JOHN Steventon was one of the first DJs in the country to recognise that playing loud music could cause tinnitus.

Mr Steventon, 36, of Kirkintilloch, Glasgow, had developed tinnitus by the time he was 20.

He said: "If I could go back in time, I would have turned the volume down a bit and thought more seriously about protecting my hearing.

"But when you're younger, you think you're indestructible and you don't consider what might happen.

"Work is fine now but it's a job where I have to hear everything, so I do worry about it getting worse and I'm not looking forward to dealing with that if it happens.

"I really don't know if things will deteriorate or what my hearing will be like in 10 or 20 years' time.

"I still DJ, go to concerts and listen to my iPod and sometimes think I should give it up, but I take much more care now and will keep doing what I can to warn other people about the risks."

Mr Steventon also teaches DJing and has written a book, DJing for Dummies.

Famous people who have talked publicly about suffering from tinnitus include:

Singer-songwriter Neil Young, who attributed his condition to his gigs in the 1990s.

Singer and actress Barbara Streisand, who has suffered with the condition for many years.

The Who guitarist Pete Townshend, who also claims to be deaf in one ear after a drum set was blown up onstage in the 1960s.

Star Trek actor William Shatner, who is a supporter of the American Tinnitus Association.