19 Apr LOUD Outdoor Concerts Lead To Temporary Hearing Loss, esp in Men
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Dr. Véronique J. C. Kraaijenga MD
Department of Otorhinolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery
Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: During the past two decades, the frequency of hearing loss among young people has increased and going to music concerts, clubs and festivals may part of the reason. Noise-induced hearing loss because of recreational noise exposure is reduced by using earplugs.
Our study evaluated 51 adults who attended an outdoor music festival in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, in September 2015. The study measured music festival visit for 4.5 hours (intervention); temporary hearing loss (outcome).
MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings?
Response Factors associated with temporary hearing loss: not wearing earplugs, using drugs and alcohol consumption, male gender.
Take home message: Health care providers should advise patients to use earplugs when attending music festivals. Also, they should inform them that the combination of not using earplugs with using drugs and alcohol gives an extra risk of acquiring hearing loss, especially when they are male.
Study Limitations: The inability to measure the hearing loss 24 hours after attending the festival to make sure the hearing loss is temporary.
MedicalResearch.com: What should readers take away from your report?
Response: People who attended an outdoor music festival who did not use earplugs, used alcohol and/or drugs and were male were more likely to experience temporary hearing loss.
MedicalResearch.com: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this work?
Response: Future research on this subject could focus on following up the temporary threshold shift to investigate whether this is indeed temporary.
Citations:
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Last Updated on April 19, 2018 by Marie Benz MD FAAD