LONDON:

Regular exposure to noise in pubs, clubs and concerts may lead to hearing impairment, suggests a study of 1,381 people in Britain.

More than half of the surveyed people visited bars where they had to shout to be heard at least once a week.

A quarter said the music in these venues was too loud and a third thought hearing loss would affect their lives.

About 90 percent of people who frequent pubs, clubs and concerts experienced dullness of hearing or ringing in the ears after a night in the town, found the study by RNID - the largest charity representing the nine million hearing impaired people in Britain. Nine out of 10 young people aged between 16 to 30 experienced signs of hearing damage after a night out in a noisy venue, reported the online edition of BBC news.

John Low, chief executive of RNID said: “Most young people have experienced the first signs of permanent hearing damage after a night out. ” He said music lovers, musicians and DJs could take simple steps to protect themselves from damaging noise. They could take a five-minute rest period after every hour of listening to allow ears to recover. Standing away from loud speakers in pubs, clubs and concerts may also help. Moreover, taking regular breaks from the dance floor and using chill-out areas to give ears a rest from loud music may also provide protection to the ears.

The length of time you listen to a sound affects how much damage it will cause. The quieter

the sound, the longer you can listen to it safely.