According to a recent survey, sight and hearing are the two senses that we care most about and would be least willing to sacrifice.  Whilst deterioration in sight is immediately noticeable and easily correctable, hearing is not. Please read our top 5 tips below to help you protect your ears over the long-term:

1. Ears are self-cleaning.  Never use cotton buds as they can cause serious damage to your hearing – even total hearing loss.
2. Protect your hearing.  If you are a fan of music, consider using specially designed earplugs that allow the good sound in and bad noise out (try Alphine MusicSafe Pro earplugs as used by DJs and serious music fans).  Also avoid seats close to the front or back of attending concerts, being in the middle is the best for caring for your ears.
3. Protect your ears from water.  Water is one of the main causes of ear infections.  Wear earplugs on holiday particularly in swimming pools where germs can lurk (try Macks Aqua Blocks).
4. Rest your ears.  If you work in a noisy place, have a loud family, or simply love music, give your ears a break at least once a day – turn the sound off as ears need time to recover.  Silence is good.
5. Don’t ignore any problems with your hearing or pains in your ears – get it checked out immediately as it could be the sign of something more serious.