Listen up: What can we do to protect our hearing as we age?

As the world around us gets noisier, even younger generations are beginning to struggle with hearing loss, so taking steps to mitigate any long-term damage is vital

Amr El Refaie, head of audiology at University College Cork: "Often, people experiencing hearing loss may not notice it as it can happen gradually."

Hearing loss affects 300,000 people in Ireland, or about 8% of the population. Although the loss is typically associated with ageing, the world has become louder, and younger people today are exposing their ears to audio at higher volumes during gigs and through headphones.

Ageing and exposure to loud noise can work together. “So the older we get, the more impact noise will have on our hearing system,” explains Amr El Refaie, head of audiology at University College Cork.