Dear Editor,

With Tinnitus Awareness Week taking place from 8-14 February 2010, I’d like to highlight the invaluable support that the British Tinnitus Association (BTA) provides to those who experience tinnitus.

As a tinnitus sufferer and newly-appointed ambassador of the BTA, I am delighted to be helping the charity to raise awareness of tinnitus. It’s a condition that I have experienced for several years and one that affects the majority of my friends and colleagues in the music industry as a result of exposure to loud music.

When I first started working with the BTA, I was shocked to learn that 81% of people don’t realise that they can permanently damage their hearing after just 15 minutes of exposure to loud music[1]. With this in mind, I implore you to tell your readers to protect their ears when listening to loud music to prevent permanent hearing damage. I’ve learnt the importance of this the hard way.

As a DJ and radio presenter, I used to experience tinnitus to such an extent that I couldn’t sleep and became ill as a result. Not knowing where to turn for advice, I was fortunate that a colleague, who’d developed a 40% hearing loss through exposure to loud music, advised me to wear hearing protection. It’s fair to say my life changed completely as a result. Now I carry my hearing protection everywhere and I sleep well, I feel healthier and my ears aren’t getting worse despite my job.

I thought protecting your ears would kill the music, but I was so wrong. Technology is such that one can wear special earplugs that don't interfere with the music at all - they just reduce its volume slightly. I can hear the sizzle of every hi-hat and boom of every kick drum.

I have now learnt to manage my tinnitus by taking positive steps. That said, I wish I had known all those years ago about the helpful, friendly advice and support that the BTA can offer sufferers and their families. The charity can provide information about the condition as well as advice on how to prevent hearing damage. As they say, prevention is better than cure.

I urge people in need of support to get in touch with the BTA by calling them free on 0800 018 0527 or visiting their website www.tinnitus.org.uk. Take my advice: protect your ears before it’s too late!

Yours sincerely Eddy Temple-Morris

XFM London producer & presenter

[1]According to an online poll carried out by earplugshop.com, 81 per cent of people don’t realise that they can permanently damage their hearing after just 15 minutes of exposure to loud music.

hmmm isn't it something like prolonged exposure to noise levels over 86dB can cause permanent hearing damage........?

Yep, that's about it. http://www.dangerousdecibels.org/hearingloss.cfm gives a good guide. I once measured 103dBA in the foyer of a cinema at a Hawkwind concert.

I used Etymotic Research 'Hi fidelity' earplugs the last time I went to a concert. I find that 8 out of 10 gigs have such appallingly distorted sound that it is necessary just for comfort let alone preventing noise induced hearing loss! Any how, the ER's were good in my opinion. No 'depressed' hearing or ringing in my ears after the do and I experimented in removing them periodically throughout the concert and found that it actually sounded clearer and less congested with them in my ears! I guess thats 'inter modulation distortion' generated in my non-linear ears!

I've been using earplugs for a little while now, my ears are my job and music is the rest of my life! I used the Etymotics and agree with soldersplash, the sound quality at gigs is "better". I now use Ultimate Ears custom earplugs and prefer them. They are more discrete and give a clearer sound than the Etymotics but more expensive. If people didnt know these earplugs arent just simple barriers to all sounds but are tuned filter that allow attenuated sounds of all frequencies reach your ears. At a gig they also allow your body to still feel the bass without ruining your ears!!

I got this via Stereophile....

http://www.neuromonics.com/patient/index.aspx?rollover=true