‘Quarter of concertgoers have squeak in ear’.
A quarter of Dutch people who regularly attend concerts suffer from a ringing in their ears after the concert or struggle with other forms of hearing damage. That’s according to research by Ticketswap, which is launching a new safety campaign to combat hearing damage because of the problem. “We as a music industry are not yet doing enough to protect hearing health.”
Audiologists and suppliers saw sales of custom hearing protection explode in the last six months, thanks to increased media coverage of tinnitus, hyperacusis and other forms of hearing damage. Still, according to Ticketswap, it appears that far from everyone is protecting their ears. Only 3 in 10 respondents say they use earplugs at a festival or concert. This while more than half of young people are at risk of hearing damage from loud music, according to research by the Health Council.
Ticketswap, the platform where visitors can resell concert tickets, is concerned about the social problem of hearing damage and decided to dive into the subject. Her survey found that nearly half (46%) of respondents have experienced hearing loss due to noise exposure and less than half (44%) know what tinnitus is. By comparison, 65% of those surveyed see sunscreen as an essential item; in the case of earplugs, only a quarter do.
With a new campaign called #dontmissabeat, launched today in observance of international World Hearing Day, Ticketswap aims to make music fans aware of the importance of healthy hearing. They are joining forces with the UK Hearing Conservation Association (UKHCA) to do so.
More education on sonic safety is planned for the upcoming festival season. In addition, TicketSwap is sponsoring so-called “cool-off zones” at festivals such as Into The Woods, Into The Woods ADE and Wildeburg this summer, including an art installation inspired by sonic safety.
Hearing damage has been high on the agenda of many organizations since last year. Even very short gigs or DJ sets can cause “irreversible damage,” says Clare Forshaw, founder of UKHCA. “We believe everyone should enjoy sound in a safe way that will last a lifetime. By using earplugs with live music, you still get the full experience. Avoid standing right in front of speakers and give your ears a rest from time to time.” UKHCA hopes to raise mass awareness to keep concert and festival-goers safe from hearing damage.
The onset of hearing loss is a gradual process, says Conny Polleunis, an expert at Schoonenberg Hearing Aid. “By the time a person realizes that hearing is getting worse, daily life as well as health may already have been affected in a negative way. People wait too long, up to 7 years, before proceeding to purchase hearing support. General practitioners could play a role in education.” According to Polleunis, more than sixty percent of hearing problems could be detected through primary care. “But this has not yet received sufficient attention in many countries.”
The World Health Organization (WHO) is launching an app Friday as part of World Hearing Day that allows people to take a hearing test at home. That app is needed, WHO says, because more than 1.5 billion people worldwide live with hearing loss. Quite apart from the personal suffering, the social costs are also high, the Hoormij Foundation also reported Friday. “Consider the reduced employment rate, lower quality of life, reduction in social contacts and accelerated onset of dementia symptoms,” said director Wil Verschoor.
Unnoticed hearing loss costs society 980 billion annually, Amsterdam UMC reported Friday in a press release. “This is expected to become even more so in the coming decades due to an aging population and exposure to risk factors such as recreational noise,” the center reports.
WHO’s app is called HearWHO and is an international version of an original Dutch test.
[Source: AD – Sebastiaan Quekel – March 3, 2023]
[Foto Getty Images Stock – AD]
