According to research from Statistics Canada and Canadian Hearing Services, about one third of all Canadians have at least a mild level of hearing loss.

Hearing specialists say one of the main reasons people have hearing loss is because they listen to music that is too loud and for too long on their headphones or ear buds.

Chris Martin of the band Coldplay, Will.I.Am of the Black Eyed Peas and The Who’s Pete Townshend are just some of the many musicians suffering from hearing damage after years of exposure to loud music.

But you don’t have to be a rock star to lose your hearing, as people of all ages are vulnerable and audiologists say it’s important to understand the causes.

“Hearing isn’t damaged just by high level sound, it’s damaged by high level sound over a period of time,” said Audiologist Brian Fligor.

Consumer Reports research found that just 15 minutes at a loud sporting event or a concert can cause hearing damage and just five minutes listening to a very loud TV or from music turned all the way up on your smartphone.

If you crank up music on your iPhone daily your risk for hearing loss increases and you may even get messages warning you on your phone that the volume should be turned down.

"We usually recommend that your wear your headphones at about 60 per cent of the volume for about 60 per cent of the time,” said Rex Banks, the Director of Audiology with Canadian Hearing Services.

One way to minimize the intensity of noises around you is to use noise canceling headphones that shut out background clamor so you can keep the volume at a low level.

“If you're wearing audio devices with headphones and in your ears and you have to shout to have someone hear you it's probably too loud and if the person sitting next to you can hear it - it's probably too loud,” said Banks.

If you operate a lawnmower or power tools regularly wear earmuffs or earplugs that reduce noise back down to a normal conversation level.

Many television sets now come with an automatic turn-down function during commercials and loud, action-packed scenes. It's usually found in the "assistive features" in your TV sound settings and may be called "auto volume" or "dynamic range protection.”

Also, if you think you may have hearing loss, consider getting your ears tested and the earlier you get hearing help, the better.

As we get older it's normal to have some hearing loss, but the affects of loud noises and music also accumulate over time.

The best advice is to protect your hearing no matter how old you are.

Amid discussions about the battle for the soul of the Conservative Party, former Prime Minister Kim Campbell says without leadership on policies such as climate change, the party's identity will remain in question.

Russian troops are withdrawing from Ukraine's second-largest city after weeks of heavy bombardment, the Ukrainian military said Saturday, as Kyiv and Moscow's forces engaged in a grinding battle for the country's eastern industrial heartland.

In the American West, the second-largest man-made reservoir has dropped to historic lows due to drought. Water flowing down the Colorado River fills Lake Mead, which is now drying up.

Many parts of Ontario are expected to see gas prices over $2 per litre for the first time ever this weekend as prices continue to surge across the country.

Indigenous leaders are offering mixed reactions to a planned visit this summer by Pope Francis, with some welcoming the pontiff's trip to Canada while others are disappointed he won't travel to certain parts of the country.

Mars Wrigley Canada has announced a voluntary recall of specific varieties of SKITTLES Gummies, STARBURST Gummies and LIFE SAVERS Gummies after customers reported finding very thin metal strands embedded in the candy or loose in the bag.

Canada's highest court has ruled that the law barring the use of automatism⁠, or a state of extreme intoxication, as a defence for some crimes is unconstitutional and called on Parliament to consider new legislation.

Students at an Ottawa high school are protesting after teachers and staff conducted a dress code 'blitz' that students said left them feeling degraded and humiliated.

A major infant formula recall by the U.S. manufacturer of Similac has exacerbated ongoing pandemic-related supply issues for some Canadian retailers, according to the Retail Council of Canada, while other stores have generally been able to keep shelves stocked, with any shortages mostly temporary.

Quebec was the first province in Canada to impose a mask mandate after the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and on Saturday, it became the last province to allow residents to go maskless in most indoor public places.

A three-year-old child is in hospital after being hit by a car in Montreal's Ahuntsic-Cartierville borough.

