Musician shares tinnitus story to warn about impacts of loud music
Jono Heale is now the director of an earplug company and raises awareness about the condition
A former professional musician has shared his experience with tinnitus to highlight the dangers of regular exposure to loud music.
Jono Heale, who lives in Diss, between Norfolk and Suffolk, spent 15 years performing as a bass player before tinnitus and noise-induced hearing loss led him to change his career.
He is now the Director of ACS Custom, a Banbury-based company specialising in custom-fit hearing protection.
Through his work, he is dedicated to helping musicians and music fans spare their hearing while continuing to enjoy themselves.
A new report from Tinnitus UK highlights the extent of the issue, showing that one in seven adults in the UK now live with tinnitus.
Speaking about the early stages of his journey with tinnitus, Jono said: “I was aware when coming off stage or even coming out from clubs that there was this ringing and whistling in my ears and my hearing had gone a bit muffled."
He explained that the noise would stop after a while, but he then began performing more and one day it never did.
"This whistling in my head just didn't go away and I had noticed in social situations I was struggling to hear certain conversations - more so people with higher frequency voices so female voices and children's voices," Jono said
He described the feeling of going for a hearing test and finding out that the damage was permanent as he was in his dream job.
"All I ever wanted to do was make music, play in a band from the age of six, and I was so fortunate to be doing something that I loved," Jono said. "I remember walking along the high street thinking, 'What am I going to do now?' It had a big impact on me emotionally."
Hearing damage from loud venues does not only impact professionals like Jono, it also puts music fans at risk.
Tinnitus UK's report suggests that sound exposure above 85 decibels can cause permanent damage, however many gigs regularly exceed 100 decibels.
The charity found that 62% of attendees said they didn’t see hearing safety information or earplug offerings at events, while 81% experienced muffled or reduced hearing after gigs.
For professionals working in live music, though, the risks are higher.
According to the report, 93% of those surveyed reported hearing problems related to their work, and nearly 59% live with permanent tinnitus—a rate five times higher than among the general population.
Jono explained his frustration with the lack of awareness surrounding hearing problems within the music industry.
“I became very angry about music education. I've been through the music education system to degree level and I worked professionally and no one had said anything to me about how my ears could be damaged," he said.
He has now committed himself to spreading information and helping to protect others, including his daughter.
"Her 18th birthday present was to go to Ibiza and she had a wonderful time in her neon pink custom-moulded earplugs," he said.
Jono and Tinnitus UK's are calling for event organisers, venues, and artists to take an active role in improving hearing safety.
Suggestions include providing giveaways of high-fidelity earplugs, visible safety information on-site, and monitoring decibel levels.
Jono is encouraging everyone to learn from his story, be aware of their exposure to loud music and get some good quality earplugs.
He said: "Start early because, as I found out, once the damage has been done, that's it."