Survey finds the majority of concert attendees don't wear ear protection

A survey has found that 64% of concert attendees do not wear ear protection.

The poll, conducted by EDM.com, concluded that 64% of live event attendees don't wear ear protection at live shows.

The CDC has laid out the conditions that must be met before hearing loss occurs. The maximum volume level for personal listening devices is 105-110dB, according to their chart, which is also the range for most entertainment venues.

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Hearing loss can occur in less than five minutes after exposure to this volume level. To give you an idea of how loud average conversation is for comparison, it's around 60 decibels.

The small sensory hair cells in the cochlea in the inner ear flatten down when the sound level is too high, sending sound nerve impulses to the brain.

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Essentially, if you keep flattening them, they will eventually die and not grow back. Distinct frequencies induce different responses in the sensory hair cells.

When they're damaged, you don't go completely deaf, but you do lose distinct tones across the auditory spectrum, which is generally the mid and high frequencies.

Prolonged exposure can cause tinnitus, or a perceived ringing in the ears.

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The CDC suggests a few steps to avoid hearing loss or impairment.

This includes; staying away from the loudest sound-producing source; limiting the length of time of exposure to high decibel noises and bringing hearing protection devices- such as ear plugs.

Mixmag have published a guide on buying custom earplugs to protect your ears. Check it out here.

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Aneesa Ahmed is Mixmag's Digital Intern, follow her on Twitter