Calendar An icon of a desk calendar. Cancel An icon of a circle with a diagonal line across. Caret An icon of a block arrow pointing to the right. Email An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of the Facebook "f" mark. Google An icon of the Google "G" mark. Linked In An icon of the Linked In "in" mark. Logout An icon representing logout. Profile An icon that resembles human head and shoulders. Telephone An icon of a traditional telephone receiver. Tick An icon of a tick mark. Is Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes. Is Not Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes with a diagonal line through it. Pause Icon A two-lined pause icon for stopping interactions. Quote Mark A opening quote mark. Quote Mark A closing quote mark. Arrow An icon of an arrow. Folder An icon of a paper folder. Breaking An icon of an exclamation mark on a circular background. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Caret An icon of a caret arrow. Clock An icon of a clock face. Close An icon of the an X shape. Close Icon An icon used to represent where to interact to collapse or dismiss a component Comment An icon of a speech bubble. Comments An icon of a speech bubble, denoting user comments. Comments An icon of a speech bubble, denoting user comments. Ellipsis An icon of 3 horizontal dots. Envelope An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of a facebook f logo. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Home An icon of a house. Instagram An icon of the Instagram logo. LinkedIn An icon of the LinkedIn logo. Magnifying Glass An icon of a magnifying glass. Search Icon A magnifying glass icon that is used to represent the function of searching. Menu An icon of 3 horizontal lines. Hamburger Menu Icon An icon used to represent a collapsed menu. Next An icon of an arrow pointing to the right. Notice An explanation mark centred inside a circle. Previous An icon of an arrow pointing to the left. Rating An icon of a star. Tag An icon of a tag. Twitter An icon of the Twitter logo. Video Camera An icon of a video camera shape. Speech Bubble Icon A icon displaying a speech bubble WhatsApp An icon of the WhatsApp logo. Information An icon of an information logo. Plus A mathematical 'plus' symbol. Duration An icon indicating Time. Success Tick An icon of a green tick. Success Tick Timeout An icon of a greyed out success tick. Loading Spinner An icon of a loading spinner. Facebook Messenger An icon of the facebook messenger app logo. Facebook An icon of a facebook f logo. Facebook Messenger An icon of the Twitter app logo. LinkedIn An icon of the LinkedIn logo. WhatsApp Messenger An icon of the Whatsapp messenger app logo. Email An icon of an mail envelope. Copy link A decentered black square over a white square.

Hearing loss charity urges people attending Christmas parties to wear earplugs

(Getty Images)
(Getty Images)

PEOPLE attending festive parties have been urged to wear earplugs to protect their hearing.

As the Christmas party season gets into full swing, charity Action on Hearing Loss is encouraging people to take steps to protect their hearing while in noisy pubs, bars or concerts.

Earplugs do not block out the music but can protect people from being exposed to dangerous noise frequencies, the charity said.

Revellers should also avoid standing for too long near speakers and take breaks from the noise, it added.

After a night out, many have experienced ringing in their ears but the charity estimates that some six million Britons are living with this sensation permanently.

The condition, called tinnitus, is often described as ringing in the ears but many people hear different sounds including buzzing, clicking, whooshing or humming.

The condition can be related to age-related hearing loss but has also been linked to being exposed to loud noise.

Listening to any sound at a high volume – more than 85 decibels – can cause damage.

Loud noise exposure can damage the hair cells in the cochlea, leading to hearing loss and tinnitus.

Symptoms of the condition can last anywhere from a few hours to permanent damage.

For many, the condition can be mildly annoying and can come and go, but for an estimated 600,000 people across the UK it has a serious impact on their quality of life.

There is no cure for tinnitus.

But Action on Hearing Loss said that noise-related tinnitus and hearing loss are completely avoidable if people protect their ears.

“We don’t want people to stop going to music events and parties – that’s not what this is about,” said Gemma Twitchen, senior audiologist at Action on Hearing Loss.

“There is a misconception that if you wear earplugs you can’t hear or enjoy the music, but this is simply not true.

“Earplugs will block out the dangerous sound frequencies, still allowing you to listen to the music and enjoy it.”

People who experience symptoms of tinnitus for longer than a 24-hour period should go to see their GP, the charity said.

David Stockdale, chief executive of the British Tinnitus Association, said: “It’s always important to be mindful of noise levels throughout the year, but particularly during the festive season when many of us are out socialising in busy bars and restaurants and cranking up the Christmas tunes at home, too.

“Tinnitus can be caused by exposure to overly loud music and noise, so protecting your hearing is not only important, it’s essential.

“Once it’s damaged, hearing can’t be fixed – but it’s important to note that tinnitus from over-exposure to loud sounds can be prevented.

“There are some really simple ways to do this including using earplugs, taking regular breaks from the noise, making sure you don’t stand next to the speakers and also keeping hydrated.

“Our tinnitus prevention website www.plugem.co.uk has information about sound levels and exposure times, and provides some really useful advice about the types of hearing protection that can be used.”

For more information visit:

https://www.actiononhearingloss.org.uk/hearing-health/tinnitus/