Festival Goers Warned About Risk Of Hearing Loss

Festivalgoers have been warned to take measures to protect their hearing or face the threat of long term damage.

A survey of over 3,700 people found that nearly half felt music at summer festivals such as Glastonbury and Reading and Leeds had damaged their hearing.

The Don't Lose The Music campaign, orchestrated by the the Royal National Institute for the Deaf, said 80% of people had experienced warning signs of damage, including ringing in their ears and dulled hearing.

And that only 17% of people had ever taken steps to protect their hearing, with men between the age of 26 and 40 least likely take precautions.

The study found that, despite complaints from festivalgoers of low sound, people who attended the Leeds Festival were the most likely to experience hearing problems, while Glastonbury fans  were more likely to protect their ears.

Emma Harrison, a spokesperson for the RNID, said the results were a “stark warning about the UK's future hearing health.”

"Volume levels at festivals can reach levels over 110 decibels - that's the same as a jet plane taking off. Repeated listening at this volume will cause premature hearing loss," she said.

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Check out our highlights from Leeds by clicking the links below:

Leeds Festival - Day One
Leeds Festival - Day Two
Leeds Festival - Day Three