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Festival season is in full swing, and thousands of music lovers will soon be flocking to Glastonbury, ready to revel and soak up the sounds. But can all those loud songs and thumping sound effects be detrimental to our hearing? “Attending a concert may give you more than you bargained for,” says Dr Deborah Lee, from Dr Fox Online Pharmacy. “A recent 2022 BMJ study showed one billion people around the world aged 12-34 are at risk of noise-induced hearing loss. With 24% of young people found to have unsafe listening practices with personal music devices.” She adds that 48% were attending noisy venues, such as nightclubs and concerts, at least once a month without noise protection. Dr Adam Hill, associate professor of electroacoustics, University of Derby, says: “While festivals are, for many, one of the most enjoyable features of the summer, care must be taken to avoid over-exposing yourself to high sound levels, as this could result in long-term negative social and health impacts. You need to ‘enjoy responsibly’,” Hill adds. How does noise exposure damage hearing? Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is one of the most common causes of hearing loss. Our hearing depends on the function of tiny hairs inside the cochlea – a snail-shaped organ in your middle ear, explains Dr Lee: “Sound waves cause the fluid in the cochlea to reverberate, resulting in the movement of these very fine hairs. This generates electrical impulses, which lead to the perception of sound in the brain.” She says there are around 15,000 of these specialised hair cells in each cochlea. Once they have been damaged, they cannot regenerate. “We are all exposed to noise every day, but it’s loud noises above 85 dB that are likely to cause hearing loss,” notes Lee. “This could be a sudden explosion, or continuous exposure to loud noise, such as attending a concert, working in a noisy factory or listening to a personal music device at high volumes.” What are the signs you’ve been exposed to too much noise? There are a few tell-tale signs you’ve been exposed to too much noise at a festival. One of them is tinnitus. “If you have ringing in your ears after attending a festival. This could persist for one or two days after the event – and may become permanent after repeated exposures over many years,” says Dr Hill. Decreased sensitivity to sound is another thing you might notice. “Things sound quieter/muffled,” says Hill. “This usually takes one to two days to return to normal, but may become permanent after repeated exposure over many years.” He says you may also have difficulty understanding what someone is saying to you, especially in a noisy environment, and difficulty telling different sounds apart, like identifying multiple instruments when a band is playing. What can you do to protect your hearing at festivals? “Use earplugs. Ideally custom-made earplugs, which is what musicians use,” says Lee. “Cotton wool or foam rubber earplugs are ineffective. High-fidelity earplugs are a good option. These filter the sound without reducing the quality and provide ear protection.” This is especially important for babies and children at festivals – ear defenders are available to help protect their sensitive ears. Lee adds: “Take regular breaks away from the noise. For every 3 dB above 80 dB, the time you can spend exposed to the noise without it damaging your hearing is halved. “It’s safe to listen to noise at 80 dB for up to eight hours, so at 83 dB this time frame is reduced to four hours. If you do the maths, at the average concert, hearing damage could set in after just five minutes!” She suggests taking breaks such as going to the loo, getting a drink, or taking a walk away from the main body of the noise at regular intervals. And lastly: “Don’t stand within three metres of a loudspeaker.” What can you do if you’re already concerned? Regular festival goers may already have hearing concerns on their radar. “The best thing you can do is to go get your hearing tested,” advises Dr Hill. “This will give you an indication of whether you have any issues already.” If you enjoy going to festivals and other live music events on a regular basis, he says it would be wise to invest in some suitable reusable earplugs: “High quality earplugs will reduce the effect of the musical content equally, so it sounds the same but at a lower level.” If you are involved in the music industry in any way (even if you are a student), Hill suggests making use of the Musicians’ Hearing Health Scheme. He adds: “You can get a hearing test and high-quality bespoke earplugs for a significant discounted rate.”

