Protecting yourself so you can enjoy what you love for longer ‘Music is the strongest form of magic’ – Marilyn MansonListening to your favourite music can be the highlight of many people’s day. Whether you’re listening to your MP3 players or watching your favourite band at a festival, we’re surrounded by loud sounds at almost all parts of the day.
So what’s the problem?Having music at high volumes in your ears or being around loud speakers can be great – many of us do it! But it can also be damaging to your ears and your hearing. The hair cells in the ear that help sound waves move its way to the eardrum and onwards to the brain can become damaged due to the impact of loud noises. If this part of the ear becomes damaged, it makes it harder for us to hear sound clearly – this is called noise-induced hearing loss.
Is hearing loss all I have to worry about?Hearing loss is one aspect to keep in mind. There are also issues, such as Tinnitus. Tinnitus is a ringing or buzzing inside your ear or head that isn’t from an outside source.
Tinnitus can have many causes, but damage due to exposure to loud noises can also be a contributor. For many people, living with Tinnitus is simple and doesn’t affect them too much day to day. For others, it can cause sleep deprivation and depression. In most cases, Tinnitus is incurable but therapies are available to help deal with it day to day.
Never heard of Tinnitus before? Here are a few people you might know who suffer from the condition:
• Pete Townshend
• Wil.I.Am
• Phil Collins
• Ozzy Osbourne
• Barbra Streisand
Okay, so what’s next?Knowing how to protect your ears to save your hearing is important so that you can enjoy the music you love for longer.
Here’s the information you need to know Quality Assurance Loud music can be damaging to your hearing health which means that you might struggle to hear other sounds and music that you love in later life.
One way to help your hearing along is to listen to music through headphones that are of a good quality and at a moderate volume. Moderation is a key factor when it comes to exposure to loud sounds and having a high quality pair of earphones or headphones can mean that you don’t need to music as loud as you would do if they were of a lower quality.
Moderation is keyThe noise levels at live concerts are often out of your control but you can help your hearing by placing yourself away from the source of the sound – the speakers in many cases.
Other ways to protect yourself from the loud noises you may be surrounded by is to invest in ear protection. Some protection can be free or very cheap from high street and online retailers, while other hearing protection – for those who are around excessive noise for longer periods of time - can be moulded to your ear to give you the optimum protection.
