Hearing problems: Music fans are being advised to pack a pair of re-usable earplugs before heading off to festivals across the country this summer.
Dr Jesudas Dayalan, audiological scientist in Waterford Regional Hospital, said prevention was better than cure when dealing with hearing loss.
"Damage is a gradual process. People don't realise until it's too late. We can't tell people not to go to concerts, but they can be more careful," he said.
Dr Dayalan recommended using ear protectors and moving away from loudspeakers at occasional intervals.
In Britain, the Royal National Institute for the Deaf (RNID) has launched a campaign to alert people of the potential dangers of hearing damage caused by music festivals.
Its Don't Lose the Music campaign aims to increase awareness of the potential perils of loud shows.
With Dublin's Bud Rising festival and Belfast's Vital 2005 concerts approaching in August, Irish revellers are being urged to invest in earplugs, stay away from loud speakers and take regular breaks to "give ears a rest".
The volume of music around sound stages can reach over 110 decibels, equivalent to the noise made by an aircraft taking off. Experts have warned that regular exposure to such loud noise can cause permanent hearing damage and even tinnitus.
Andy Watson, an employee of Perfect Pitch music shop in Dublin, now wears foam ear plugs when attending gigs and festivals. "A lot of musicians I know already have permanent hearing damage," he said. "It's not worth the risk."
Mr Watson said he had noticed a marked difference in his hearing immediately after concerts and no longer felt any discomfort or ringing.
RNID campaigns officer Lisa McDonald said earplugs would not spoil people's enjoyment of music. In fact, they can allow fans to hear bands more clearly, as they "filter out a lot of the distortion caused by big speaker systems".
Re-usable ear plugs are available from specialist music shops and can also be purchased online for €15-€20.