Lead audiologist explains hearing health, ANC and volume control

Something I've wanted to do for a long, long time: ask an audiologist for their expert advice on protecting our hearing when it comes to today's ever-advancing audio tech.

I test headphones, speakers, DACs, turntables and the like all day every day, so my auditory system is one I'd like to safeguard — and sometimes I worry that noise cancellation and volume control aren't always the rock-solid defense shields we think they are.

I also happen to have a friend who recently spent over £4,800 (around $6,390 or AU$9,189) on top-of-the-range Amplifon hearing aids, a notable expense for a freelance professional guitarist even if their hearing loss is classed as 'severe' in the left ear and 'moderate-to-severe' in the right (that'll be the amp under their left ear, won't it?).

If we can all stave off that extra cost, it'd be lovely to know how, no? On the day of this interview, I'm also heading out to see Brandon Flowers in Bournemouth's O2 Academy (a rather loud gig venue, I think we can all agree).

I wonder what we lifelong live music lovers can do to help protect our ears when we're not covering or invading our canals with small speakers, all piping sound into them — but paying to be surrounded by massive, loud line arrays instead? Meet the expert: Dr.

Rachel Artsma So, I have questions.

And Dr.

Rachel Artsma, Lead Audiologist at Hear.com (a US company billed as the world's leading online provider of medical hearing aids) has agreed to provide the answers.

I ask her what we need to know about the damage we may inadvertently be doing to our hearing, and it becomes immediately clear that Dr.

Artsma has more experience in explaining these complex systems to worried patients than I've had hot dinners.

"Essentially, when we're talking about damage to the inner ear, or damage to the ear, we're talking about little hair cells that stand up", she explains, putting both hands straight up, to offer a visual representation.

"And when sound comes in, either at high volumes or for a long duration, or both, the hair cells lay flat.

"Unfortunately, if somebody does that damage to those hair cells, they don't stand back up.

They remain damaged.