Don't Lose the Music

Our award winning Don’t Lose the Music campaign, supported by the Public Health Agency, aims to raise awareness of the risks of loud music and encourage young people to protect their hearing.

Institute of Fundraising Northern Ireland

This summer, our volunteers are attending 23 concerts, giving away free earplugs at Belsonic, CHSq and Belfast Vital.

We’ll also have rainproof ponchos, wristbands and popsockets available for a suggested donation.

Why should I wear earplugs?

Approximately four million young people are at risk of hearing damage because of over amplified music.

Music at a live gig can be up to 110 decibels, which is only safe to listen to for two minutes!

The longer you listen, and the more frequently, the higher the risk of developing permanent hearing loss or tinnitus.

Usually, tinnitus has little effect on a person’s daily life and is only mildly annoying. However, when experienced more severely, tinnitus can have a significant impact on a person’s mental and physical health, affecting sleep and concentration, and causing stress and anxiety.

What can I do to protect my hearing?

wear earplugs – earplugs reduce the decibel levels which makes for safer listening – they’re the only thing that can protect you
don’t stand near speakers
give your ears a break from loud music for at least five minutes every hour
stay hydrated – dehydration can make the hair cells in your inner ear more vulnerable to damage, as can alcohol
if it’s uncomfortably loud or painful, leave

I have tinnitus/ hearing loss – what can I do?

If you experience tinnitus after a noisy event, you may find that it disappears after a few days.

If the tinnitus persists and is bothering you, the first step is to see your GP – find out what happens at a GP consultation

You can also contact Action on Hearing Loss for support. Our Tinnitus Support Service in Northern Ireland provides one to one support and information about causes of tinnitus and how you can manage it.

There are lots of ways to manage tinnitus to prevent it having a serious impact on your daily life, such as relaxation exercises, mindfulness and sound therapy – find out more

Find out more

Find out how loud music damages hearing, how the ear works and what you can do

Email us: information.nireland@hearingloss.org.uk call us: 028 9023 9619 or message us on Facebook.

"You don’t have to stop your love of music in order to protect yourself. It’s a good idea to get good ear plugs in loud situations like gigs whether you’re playing or listening – the modern ones are quite comfortable and don’t ruin the listening experience as some people think."

Gemma Twitchen, Senior Audiologist at Action on Hearing Loss

Don’t Lose the Music Campaign nominated for ‘Best Volunteer Initiative’ award

It's never too early to start looking after your hearing. Noise exposure is one of the biggest causes of permanent hearing damage – and it’s avoidable.

It can be hard to tell how loud sounds are. Here’s our guide to understanding how loud is too loud, so you know when to use hearing protection.

Earplugs for music lovers

Have you ever had ringing or buzzing in your ears after going to a gig, party or festival? If so, it’s a sign that you're at risk of permanent hearing loss and tinnitus caused by loud music.

Read Sally's post