Why should you be wearing earplugs at concerts?

Going to concerts with earplugs should be «a normal thing to do, just as it is normal to wear a helmet on a moped or use a condom in casual relationships»,  says Jacopo Lietti, lead singer of Fine Before You Came, talking to Amedeo Berta, author of Il fischio maledetto - an episode dedicated to tinnitus on his podcast Strano. Hearing damage caused by excessive noise is much more common than we think, and tinnitus is one of them. It is a very peculiar and often subjective disorder, which - to summarise and generalise a lot - most often consists of a constant ringing in the ears (more or less intense), which in most cases is irreversible. Disturbances of this kind can occur, among other things, when one is exposed to particularly loud sounds or noises for a long period of time, as can happen during music festivals or concerts. «If you are in a place where you perceive that the sound pressure is excessive, it pays to be careful, because once your hearing is damaged there are no replacement parts, [...] and the consequences can be difficult to deal with,» Enrico Molteni, the bassist of I Tre Allegri Ragazzi Morti, says on Il fischio Maledetto. «It's stuff that happens, which is very frequent and about which very little is said,» Lietti points out instead about tinnitus, which is estimated to affect - in more or less severe forms - between 10 and 15% of the Italian population. «It is very difficult to make people understand this thing here: if one does not have it, one cannot imagine it,» adds Molteni speaking of the disorder, and confirms that «it is quite a disabling thing - a serious problem, which has characteristics that cannot be seen 'from the outside'» 

Here is how to repair one's ears during concerts.

The best concert earplugs

«For several years [...] I've been using caps when I go to concerts and I've realised that this is seen as strange stuff. I look around and realise that I am sometimes the only one who wears them. Tinnitus always seems like something that 'doesn't happen to you anyway', so in the end you don't take it seriously,» Amedeo Berta says on his podcast. The practice of wearing earplugs at live music events is a matter of culture: people often don't ask the question, and if they do, they fear not being able to fully enjoy the experience. Conventional foam earplugs tend to muffle sounds, which can lead spectators to do without them, as they are not always considered comfortable - and aesthetically pleasing - to wear. For this reason, several brands specialising in earplugs have sprung up, combining design and functionality. On the one hand, these products protect the hearing from harmful frequencies, while at the same time allowing us to enjoy music to the full even better and hear the voices of people talking to us, avoiding the feeling of muffling. On the other hand, they rely heavily on form: they are often designed to be practical and aesthetically pleasing to wear.

Loop

Alpine

Earpeace

This is the case, for example, with Loop earplugs, which look almost like earrings. The Belgian brand offers different models according to individual needs, in different colours and formats, but for concerts and music festivals, the 'Experience Plus' line is ideal: they reduce noise by up to 23 decibels, thanks also to the 'mute' accessory, which can be applied when necessary; they come in four sizes, to better adapt to the conformation of the ears - and the case in which to carry them is also comfortable and designer. Another brand that has made a name for itself in this sector is Alpine: at concerts, its 'MusicSafe Pro' model provides protection against harmful frequencies while maintaining high sound quality. The earplugs also come with three different interchangeable filters - 16-, 19- and 22-decibel - so as to be more versatile depending on the situation and the intensity of the sound. For even higher protection, the 'Music' model from the US brand EarPeace guarantees a maximum filtering of 26 decibels, and are perfect for long concerts, raves and festivals. Here, too, three types of interchangeable filters are available. Moreover, all these products, unlike traditional foam earplugs, are reusable and effective over the long term. Jay Clark, founder and CEO of EarPeace, started developing earplugs after suffering an acoustic trauma at a music festival in 2008: «It wasn't and still isn't clear to everyone how fragile our ears are. [...] Just like you wouldn't go to the beach without sunscreen, you shouldn't go to a concert without earplugs. [...] Our mission is to change the way people view their hearing health and tangibly reduce the tinnitus 'epidemic'.»