Music festival attendees need to protect eardrums

ESCONDIDO – When people attend music festivals like the recent Kaboo Festival at Del Mar, many show up prepared to protect themselves against skin cancer but neglect to protect their eardrums from what the American Medical Association calls American’s fastest growing medical epidemic, permanent nerve hearing loss.

Permanent nerve hearing loss and tinnitus has increased 30 percent in young adults under age 25 since 1990. Nearly 20 percent of 12- to 19-year-olds now show evidence of noise-induced hearing loss. The good news is it’s predictable and preventable.

Similar to dermatologists who raised the public conscience about the dangers of sun exposure leading to skin cancer, audiologists are now sounding the alarm about the dangers of sound exposure leading to permanent hearing loss, but unfortunately fewer people are able to hear it.

“Portable technology delivering hours of uninterrupted sound directly to the eardrum is leading to an unprecedented number of young people losing their high frequency hearing,” Dr. David Illich, chief audiologist for Palomar Health, said.

Illich and Palomar Health said all concert goers and music festival patrons should wear ear protection to minimize the potential damage to their hearing. The following preventative measures should be taken to protect hearing:

● Follow the 60/60 rule: never listen to a device at more than 60 percent of maximum volume and never listen longer than 60 minutes without a 10-minute break

● Use high-quality headphones instead of earbuds that deliver sound directly into the ear canal

● Wear high fidelity ear plugs when attending concerts

Submitted by Palomar Health.