The only English-language debate planned for Quebec's fall election has been called off after two party leaders, including Premier François Legault, said they wouldn't take part.

Provincial police responded to multiple crashes involving motorcycles, as tens of thousands of people attended a Friday the 13th rally in Port Dover.

It’s an opportunity as big as the property itself. London’s newest neighbourhood — to be built on the site of the former London Psychiatric Hospital — will be a mix of housing types within the established part of the city.

Large crowds converged on Port Dover, Ont. Friday as motorcycle enthusiasts gathered for Friday the 13th.

Two people are dead and one has been seriously injured following a crash on a major road in Cambridge.

Large crowds converged on Port Dover, Ont. Friday as motorcycle enthusiasts gathered for Friday the 13th.

Provincial police responded to multiple crashes involving motorcycles, as tens of thousands of people attended a Friday the 13th rally in Port Dover.

One motorcyclist is dead after an accident in Port Dover on the same day as a massive bike rally celebrating Friday the 13th.

The private security firm tasked with patrolling Sault Ste. Marie’s downtown says its personnel are discovering a large number of discarded needles.

For the first time since May 2019, the Timmins Chamber of Commerce hosted its Nova Business Excellence Awards event on May 12.

Another record-breaking high temperature is in the forecast for Ottawa but cooler temperatures and rain are on the way.

Ottawa motorists driving around on this hot spring day will be paying a record amount to fill up the tank, after gas prices surpassed $2 a litre for the first time ever.

Students at an Ottawa high school are protesting after teachers and staff conducted a dress code 'blitz' that students said left them feeling degraded and humiliated.

The leader of the Ontario Liberals says he has no plans on removing one of its candidates from the party, following another round of calls from the NDP to do just that.

The Windsor Essex County Health Unit is continuing to recommend indoor mask after the province denied their request to make it mandatory again.

New Democrat Leader Andrea Horwath was in Chatham-Kent on Friday, touting her plan to help seniors live at home longer and get the healthcare they need.

Beach Drive in Wasaga Beach is under sand again this year and closed to traffic as plans to revitalize the strip inches one step closer.

Motorists feel the pain at the pumps with the price of regular gas nearly tripling since the start of the pandemic, with another jump expected this weekend.

Police pulled over a pickup truck with its truck bed loaded with items in Innisfil on Friday.

What to do about rising fuel prices in the Atlantic region sparked another fiery debate in the New Brunswick legislature Friday.

Questions about how a scallop dragger sank suddenly in 2020 are lingering for a crew member's mother, who this week installed a stone monument close to where the boat was lost.

Abby Tucker has been on a hunt for a new apartment for months but keeps coming up empty. Rents are higher than she’s ever seen and the demand is “crazy,” she says.

The Dallas Stars doubled the Calgary Flames 4-2 on Friday to even up their playoff series and force a Game 7.

Dr. Teresa Kieser, Alberta's sole female cardiovascular surgeon, has filed a human-rights complaint against Alberta Health Services, alleging years of gender-based inequities.

A cyclist had a run-in with a grizzly bear. Friday in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park.

The province is cracking down on people who use hotels and taxis for human trafficking.

A hike in gas prices is causing concern for Manitoba communities that rely on tourism.

Severe flooding that has displaced thousands of people in southern Manitoba has reached out of this world levels.

A driver is dead after his classic car collided with a van in Langley Friday afternoon.

A dispute in Richmond between a horse stable and its neighbour is getting ugly. The owner of Blue Meadow Farm claims his neighbour is breaking several bylaws, and in doing so, causing major issues for his horses and riders.

Police in Burnaby are asking the public for help identifying a man seen masturbating while driving in the city Thursday.

The provincial government announced that the company offering tours of the Columbia Icefield faces eight charges under the Occupational Health and Safety Act relating to the fatal July 2020 rollover.

A new party will be listed on the ballot when Albertans go to the polls in the next general provincial election.

For goalie Mike Smith, this is what the NHL playoffs are all about.

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