Why do people often experience ringing in the ears after a loud music concert?
Pete Townsend, guitarist and songwriter for The Who, who suffers from ringing in the ears, attended the then so-called “Loudest Concert Ever” in 1976, according to the Guinness Book of Records. You don’t have to attend the loudest concert ever to develop ringing in the ears, known formally as tinnitus.IdentificationThe ears can handle a threshold of 100 db of sound in short exposures before damage ensues. Sound levels at concerts range from 120 to 140 db.FunctionLoud music experienced at concerts vibrates and overstimulates hair cells in the cochlea of the ear. The damage can lead to hearing loss and a perception of sound that isn’t there.Time FrameRepeated exposure to loud music at concerts causes hearing to decrease gradually over time, according to Vanderbilt Medical Center audiologist Lisa Sykes.Expert InsightAccording to a study at the University of Michigan Kresge Hearing Research Institute, ringing in the ears may be caused by overactive nerves in the face and neck that sense to
