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Audiologist: Wear Earplugs To Concerts

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Did you ever think about wearing earplugs to a concert?

As WBBM Newsradio 780's Bernie Tafoya reports, a local audiologist thinks you should, and that it could save your hearing.

LISTEN: Newsradio 780's Bernie Tafoya reports

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Whether you'll be seeing Coldplay this weekend at Lollapalooza, or Paul McCartney Monday night at Wrigley Field, audiologist Robin Stoner says wearing earplugs won't drown out the music for your or lessen your experience. But she says it might just keep you from losing your hearing.

"A lot of these musicians' earplugs – the custom and the non-custom – could bring them down; attenuate the music to about 85, in which case you could be in an 85 dB environment for eight hours before really being at risk for hearing loss," Stoner said.

The Rush University Medical Center audiologist says believe it or not, a typical concert at 105 dB can start hurting your hearing after 15 minutes.

And it's not just rock concerts. One woman remembered a country music concert she attended.

"It was so loud, it was almost painful," she said.

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