KT Tunstall urges people to protect their hearing after suffering from hearing loss

KT said: “I’d never been particularly careful about my hearing over the years, especially as a clubber through my 20s and cranking the volume up on bad monitors at my early gigs.

“But about 10 years ago, I suffered very sudden high-frequency, or top-end, hearing loss and developed constant tinnitus in my left ear.

"I remember the tinnitus being especially hard to deal with at first and it was causing me some depression – it’s difficult to deal with when you can’t ever escape this sound.”

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However, without adequate hearing protection, KT’s hearing loss worsened.

“Two years ago, I had another event, which led to me losing my hearing entirely on that side – a condition called sudden sensory hearing loss (SSHL).

“I still have the tinnitus, even in a deaf ear. I’ve adapted really well and can still perform and record, but if I could do it all again, I would definitely make sure I was going for regular hearing checks from a young age.”

Bryan Connor, audiologist at Specsavers, said: “The importance of looking after your hearing can so often be overlooked, but there are steps everyone can take to help prevent hearing loss in the future, especially being mindful of loud noises.

“If you notice any changes in your hearing, make sure to get it checked by your audiologist. In the past year, we have helped more than 1000 people in Fife who have come to us with problems with their hearing.”

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