you could lose your hearing

There’s nothing like coming home after long hours of standing, dancing and jumping to the beat of your favorite artist. Your legs are already tired and, after putting on your favorite pajamas, you rest your head on the soft pillow to recover from the emotion of the moment.

But when, in the middle of the silence of the night, you are ready to throw yourself into the arms of Morpheus, a high-pitched ringing in your ears changes all your plans.

This internal sound, which to many is irritating and shrill, is known as tinnitus. And while many think it’s “normal”, it’s our body’s way of asking for help and limiting exposure to the excess volume that’s usually very common at concerts or parties.

But, although this is usually a temporary effect, in the long term it could cause permanent damage and permanent loss of our precious sense of hearing. And without it, how could we repeat the experience of feeling music in every atom of the body?

Your job is to be all ears, literally. From the age of 15 Joy Mati He knew he wanted to devote himself to music and since then he has been exposed to the wonders that this art of being a music producer offers, but also to the “less good ones”, such as hearing loss.

At 17, he enrolled in Sound Engineering and, after great effort and having been able to acquire his own equipment, today, almost ten years later, he is usually on stage, in front of a massive audience and in the midst of large speakers that evoke very loud sounds that satisfy the thirst for music of all participants.

To get an idea, in a concert where Alegría plays, the intensity of the sound can reach 100 to 110 decibels, while what is considered safe to avoid hearing damage is 70 and less.

— It made my ear more sensitive to frequency and sound pressure level. Now I feel that I perceive the highest frequencies, from my head it hurts, that’s what I started to develop, ”explains Alegría in conversation with The third .

And it is that, if he is not on stage, he works in his studio, where he produces music and creates content for YouTube, TikTok and Instagram. He composes songs, creates beats and mixes. It is in this environment that the artist can, within the limit of what he can, control a little more the volumes to which he is exposed.

The Clínica Bupa Antofagasta otolaryngologist, María Stella Rodríguez, says The third that the damage is caused by the time of exposure to noise or loud music and that in reality, tinnitus is a symptom of transient hearing loss.

“As time passes and if it has not been exposed again, this effect generally improves and disappears,” explains the specialist. However, he says the main recommendation will always be not to expose yourself to loud noises.

In the case of Alegría, who was also a victim of the infamous whistle, as a lesson learned, she began to protect her ears, controlling the level of her monitors at home, but also the speakers of stage, with a few filter plugs that she recommends to anyone attending concerts or massive events where the music exceeds healthy decibels.

—They help me listen to music with the same quality, but at a more controlled volume. My recommendation for those who go to concerts is that they use the same earplugs as me. It sounds the same and they are not expensive.

The producer made a TikTok video which quickly went viral among music lovers, where he says “classic orange plugs” – sold at drugstores – help, but they usually drown out the sound and don’t allow you to hear clearly. On the other hand, the earplugs or filter plugs he uses only lower the decibels.

— If they are patient, they can buy them on Aliexpress or find them for a little more money at the Mercado Libre, where they easily come to you. This way you invest some money in your health, because in the end if your ears are damaged, it can be irreparable.

The otolaryngologist affirms that, in the case of being at a concert, the exposure will always depend on the area where one is. Therefore, if a person is near the amplifier speakers, Rodríguez recommends using intra-canal earplugs.

—This protection does not totally eliminate the possibility of hearing damage when exposure to too loud noise is prolonged and permanent over time, however, the risk is considerably reduced.