Zoe Ball and Fatboy Slim's son DJ Woody Cook reveals impact of tinnitus from age 12

DJ Woody Cook, 23, has opened up about his experience of tinnitus from a young age.

The son of Zoe Ball and Fatboy Slim has warned of the dangers of loud music this festival season and beyond, teaming up with the Night Time Industries Association and Specsavers to help prevent others from damaging their ears.

A new study shows 42% of festival and gig attendees have noticed a negative impact on their hearing immediately after the event, with 58% experiencing ringing in their ears, 45% buzzing and 35% a muffled sensation, according to research by Specsavers.

Despite nearly a quarter (23%) suffering temporary hearing loss and one in five (22%) having pain in their ears, nearly half (46%) are unlikely to wear hearing protection.

Cook – whose ringing in his ears kicked in during our conversation – shared with us the changes he believes should be made to raise awareness, his tips to help prevent hearing loss, as well as the "running joke" DJ dad (Norman Cook) has that he struggles to hear his son.

'My tinnitus sounds like electricity coursing'

"It might be a random ringing in the ears, or after a rave, it's like this ambient loud electronic device, like the sound of electricity coursing," explains Cook, who recently played various sets at Glastonbury, including on the 'Arcadia Bug'.

"I've got friends who hear it every night and have to put on podcasts because they can't sleep."

So when did he first experience tinnitus? "When I was 12 years old, I remember sitting in my bedroom and thinking, 'Wow, the lights are really loud, that humming, buzzing sound.'"

But then at 17 when explaining that to someone, he realised it wasn't normal. "I just assumed it was part of the human experience... but everyone said they hadn't heard of it. I realised I had tinnitus and someone explained it to me."

While he doesn't know what exact moment tipped it over the edge, Cook explains, "I grew up around music [in Brighton in a very creative household], listened to earphones cranked up very loud all the time and used to fall asleep to it. There's also a baseline going from my DJ flatmate right now [he now lives in Bristol]."

"Lots of people have gone to a rave and come home with ringing in their ear," he adds. "But I think the awareness over how serious and long-term the damage from music can be is just not enough."

While Cook is young to experience tinnitus, he has realised the importance of preventing it from getting any worse, having seen his own parents' both suffer with it too.

Preventing long-term damage

"Every time I ask my dad something, he's like, 'Pardon?' He's got a running joke that he doesn't hear what I'm saying. But sometimes it's a joke, and sometimes it's very much not a joke. A lot of times I am going 'Dad, Dad, Dad, Dad.' And for me, that is a classic example of what 40 years in the music industry does to your hearing."

Cook says his radio presenter mum has also experienced tinnitus. "I'm very lucky that both my parents have experienced it and have knowledge of it. The tinnitus is just like an early warning sign, but is a harbinger of potentially more problems down the line. You can have a ringing noise now, but you might not be able to hear your grandkids," Cook warns.

"We might all have a family member who's had some sort of hearing loss, but a lot of us don't have that active link where we realise we're doing the damage here and now, and there are things to prevent it."

Cook talks fondly of the UK's booming music industry, but says we don't have the same cultural awareness over the risks to our hearing as we do with wearing suncream in the sun, brushing our teeth everyday, or the effect of screens on our eyes.

And it's not just those in, or around, the music industry who need to pay attention. "Whether you work in a bar or on a construction site, all of us are constantly pumping noise into our ears and have the responsibility to look after them."

As well as needing to learn about the risks from a young age through education, Cook says the Night Time Industries Association is visiting clubs like Fabric and providing hearing protection. "I think it's about being across the board. We only get a cultural change when it's institutionalised."

'Wear earplugs and don't stand right next the speaker'

As we assume Cook isn't wanting to call quits on his DJ career just yet, what steps is he taking to manage his tinnitus and help prevent further damage? "I was speaking to two DJs and good friends of mine Badger and Goddard, and they had custom-moulded hearing protection. It reduces the sound without getting rid of it.

"That was a game-changer for me, because if I'm paying to see music, I want to hear it, or if I'm DJing, I need to hear what's going on and my friends in the crowd. For a long time, I avoided ear protection because I wanted to hear what people were saying and the music. But having custom-ordered hearing protection, I still make out the fidelity, but I'm protecting my ears."

For anyone attending gigs or listening to music, Cook says his best advice is, "Don't stand right next to the base when you're in the rave. And if you've got headphones in at home – I know Apple can give a warning after a certain amount of usage that you have it too loud – listen at 80% or 70% volume instead of 100%. It really doesn't make that much difference."

If you can't get custom-made earplugs, any standard ER20 ear plugs will also help.

Cook will soon be DJing at his first ever festival stage he's built himself at Secret Garden Party, there with his company Truth Tribe, which is all about music and education. "The Oasis will be a 70s dive bar with a ball pit, palm trees and beautiful lights," he says excitedly.

"If anyone wants to have some fun, come down and jump in the ball pit and get balls deep in The Oasis. Ear protection will be for sale on site. Come down and protect your ears."

Watch: Woody Cook crowd surfs on an inflatable bed at dad Fatboy Slim's Glastonbury set

• Read more: How tinnitus can affect your mental health and wellbeing (Yahoo Life UK, 6-min read)

• Read more: Zoe Ball's son Woody Cook reveals why he wasn't sure he should come out as bisexual (Yahoo Life UK, 6-min read)