Everybody knows somebody in their family, a friend or acquaintance who suffers from a ring in their ears, also called Tinnitus. Nevertheless, we talk very little about hearing damage caused by loud noise. Which is why during Tinnitus Awareness Week (4 to 10 February 2019) Alpine Hearing Protection calls on people all around the world to share their Tinnitus story. The hearing protection specialist is taking the initial step with the short documentary #HearThis, in which people from various countries talk about what it’s like to live with ringing in the ears.
Everybody knows somebody
Everyone has experienced the dull drone or temporary ringing in their ears after a night out. What most people don’t realize is that this is a sign of the onset of hearing damage. A ringing, hissing or dull noise can one day even become permanent. Under the theme ‘everybody knows somebody with ringing in the ears’, during Tinnitus Awareness Week, Alpine shares the stories of people with Tinnitus. In a short video, they explain what it’s like to have to live with a constant ringing in your ears. And that tinnitus is more likely to happen to you than you would think. That’s because tinnitus can happen to anyone. Just a few minutes of exposure to loud noise can lead to permanent hearing damage, and this condition is incurable at this time. With the #HearThis campaign, Alpine hopes to raise awareness, so that more people will wear hearing protection when needed. That way, you will be able to enjoy the things that you like to do longer.
Misconceptions
Ringing in the ears is not just caused by listening to loud music. There are also many other everyday situations in which our hearing is exposed to excessive decibels, such as when doing DIY, riding a motorcycle, participating in sports and playing music. Thankfully, hearing damage is easy to prevent with the right hearing protection. Unfortunately, there is still the misconception that if you use hearing protection, you won’t be able to hear the music, that earplugs are uncomfortable and that wearing earplugs isn’t ‘fashionable’. But with high-quality filter earplugs, that is no longer the case. Alpine filter earplugs, for example, are equipped with a special acoustic filter that only reduces the harmful noises to a safe volume. Moreover, the earplugs are made of thermoplastic material, which comfortably adapts to the shape of the ear canal with your body heat. Thanks to their design and transparent colour, the earplugs are also hardly noticeable. There are, therefore, no longer any reasons not to wear hearing protection.
#HearThis: share your story
Hearing damage can happen to anyone. During Tinnitus Awareness Week, attention will be given to this issue all around the world. Most of the news during Tinnitus Awareness Week revolves around figures and statistics, but this year Alpine is sharing personal stories, and is calling on people that have ringing in the ears to share their experiences. They can do this, for example, on social media using the hashtag #HearThis. Are you interested in hearing other people’s personal stories? Alpine will be sharing them all through the week on Facebook and Instagram.