What doctors do to protect their hearing

Dr Piers Dawes, a lecturer in audiology at the University of Manchester, says: AS AN audiologist, I am very conscious about risks to my hearing. If an ambulance drives by with its siren blaring, I cover my ears. It doesn’t take long for the sound waves to damage the tiny hair cells in the inner ear, flattening them and pummelling them. Just covering your hands with your ears can stop a large proportion of the sound waves getting through.

I’m a jazz musician in my spare time and always wear disposable ear plugs when performing. You can damage your ears after just 15 minutes listening to noise above 85 decibels. Dr Ralph Holme, head of biomedical research at Action on Hearing Loss, says: I AM keen on DIY but always make sure I pop in ear plugs before drilling through brick, for example. And if I’m in a loud pub or somewhere where there is music is playing or even lots of loud talking, I’ll take a break every hour or so and stand outside in a quiet place for five to ten minutes to give my ears some rest.

I don’t think there is any evidence that taking supplements can improve your hearing but I do make sure I eat a well-balanced diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables for my overall good health. Professor Chris Plack, audiologist at the University of Manchester, says: WHEN I go to live music events I use reusable silicon ear plugs, and if I’m using a personal music player, with headphones, I make sure the music is never so loud that I can’t understand a person talking to me from one metre away.

Earplugs are a good idea if you’re a regular swimmer. Getting water in the ear canal too often can lead to inflammation.