Ringing ears is a common after-effect of a night out. But for some people, the ringing never stops. Six million people are estimated to suffer from tinnitus in some way, with 600,000 of those said to suffer so badly that their quality of life is affected. Tinnitus causes its sufferers to hear a constant humming or whistling sound, and is currently incurable.

Although causes of the condition can vary, it is generally established that a leading cause of the condition is damage to the ears brought on by dangerously high levels of noise exposure, as can often be found in nightclubs and live music venues. Despite this being common knowledge, clubbers rarely take precautions to protect their ears, despite several high-profile DJs warning of the threat to hearing sustained visits to nightclubs can pose.

To counteract this problem, hi-fidelity earplug manufacturer Alpine Hearing Protection and online electronic music platform Watch the Hype have launched the #AllEars campaign to get clubbers to protect themselves. By offering quality protective earplugs within venues (as opposed to cheap disposable alternatives that impact on the clubbing experience), the hope is that more clubbers will take steps to prevent tinnitus. Leeds’s sister venues Wire and Hifi have joined the campaign, and will have the earplugs on sale at each of their club nights.

If the artists behind the decks are protected, then it only makes sense that those on the dancefloor are protected too. And, crucially, you can rest assured that Wire’s Funktion One will sound as good as ever.

To find out more about the campaign, click here.

Dan King

Image credits: www.futurepast.co.uk