Chris Martin and Plan B have both backed a campaign to raise awareness of tinnitus, Bbc News reports today (May 4, 2012). Tinnitus is a constant, usually high-pitched buzzing sound in the ears. It's often caused by exposure to loud music and is frequently found in musicians and music fans who go to gigs regularly. Although it is often caused by prolonged exposure to loud music, it can also be caused by brief exposure to excessive volume.
Both Plan B and Chris Martin have explained their own experience with tinnitus and have urged music lovers to protect their hearing before it's too late. "If you're listening to music a lot, producing music or performing live, then always wear earplugs," Plan B urged, adding "You're not Superman!" The 28 year-old 'Ill Manors' rapper added "When I first developed it, I thought it was trains rushing by my house as I live near a railway line - it was really loud and an extremely high-pitched ringing in my ears." Chris Martin explained that he and his fellow band members "moulded filter plugs, or in-ear monitors, to try and protect our ears." Gary Numan added that his tinnitus prevents him from being able to mix music properly, demonstrating that the problem has had a direct impact on his career.
At this weekend's Camden Crawl festival, earplugs will be handed out to festival-goers to help ensure that they don't expose their own ears to damaging volumes. "So look after your hearing and wear earplugs" is the message of the campaign from The Action on Hearing Loss.