One Direction's Louis Tomlinson: "I'm Going Slightly Deaf"

1 August 2012, 10:50 | Updated: 1 August 2012, 11:05

The 'One Thing' singer reveals that he has begun suffering from hearing problems after the band's live shows.

One Direction's Louis Tomlinson has revealed that he is losing his hearing in his right ear.

The 'Gotta Be You' star said he had developed tinnitus in the ear and recently suffered headaches for three days after a performance in Liverpool.

"I am going slightly deaf in my right ear. It's tinnitus... something like that," he told the Daily Mirror.

"All our fans are always very loud, especially Scousers."

While Louis has not officially been diagnosed with tinnitus – a disease that can lead to deafness if not treated properly – the newspaper said the band's management team had taken measures to protect him and his bandmates.

"Screams during gigs have started affecting the boys on stage," a source said.

"They are only young and still developing, so management insist they wear hi-tech earpieces and filters to reduce the volume of the screaming and the music.

The source added: "When Louis made his comments he had really bad earache. Thankfully, this has now cleared up but he knows to be careful in future. When watching them, even the band's security team and family have to wear earplugs, too."

One Direction returned to the UK this month following their hugely successful US headline tour, which saw them supported by Olly Murs.

The group are currently preparing for the release of their second album, which is expected to arrive before the end of the year