MUSIC festivals were wiped out last year due to the pandemic, but in the coming weeks the summer staple is back.
Ahead of the big events, Specsavers is encouraging people to look after their hearing while revelling with their friends and loved ones, to ensure they can continue to enjoy them for years to come.
Gordon Harrison, Specsavers chief audiologist, says: ‘It’s so important to protect your ears if you are exposed to high levels of noise. Not only can loud noise cause pain, tinnitus, and a temporary loss of hearing, long-term exposure to noise can cause a permanent, irreparable nerve damage, that may not show up for a number of years. It’s really not worth the risk.’
There are a wide range of hearing protection products available at Specsavers, from instant fit hearing plugs to custom fit devices that are exactly matched to the shape of an ear.
Gordon continues: ‘For families going to festivals, a long day of loud music can have a big impact on children’s and indeed, adult’s hearing. It’s a good idea to invest in some earplugs that can be popped in when the sound gets too much.
‘Specsavers offer custom ear protection which provide an individual and unique fit with guaranteed levels of protection. They’re specially designed to fit your ear shape for a better, more comfortable fit. Our audiologists can take a mould of your ear to get a good acoustic seal and ensure a perfect fit ever time.’
For those who may be watching events virtually, they still need to be careful of damage caused by loud volumes.
Gordon adds: ‘It is just as important that when listening to music, at any time, that you are listening at safe levels.
‘Normal levels of conversation are about 65 decibels, which is a lot louder than you get at places like concerts and events. However, when you’re wearing headphones or trying to recreate that festival atmosphere at home it is easy to let the volume creep up – especially if you are trying to cancel out other noise in the background. This could eventually result in hearing loss or tinnitus, so don’t let volume creep above 60%.’
