Latest news with #earplugs
CTV News
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Is Montreal's summer noise affecting our hearing?
Doctors say that earplugs should be on a keychain as our ears are solicited more than ever in the modern world. (pexels) Starting Thursday, engines will begin roaring at the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve on Île Notre-Dame for the start of the Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix, kicking off Montreal's summer festival season. As F1 fans work to get as close to the track as possible, ears across Montreal will feel the sounds of summer in a noisy city. From the F1 to the Jazzfest, Osheaga, construction and CF Montreal games, experts say we need to take better care of our ears. F1 car Race fans watch as Ferrari mechanics practice in the paddocks at the Canadian Grand Prix Thursday, June 15, 2023 in Montreal. Formula One is back in Canada for a second consecutive year as the Canadian Grand Prix gets underway this week in Montreal. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press) 'Our ears are more and more solicited today than they have ever been,' said Dr. Tamara Mijovic with the MUHC's Otolaryngology department. 'It's not just living in the cities, working online. It's from our phones. There's noise everywhere, in our workplace, and in our hobbies and our activities. So, overall, in the outdoors, I tell all my patients: wear earplugs. They should be on your keychain.' Chance Hutchinson, 41, says he has been playing in punk rock bands since he was 12. The Priors frontman and guitarist for Private Lives and Sonic Avenues, said decades of music and shows have taken a toll on his hearing. 'My hearing is not great,' he said shortly after a show. 'I've been to see an audiologist many times. My left ear is worse than my right, but I'm still working on it. I have issues that are not treated yet or diagnosed.' Hutchinson now wears special earplugs constantly and sees more and more gig-goers doing likewise. 'People talk about it a lot more now,' he said. 'When we were kids, we used to rehearse in a basement, and no one ever told us to wear earplugs. We were just turning up the amps as loud as they could go, you know what I mean, and just kind of beating on the drums. So, yeah, it's always been super loud.' Private Lives performs in Montreal Private Lives performs in Montreal on May 29, 2025. (Daniel J. Rowe/CTV News) Mijovic says that wearing earplugs at any loud event is essential, and your phone's volume should always be set to less than half the maximum. 'Blast injuries,' she explains, caused by sudden loud noises like horns, are not what causes major damage. 'They happen. It can be quite traumatic, but they're rare. They're a small amount compared to the daily noise that we're exposed to,' she said. Hearing specialists say that any sound louder than 85 decibels for longer than eight hours can cause hearing loss. In addition, the louder the noise, the shorter the time span our ears can take. Decibels Example 10 dB Normal breathing 20 dB Mosquito buzzing 60 dB Normal conversation 85 dB Blender, heavy traffic 100 dB Night club, train, snowmobile 120 dB Ambulance siren, live concert 130 dB Stock car race, jet engine 145 dB Fireworks When getting home from an event, it can be easy to detect whether your ears have been damaged. 'One of the signs of damage is to have ringing in your ears after the event. These are called temporary threshold shifts,' said Mijovic. 'That means your ear is telling you that something is a bit different, and usually that recovers within 24-48 hours, but it's cumulative. So, the more you go out clubbing or to events and you have that, the more likely it is that eventually the hearing will not recover, and even that tinnitus can be quite permanent.' A variety of earplugs are available, and Mijovic says she is happy to see more young people wearing them. 'It's all about investing when you're young to avoid wearing hearing aids when you're getting into your 60s, when damage has been done,' she said. JAZZ FESTIVAL Crowds gather for the annual Jazz Festival in Montreal. (Paul Chiasson/The Canadian Press) The World Health Organization (WHO) states that more than a billion young adults are at risk of permanent, avoidable hearing loss due to unsafe listening practices, including the use of earbuds or headphones to drown out noise. Mijovic said that a phone volume at maximum is around 110 decibels, which is dangerous. 'It's important to really look at the volume,' she said. 'I think that noise-cancelling earphones are good in the sense that you will be able to tune out the background noise and therefore keep your volume low. Where I worry about is when, let's say, I'm taking the Metro, I'm next to somebody, and I can hear their own music.' Live music has always been a deep-rooted part of Montreal's culture, and Hutchinson advises those attending the shows to take a small step to ensure they can enjoy it and not hurt themselves. 'If you're going to a show where guitars are plugged into an amplifier, you should be wearing ear protection,' he said.
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Loop Earplugs and Tomorrowland's new collab is a stylish answer to hearing protection - the concert accessory I don't leave home without
As a music festival goer and concert lover, protecting my ears is the utmost priority when music is booming around me. I have a lot of friends who've suffered hearing loss in their 20s because of consistently being in the mosh pit at big music festivals — and not carrying any hearing protection. Loop earplugs have been a lifesaver for me, protecting my ears all these years — and now they've launched a collab with one of my favorite music festivals, Tomorrowland. Tomorrowland x Loop Experience 2 (Holographic Black) $39.95 Shop these stylish earplugs and keep your ears safe during loud concerts. They come with four eartips and are built to be reusable. Shop now! Shop The epic Belgian festival has been around since 2005, and this year, fans can catch their favorite DJs including Alok, John Summit, and R3hab at Tomorrowland through July 15 to July 17 or on weekend two: July 25 to July 27. The new earplugs come in two shades: Holographic Ruby or Holographic Black. And if you look closely enough, you'll see the words Live, Love, Unite inscribed on them — Tomorrowland's motto and slogan. If you're heading out to groove, dance, and stay up all night with your favorite music artists, a pair of Loop earplu gs are a must. These holographic buds aren't just an accessory to your neon festival outfits — they truly keep your ears safe. They filter out damaging sound (17 dB of SNR sound to be exact) and let you hear each banger without the ringing in your ears. Unlike traditional earbuds, the Loop Experience 2 won't dampen your favorite beats or blur them out — in fact, they'll enhance the clarity of your EDM tracks while keeping your ears protected. Since there are four ear tip sizes available, you'll easily be able to find the right fit. The earbuds are reusable too, saving you the hassle of buying a new pair every time you get concert tickets. My favorite part though? They're festival-proof. This means no matter how much you jump, pump your head back and forth, or run around the festival grounds at midnight, these earplugs are staying in. They're surprisingly comfortable too, and won't hurt your ears or cause any discomfort. Shop the brand-new Loops and Tomorrowland collaboration in two holographic colors now, and get ready to dance all night at your upcoming festival — no more clogged, blocked, or ringing ears after a fun night out.
