Here we are at the start of festival season 2022, Glastonbury is here! It’s a time of fun, sun, rain, mud, the dreaded portaloo and a lot of great music. If you are visiting any music festival this summer then it’s important to make sure you are keeping yourself protected whilst you are having a great time, which is why we’ve pulled together this blog…
HOW YOU CAN PROTECT YOUR EYES AND EARS THIS FESTIVAL SEASON
You’ll probably be planning what outfits to pack, what wellies to wear, what sun cream to pack, or more likely how on earth will you keep either warm, cool and dry! But, have you thought about your poor eyes and your poor ears? They are potentially in for a very different few days than they might usually experience!
With a little bit of preparation and planning, you can ensure that you will have a fantastic time and keep your valuable senses safe, and that should be music to your ears (and eyes!)
HERE ARE OUR TOP TIPS TO KEEP YOU SAFE THIS SUMMER:
General Advice
- Stay as hydrated as possible
Sunshine and the occasional drink can actually have more of an effect on your eyes than you might think. If you become dehydrated then your eyes can quickly become dry, itchy or irritated over time. This can be quickly fixed with a bottle of eye drops to add moisture to the surface of your eyes, although make sure you can use the drops on top of your contact lenses first if you wear them.
To avoid dehydration completely, try to stick to the usual 8 glasses of water a day. Bottled water should be available at almost any food and drink stand at the festival, so make sure you always have some to hand.
- Stay protected from the sun
Hopefully your festival experience is going to be as sunny as possible, but that also means you need to be well prepared. UV rays can affect your eyes just as much as your skin, so as well as the sun tan lotion make sure you have a pair of good sunglasses with you.
- Wear Sunglasses
A lot of festivals tend to start when the suns out. Wearing sunglasses is key for festival weekend. Sunglasses will not only help protect your eyes from the sun, but also help protect from wind and the dust that can come from it! Make sure that your sunglasses are fully UV Protecting and have the relevant certification to prove it. You should always purchase your sunglasses and all eye protection from a registered optician to ensure that it will meet your needs
It should come as second nature to put on a layer of sun cream before spending a day, or five, out in the sun enjoying your favourite music, but often people forget about their eyes. Eye care is not something we often consider when enjoying the sun, but did you know our eyes are 10 times more sensitive to UV than our skin? So keeping them protected with a pair of CE certified sunglasses is essential for our eye health.
An immediate issue caused by not protecting your eyes from the sun can be temporary vision loss, and prolonged exposure to UV can cause even more severe problems with your eyes. Macular degeneration, cataracts and in severe cases, cancer, can all be caused by exposure to UV radiation. The right pair of sunglasses not only act as the perfect festival accessory, but they also play a vital role in protecting our eyes against UV radiation. 80% of the sun’s harmful UV rays can penetrate cloud so even if this festival turns out to be a rainy one, it is still important to wear your sunglasses.
- Bring Artificial Tears
Artificial tears can be your best friend during festival weekend. Whatever the weather might be, its important to always keep your eyes hydrated. Hot and windy climates can decrease the moisture in your eyes. Artificial tears will help increase the moisture in your eyes and gives instant relief. Try to stay away from drops that say “get the red out” as those can actually make the eyes more dry.
- Eye Wipes
Using eye wipes can be very beneficial when trying manage dry, red or even itchy eyes. Minting good eyelid hygiene is can be very helpful in alleviating uncomfortable symptoms. Eye wipes are great for on the go are super convenient when your need a quick, delicate cleaning product. Not only that it can help wipe off the festival glitter and glam without irritating the eyes.
- Wear A Hat
Throwing on a pair of sunglasses and a hat make your festival outfit extra fashionable. Additionally, having a hat on provides shade and can help prevent sun exposure on your face and especially around the eyes. Skin around the eyes is one of the most sensitive parts of our body so it’s good to protect it.
- Eye Cream
We can’t forget the skin care! Being in hot dry climates can cause dry skin especially around the eyes. Having an eye cream on hand can provide immediate hydration around the eyes. Additionally, having an eye cream with SPF can ensure extra protection from the sun and prevent skin damage and wrinkles.
