Loud music may be stereotypically associated with teenagers but this study, carried out by The Hearing Company, found that teenagers were not the only culprit as one in ten people were found to regularly listen to loud music.
The study found that these people listen to their music at a higher volume that a drill on a building site. Another one in six people were found to be listening to their MP3 player at a level that is more deafening than an aeroplane.
Commenting on the results, Peter Worthington, director of The Hearing Company, said, ‘Damage beings when ears are exposed to noises louder that 85 decibels. A pneumatic drill, for example, reaches 110 decibels, which means that millions of Brits are listening to their music as a level of almost 40 per cent higher than is naturally safe.’
Shocking results also found that 43 per cent of those questioned admitted that they were not bothered that loud music might be damaging to their hearing now or in the future.
Worthington said, ‘It is easy to take hearing for granted, but it is so important to protect your ears. Once you’ve lost your hearing you can’t get it back.’
By Lauren King
