Approximately 10 million people in the UK have some form of hearing loss. This number is expected to rise to 14.5 million by 2031. Is listening to amplified music through portable MP3 players, dancing to music which can be felt as well as heard, participating in shooting activities and working in noisy environments harming our hearing?
UK researchers at the Medical Research Council are launching a mass participation study asking young and old people to do an online hearing test to find out if modern life has been harming our ears. Paul Breckell of the charity, Action on Hearing Loss, said:
“Damage to your hearing is irreversible – and, contrary to popular opinion, hearing loss is not a condition that only older people need to concern themselves with… The MRC’s public experiment is such a vital piece of work to offer a robust understanding of and insight into how people stave off early loss of their hearing.”
Many of the activities highlighted such as listening and dancing to music can be great fun, however there are many ways to help prevent causing harm by using hearing protection products such as musicians ear moulds, disposable earplugs, shooting moulds and industrial noise moulds all available at your local audiologist.
You can participate in the MRC council study by visiting www.100yearsofamplifiedmusic.org and view a wide range of hearing protection by visiting our online shop.
