It has been stated on many occasions that music lovers should show increasing awareness to the potential damage they could be causing their hearing. With the development of technology we are able to plug ourselves in and listen to music everywhere we go, whether it’s taking a walk to the local shops, sitting on a tube or lazing by a beach. We use music to relax and unwind, hype ourselves up for a night out and on some occasions, to drown out other noises such as a sibling’s music. However, cranking up the music, much to our enjoyment, can have a devastating effect on our hearing.
It has been revealed tinnitus is one of the most common forms of hearing damage, especially in teenagers. Doctor Tony Kay, a senior chief audiologist at Fazakerley Hospital in Liverpool has recently connected hearing loss in teenagers with music players, saying: “In the last two years we have seen more people in their late teens and early 20s with tinnitus and this is sometimes because they are listening to personal players too loudly.
“Exposure to loud music can occur via a personal music player or at home, in the workplace or at public music concerts, pubs or nightclubs.
“There are simple steps which you can take which still enable you to enjoy music, but reduce the risk of developing tinnitus.
“If you go clubbing or attend loud gigs then think about wearing ear plugs, keep hydrated and take regular breaks away from the noise.
“If you regularly listen to music on a personal music player then you should make sure that the volume is turned down.
“Good ear plugs and lower volumes don’t affect the fidelity of the music – but they do help safeguard your hearing. In turn, this means that you can go on enjoying music for decades longer.
“As time goes on, we’re seeing people develop tinnitus symptoms younger and younger. Noise levels in clubs can hit around 100 decibels and anything higher than 85 can damage hearing in many people.
“People normally wouldn’t listen as loudly to personal music players, but if they turn them up to drown out background noise such as a train or bus then it can reach damaging levels.
“In addition, they may continue to listen at that volume hour after hour and the damage can mount up. It’s a simple message: don’t turn it off, but do turn it down.”
However, it is not all doom and gloom, there are precautions that can be put in place, such as wearing musician or noise earplugs when attending concerts and festivals. There is a stigma around wearing earplugs at music events, but there are far more advantages to wearing these ear defenders than first thought.
Benefits of musician earplugs
- They are discrete
- Are comfortable to wear
- Can make music more audible
- Protect your hearing from damaging noises
- Block background noises
“The National Sleep Foundation affirms that one should use earplugs and blindfolds to dampen noise and block light while sleeping. Quality sleep can be difficult to garner while flying as inevitably there will be a child screaming or a passenger talking incessantly. However, adequate sleep is critical to good health. Restoration of body systems, in particular the immune system, occurs during sleep, as does the growth and repair of tissues and cells.”
We all love loud music when in a club, but for those working in the loud environment noise levels can prevent them from carrying out their job properly, especially if you’re trying to communicate over it.
Loud noises can be prevalent in many working environments. For instance when working in a professional kitchen your hearing needs to contend with the noise coming from ovens and other appliances and is then required to acknowledge the chef’s orders. The same goes for pub or club workers, the music that is played is normally cranked up and you need to audibly hear drink orders. Not to mention health and safety measures at a construction site, the loud machinery can cause extreme earaches and in some cases people can experience tinnitus.
You may have noticed that we here at 
Samantha Brown, the popular American travel TV host has enjoyed many adventures discovering different cultures to bring her viewers several travel channel shows including, Passport to Europe, Great Weekends and Girl meets Hawaii, to name a few. So it’s not surprising when we say she has a few tricks when it comes to filling up the carry-on bag.
The summer is slowly, but surely creeping up on us, which means days lazing by the beach on holiday are soon to arrive. Summer holidays are always something we look forward to, but enjoyment whilst on a breakaway can easily be sabotaged if you spend too much time in the water.
For many mothers there comes a time when you just want to tune out, especially when the kids are arguing or screaming. However, you don’t want this to become a permanent thing. You many miss out on their laughter or the greatly appreciated ‘I love you’. As a mother you often consider everyone’s health but our own and your hearing and 
There are many reasons why children should wear earplugs, the most common being protecting their ears from infections, another is to prevent water from entering the ear canal and causing irritation. However, the most significant reason is to prevent hearing damage and impairment.