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Ashley James says there’s “a total lack of understanding” about feeding babies – and that mothers who pump shouldn’t have to hide away. “With pumping, people should feel confident, just like with breastfeeding, to do that anywhere,” says the DJ and influencer. “If anyone were to have a problem with that, they need to address some deep-rooted issues of why feeding a child would be a problem.” James, who has a two-year-old son, Alfie, and a four-month-old daughter, Ada, with partner Tommy Andrews, argues there’s a huge lack of knowledge about how all-consuming feeding a child with breast milk is – from the hours spent feeding or pumping (an estimated eight to 12 times a day, up to 45 minutes each time for newborns) and “also the fact that you can’t just leave your child”. The 36-year-old says: “People don’t really know about engorgement, mastitis, blocked ducts, supply issues, and all the reasons that people choose to pump.” For example, going back to work. “[People think] ‘Oh just give them a bottle or pump in the morning, and then they’ll be fine’. There’s a total lack of awareness.” The former Made In Chelsea star, who hit the headlines after breastfeeding Alfie live on the Jeremy Vine Show in 2021, is currently using a pump alongside breastfeeding Ada for her to have the option of a bottle, too. “I ended up having to breastfeed [on TV] and there was this really weird backlash – people saying it was attention seeking. [Which is] funny to me. Let’s say that was my plan, I’m a total narcissist and I’d decided this was going to be my chance to get publicity… how would I have managed to convince my three-month-old baby to feed at that exact moment? “Who would I want attention from? Is it because our ‘boobs are for men’ and therefore I’m hoping that men might look at my boobs, because I’ve never wanted that, but I especially don’t want that when I’m feeding my child. I think we have this totally warped idea of what a mum should be. “We are always told, they’re the most important years of a children’s life, those early years, and it’s so formative, but yet I feel like we expect mums to almost keep their children hidden away, but then we expect them to thrive.” On Channel 4’s Steph’s Packed Lunch last month, James used an Elvie Stride breast pump live on air – unbeknownst to viewers and crew. The discreet hospital-grade, hands-free, electric device can be worn under clothing to pump milk without anyone noticing. “I was worried about having blocked ducts and didn’t want to go back to that horrible situation of having mastitis again,” she says. James had the condition when breastfeeding her son two years earlier. “I just wanted to get on with my job, but I needed to deal with the engorgement issue. “It was almost behind the scenes. I was having this huge [issue] with my health – but us mums tend to just get on with the job. “In terms of pumping, I don’t know why we feel like as a society that any form of feeding should be done in private, especially if it’s not bottle feeding. Hats off to all the people who exclusively pump because it’s so constant. She believes it should be celebrated as much as breastfeeding because “it’s really hard to manage, people don’t know the logistical nightmare of it all. “You just don’t see anyone pumping, but you know that people are doing it. So why is it that people are stuck at home? “Obviously lots of people who are trying to feed have to go back to work, for various reasons – maternity pay or maternity leave not being long enough,” she adds. In fact, James started working again, on photoshoots and TV, just five days after the birth of Ada. “I’m self-employed, I don’t get maternity leave – you do what you have to do,” she says. These days she shrugs off negative comments online, but James has experienced real-world shaming for public feeding too. “I was in a children’s attraction in London, breastfeeding Alf, and a member of staff came up to me and asked me to move into the loos. I was like, this is a child-friendly attraction space! “[I said] ‘No, would you eat in a public loo?’. I don’t even want to go to the loo in a public loo, never mind feed my child there!” Ashley James is an ambassador for Elvie. Find out more information about the Elvie Stride at elvie.com. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Host Maya Jama’s glamorous Love Island outfits cost over £10,000 Do you need to watch what you eat when you’re breastfeeding? Sten dos: What you need to know about the quirky wedding trend

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Smelling good is often deemed to be the achievement of the century — whether it's our bodies, our clothes, or in this case, our homes. Most likely because it's quite the arduous task. You want to strike that delicate balance where the scent intrigues but doesn't overwhelm visitors. Snif co-founder Bryan Edward recommends first finding a signature scent. "Filling your space with a scent you love brings a new dimension of personalization to your space," he tells Refinery29. He also mentions that "high-quality oils, wicks made from 100% cotton, and vegetable/soy wax blends all play a part in creating a superior throw for a candle."