Should you bring earplugs to the movies?
by Daniel Fink, MD, Chair, The Quiet Coalition
Photo Credit: Tima Miroshnichenko
Should you bring earplugs to the movies? This article in Men’s Journal magazine says yes, as did I in a recent blog post, suggesting a specific brand. Unfortunately, that brand has a Noise Reduction Rating of only 12 decibels, which I don’t think is sufficient to prevent auditory damage in today’s movie theaters. Sound pressure levels in a showing of The Odyssey were reported to be 110 decibels for 10 minutes, far exceeding the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health’s recommended exposure limit of less than a minute and a half at that noise level.
The Quiet Coalition has no commercial sponsorships or other financial relationships and does not make specific brand recommendations. To protect your hearing, I would recommend industrial-strength corded earplugs with a Noise Reduction Rating of at least 25 decibels. These can be purchased in any big-box DIY store for under $5, in a convenient plastic case, or for under $2 each when purchased in greater quantities online. Many pharmacies also stock a variety of earplugs.
In a line that always gets a laugh when I say it at national and international noise meetings, I think the best form of hearing protection is like the best form of birth control: safe, effective, inexpensive, convenient to use, and always there when you need it. Carry earplugs with you in your pocket or purse, and if it sounds loud — like almost all movies today, including rom-coms and documentaries — use them to protect your hearing. Then your ears should last a lifetime.
