Have you ever spent the night dancing in front of the speakers at Fluffy only to find the next few days your ears are ringing and everyone sounds like they’re talking under water? Same thing happened to me at a David Bowie concert way back - I’m not saying exactly when but let’s just say that Kylie was still starring in Neighbours, Flashdance was on at the cinema and Thriller was the number one album of the year...

Extremely loud noise can cause these temporary symptoms, but it can also cause more permanent damage to your hearing. The more often you are exposed to very loud noise, the more likely it will eventually lead to some degree of hearing loss.

This is why people who work in very noisy environments are required to wear ear protection. Naturally it doesn’t matter what the source of the noise is, whether it’s a pneumatic drill or a music speaker, the effect can be the same. The best way to avoid going deaf is to avoid the loud noises in the first place.

If you find yourself constantly having to ask people to repeat themselves, or if your friends keep asking you to stop shouting, it might be time for you to have a hearing test.

And if you experience hearing loss or ringing affecting only one ear, then you need an urgent checkup to rule out more serious conditions.