CONTACT LENS WEARER
If you are planning on wearing contact lenses to a festival then here are some extra tips for you
- Switch to daily lenses
As a general rule festivals are not the most hygienic of places, but that’s no reason you shouldn’t get to wear your contact lenses. If you’re used to wearing monthly contact lenses and keeping them clean and stored every night, we recommend talking to your optician about switching to daily lenses. Because they won’t need storing overnight, you won’t need to worry about keeping them safe and away from any dirt as you sleep. That said, you may want to bring a few more than you need for the long weekend just in case any get damaged somewhere along the way.
- Bring a lens case
If you’re switching to dallies, bringing a lens case might seem odd. But having somewhere to clean your lenses if anything gets in them can be really handy. Just a little cleaner in the bottom of the lens case will be enough to make sure they are ready to go in no time at all.
You should also have some anti-bacterial gel with you, which can be used to keep your hands clean before you start putting in your lenses. However, make sure the gel has dried into your hands before you handle your contacts.
- Take a travel pack with you
Contact lens travel packs are a handy way to make sure you have everything you need stored in one place. They won’t even take up too much room in your backpack, and can easily be carried around the festival if you like.
THAT’S YOUE EYES SORTED – NOW FOR YOUR EARS
Is it too loud? According to the WHO, over a billion teenagers and young adults from 12-35 years of age are now at risk because of 3 contributing factors. Yes, you guessed it: noisy events, noise pollution in public venues, and prolonged use of personal audio devices.
Loud music can have a myriad of effects that all start with affecting one’s hearing. This can lead to other conditions such as migraines, chronic tinnitus (ringing in the ears), hoarse voice boxes and sore throats the next day, as well as more serious neck pain, which can in turn trigger back pain.
In the case of tinnitus, the effect on neck pain is a clear connection. Imagine something being pulled or stretched in the wrong position (tinnitus) held for a period of time. The pain of that stretched muscle then gets triggered every time another connected muscle is activated. The same is true for neck movement and tinnitus.
Music is a pleasure all on its own. It’s an evocative, soul-touching experience and it can be easy to get lost in the sound. In order to protect this vital sense, here are 7 things you can do from your side:
The World Health Organisation states that long-term exposure to any noise above 85 decibels could cause permanent damage to our hearing. With 85 decibels being about as loud as a vacuum cleaner, Glastonbury definitely exceeds that limit. However, this doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy the festival; there are ways in which you can keep your hearing protected while listening to all your favourite bands.
- Wear hearing protection – When you head out to concert venues, make sure to bring a pair of earbuds — or two pairs. You can also use over-the-ear noise reduction headphones. Make sure to wipe these down at the end of the night to avoid infections.
- Take regular breaks from the environment – Plan to take a break after a particularly loud set, your favourite band, or even on the hour. Walk away from the venue and move to a quiet spot. If it’s an overnight event, head back to the camping area and you’ll be able to rest up for 5-10 minutes before heading back.
- Scope the scene – If it’s an all-day event or only lasts for a couple of hours, why not head there early? This way, you can scope out the stage and speaker set up. Try and head to the middle or keep to the back. If you’re on the side, chances are, you’ll catch a big wave of sound from the speakers.
- Give yourself a hearing detox – A day before the concert is scheduled to start, why not give yourself a hearing detox. Still all noises in the house and pick up a book instead. Commit yourself to a day of silence and meditate. Close all doors and windows and relax. This will relax your mind as well as give your delicate ear drums a break. You can also run a detox after the event. Give yourself a full day — Action on Hearing Loss suggests at least 16 hours for every two hours of loud music the day before.
- Visit a hearing specialist before and after a festival – Visit a professional before the concert to establish your baseline hearing. If you’ve been experiencing the effects of a blocked ear drum, then this can be solved at this point. After the concert, head back to the specialist to make sure that your hearing levels are on par.
And that’s it (phew!!) It might look to be quite a lot, but in reality, it’s just a few steps and a little bit of planning that will ensure that your festival experience will leave nothing but happy memories when you return home after a weekend of serious partying – have fun and stay safe!