Why do you have to wear a blindfold?
By now you probably know that there’s no magic in being blindfolded when attending a performance.
It’s a common practice, practiced by artists to reduce the risk of exposure to harmful noise and other stimuli that could damage hearing.
But there’s another reason why you should wear a mask: It can reduce the chance of an ear infection.
And that’s because the virus in your ear is not necessarily harmful, says Dr. John T. Miller, a professor of otolaryngology at the University of Miami School of Medicine.
“The virus can be killed, but it can also spread,” he says.
So, while you can be very contagious, wearing a mask won’t stop you from catching the virus.
It just helps reduce the chances of you getting a severe infection.
You might also be able to avoid getting ear infections if you wear a bandana over your eyes, or a protective mask over your nose, or even a hat, says Miller.
But you should always wear a face mask when performing, since the virus can spread quickly through the air.
So how can you protect yourself from ear infections while performing?
“The best way to prevent a person from getting ear infection is to avoid loud noise,” says Miller, whose work focuses on hearing and other sound sources.
“If you are going to do something that involves hearing or hearing-impaired speech, then wearing a face shield or goggles over your ears, even if it’s just a mask, is a very good way to reduce your risk of getting an ear virus,” he adds.
But Miller cautions that if you have allergies or other health concerns that might make wearing a head-covering device impractical, you might want to consider using a mask that’s specifically designed to reduce infection risk.
But if you don’t have allergies, it’s best to wear it as a last resort.
You can still wear a head covering even if your health is not at risk, Miller says.
“A mask can be an effective way to protect against ear infections, especially if you are in a situation where you are exposed to high-risk situations,” he explains.
“It’s a good idea to always wear an appropriate mask and to wear protective gear in situations where it’s necessary to protect your hearing or other hearing-related health risks.”
If you’re considering buying a mask or mask for the first time, you should be sure to take into account that the risks are low, says Elizabeth Davenport, a spokesperson for the American Academy of Otolaryntology, who is not affiliated with the academy.
“There are no known health effects associated with wearing a hearing aid or mask in the context of hearing aids,” she says.
She adds that the American Hearing Association recommends that you wear ear protection while listening to music or watching a video game, and that most of the studies conducted to date show that people wearing a headset or hearing aid do not suffer hearing loss.
“However, the hearing aid/mask use rates associated with the use of ear protection during video gaming and audio/visual entertainment are not well documented and therefore, these studies do not provide clear evidence that the hearing aids/mask usage does not cause hearing loss,” Davenports adds.
So what to do if you get a virus while performing in public?
If you or a loved one has a medical condition, such as a medical emergency, you can still practice safe, effective communication while wearing a protective ear protection, Davenamports advises.
But it’s a big ask for most of us, she adds.
“I’m not sure why people would think that they can just go out in public and get a cold and get infected,” she notes.
“That’s just not true.”
If a person who has a respiratory infection or coughs up a virus that could spread to other people, the CDC recommends that they wear a protective helmet or mask.
And while some studies have found that wearing a respirator reduces the risk for getting ear and nose viruses, Dravets recommends that people keep a close eye on themselves and others around them.
“Just because someone is wearing a helmet or respirator, that doesn’t mean they’re immune from getting a virus,” she adds, “but it doesn’t stop them from catching a virus.”
Miller says people with health conditions, such to allergies, asthma, or high blood pressure, might also want to avoid wearing a high-tech, ear-protective head cover in public.
“Because the virus doesn’t have to be transmitted through the skin, a mask may be more protective,” Miller says, but “there are no clear studies to prove that mask usage is protective against ear viruses.”
Miller suggests wearing a bandanna over your ear, a hat over your head, a face cap over your face, or goggles to keep out the virus, and to avoid eye contact.
You also may want to wear ear shields, especially in cases of emergency, when a person is exposed to more than one person.
And, of course,
