EXPERTS are worried that a whole generation of hearing-impaired people could soon emerge as years of pop concerts and personal stereos take their toll. Gayle Evans looks at the problem and went 'deaf' for the day to find out the difficulties these people could face in everyday life.

IT'S a hot summer's day. The windows in the car are down and, if you're lucky enough to have a convertible, the roof's off -- and the car stereo is blasting.

You've not got a care in the world. Life is good.

But imagine 10 years down the road. The stereo is louder, because to your damaged ears the DJ sounds like he is mumbling and you didn't quite understand that last joke. You've got a headache because of a buzzing noise in your ears.

The sunshine doesn't quite feel as warm and inviting.

And you won't admit that you might be going deaf...

Hundreds of Bolton people are risking their hearing every day because of the modern noise phenomena, according to registered hearing aid audiologist Simon Taylor.

And the bad news? Hundreds of young people in Bolton may go deaf earlier -- some in their 40s -- because they are exposed to loud sounds in their youth.

The rock concerts which exceed 120 decibels are one of the biggest threats to your hearing.

And nightclubs, roughly 110 decibels, are another major risk factor. Even a soccer match exceeds the safety levels.

Mr Taylor, based in the Newport Street branch of Dollond and Aitchison, said: "An ordinary conversation is 60 decibels. Any noise over 85 decibels puts your hearing at risk -- motorbikes average 100 decibels.

"There is still a stigma attached to being hard of hearing and people delay getting their ears checked. Deafness leaves people feeling isolated and they withdraw from society.

"Symptoms include putting the television louder because everyone appears to be mumbling."

One of the greatest concerns for experts in the field is that people are damaging their ears by the loud noise culture of concerts, nightclubs and personal stereos -- and neglecting a vital human sense.

Many young people are suffering "temporary threshold shift", or hearing loss, following a rock gig or listening to loud music on personal stereos. "There are no safety regulations on personal stereos," Mr Taylor adds.

Although official figures have not been compiled, the worry is that a whole generation of hearing-impaired people will emerge in the next decade.

I volunteered as a willing guinea pig to have my hearing checked by Scrivens, the national hearing specialists who have a centre at Dollond and Aitchison.

And it looks like rock concerts and nightclubs may have taken their toll. My score on the hearing check wasn't too impressive.

After a quick look into my ear with a camera, the image was immediately visible on the computer laptop. A sophisticated computer program also put my results on a graph -- a far cry from the tuning fork hearing tests of yesteryear.

I then begrudgingly volunteered to be rendered temporarily deaf, thanks to the less modern material, putty crammed into my ears!

It was a weird sensation trying to walk through Bolton town centre, hearing only my own heartbeat and the sound of my own breathing.

I remember watching people's faces to see their expressions and watch their lips move. It looked as though I was staring at them and I felt more than a little uncomfortable.

Crossing the road was another problem. I could hardly hear the pedestrian crossing and had to use all my other senses to stop myself from walking in front of a double decker bus.

I was amazed at how much I relied on my hearing as a sense.

Mr Taylor says: "Most people have some level of hearing loss before they seek help.

"They don't think about having their ears regularly checked, although it is automatic to see a dentist and an optician."

DIY enthusiasts could also be risking their hearing and they are advised to wear protective ear guards when using power tools.

Other advice is to avoid long exposure to loud noises and to turn the stereo down.

High pitched noise from a car, whilst driving with the windows down, is just a great a risk as a rock concert. On a motorway, the radio has to be at least a damaging 85 decibels to be heard -- and that's with the windows shut.

TOP DECIBEL READINGS

Fireworks (150db), rock gig (120db), airplane take off (120db), personal stereo (115db), nightclub (110db or more), health clubs and spas (110db), arcade (110db), motorbike (100db), restaurant (90db or more), shouting (80 db), speaking (60 db).