26 September 2008
Music Lovers - Protect Your Hearing!
It's a noisy world. And exposure to loud noises and listening to loud music is one of the most common causes of hearing loss.
In the UK, legislation is in place under The Control of Noise at Work Regulations to protect workers who are exposed to specific noise levels but outside of work there is no legislation. It is up to the individual to safeguard their own hearing and unfortunately, people who spend a lot of time in noisy environments or listening to loud music often become so accustomed that they are unaware of the damage they are inflicting on their hearing. Now Leightons HearingCare aims to help increase awareness of the dangers and help educate people on the causes of hearing loss and how to protect their hearing.
"It's frightening how many people are causing permanent damage to their hearing and appear to be totally unaware of it" said Ryan Leighton, Director at Leightons HearingCare.
If you work or play in a noisy environment, Leightons can provide advice on the levels and types of sounds that may be doing long term damage to your hearing.
If you want to know more about how you should reduce the noise, Leightons offer custom-made ear plugs for a whole range of activities - such as motor racing, shooting and playing or listening to music. They even have safer listening earphones for MP3 players. "The onset of the "iPod" generation is likely to result in higher numbers of noise induced hearing loss amongst younger people" say Ryan Leighton. "The most important thing is to raise awareness of hearing loss and provide advice on hearing
protection".
Some simple guidelines when listening to MP3 players to help reduce the chance of noise induced hearing loss:
- Keep the volume low and try to avoid turning the volume up to drown out the background noise
Minimise your listening time to loud music and always try to listen at a level that is comfortable
Consider sound isolating in-ear monitors such as Advanced Communication Solutions' T2's
Leightons have linked up with ACS to help provide quality hearing protection products for all sorts of noisy environments, with basic resuable ER20 ear plugs that cost just
£14.99 to custom fit products specifically developed for musicians, DJ's, clubbers and audiophiles.
"Complete custom-made hearing protection specifically designed for your ears, are manufactured individually for your ear giving unrivalled comfort, incredible noise isolation
and delivering range and clarity that you won’t have heard before. You’ll hear nuances of your favourite music that you’ve not previously noticed and you’ll be able to listen at
comfortable levels, even in noisy environments such as busy city centres or aircraft cabins" says Andy Shiach, founder and owner of ACS.
Custom fit products require an impression of the ear, taken by Leightons hearing aid audiologists in a simple process that normally takes about 15 minutes.
"With the right hearing protection, and provided its worn correctly in noisy environments, hearing loss should be 100% avoidable" say Catherine Brown, Hearing Aid Audiologist with Leightons
HearingCare.
To learn more about the debilitating effects of noise induced hearing loss visit http://www.heartomorrow.com/ or contact Leightons Hearing Aid Audiologist for further advice.