DR. WALLACE: I am the drummer in a start-up heavy-metal band. We practice in my uncle's empty warehouse. At times we can be pretty loud, but fortunately, we're in an area with many empty factories and no people.

My parents want me to wear earplugs when we practice and I tried them but they threw me off my beat so I abandoned them. I'm 17 and can hear perfectly. I know some people say that loud music can cause hearing problems, but I've never known anyone who suffers from listening to loud music. There are hundreds of rock and metal bands and I have yet to hear of any band member suffering from hearing difficulties. Have you? If you have, I promise I'll use my plugs when I play. — Rocky, Denver, Colo.

ROCKY: I have received several letters from readers who blame loud music for hearing problems. The following letter from a former member of a rock band should enlighten you on the dangers of loud music. Be ready to plug your ears!

DR. WALLACE: I'm a 24-year-old musician who has just completed a degree in jazz arranging and would like to address a modern problem — loud music and hearing damage.

When I first began playing with rock bands in high school, we all played at extreme volume without any type of hearing protection. Earplugs were uncool. No musician would be caught dead wearing them. I also listened to loud music through earphones and car stereos, at rehearsals, in clubs and at rock concerts. For eight years I was immersed in loud music — and now I'm paying the price.

I now suffer from severe hearing difficulties (tinnitus and hyperacusis). I carry a pair of custom-fitted earplugs with me at all times because I never know when I'll need them. Any loud noise, whether I'm at a rock concert or testing a CED in a record shop, can cause me pain and do possible further damage. Even the sound of two dishes clinking together in the sink hurts my ears. One symptom — a ringing in both ears at night — sometimes keeps me awake for hours. I'm told this symptom has driven people to suicide.

I'm writing in the hope of educating your readers about a danger that is far too often overlooked. I cringe every time I see a carload of teenagers with the radio blasting out the beat. I wish I could tell them they're ruining their hearing. Perhaps my letter can do that.

I'm not an old man or a middle-aged teacher. I'm only 24, a former rock bass player who stands to lose one of my precious senses. I appeal to all teenagers, especially the budding musicians, to take great care in protecting your hearing. I only wish I had. — Butch, Oakland, Calif.

BUTCH: Thanks for your comments. It's important for teens to learn from those who have "been there and done that." Experience is a wonderful and effective teacher!

Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. E-mail him at [email protected]. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.