Photo credit: Brett Sayles
by Daniel Fink, MD, Chair, The Quiet Coalition
Noise-induced auditory damage, i.e., hearing loss, tinnitus, and hyperacusis, is an occupational hazard for musicians of all sort, from rock musicians to classical musicians and whatever music occupies the space between those genres. In an important paper from the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, music students were used as the noise exposure group, while students in other disciplines were the control population.
In the UK, the Musicians’ Union is trying to deal with this problem, writes Nick Crossley, with an emphasis on prevention of auditory damage. Along with the charity Help Musicians and the Musicians Hearing Health Scheme, musicians there are provided with access to specialist hearing assessments and hearing health protection.
I found Crossley’s article fascinating because I wasn’t aware of this program in the UK. It appears to be an excellent model for duplication in other countries, and it stresses prevention of auditory damage.
Prevention of disease is almost always better and less expensive, for both individuals and societies, than treatment of disease after it occurs. This wisdom is embodied in the old proverb, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” which is actually the title of an article published recently by CDC staff. For hearing loss, the only treatments are amplification, i.e., hearing aids, and for those with profound hearing loss, cochlear implants. Neither treatment restores normal hearing. There are no FDA-approved treatments for tinnitus (ringing in the ears) or hyperacusis (a sensitivity to loud noise that doesn’t bother others), although there are treatments available. FDA approval means that a drug or device has been found to be safe and effective, and none of the tinnitus or hyperacusis treatments meet this high standard.
Preventing noise-induced auditory damage is easy and inexpensive. Avoid exposure to loud noise, turn down the volume, leave the noisy environment, or use hearing protection. Obviously, for professional musicians, the only option is using hearing protection. This includes in-ear monitors, which you may see if you watch rock concerts on television, but these are not practical for everyday wear.
For the rest of us, preventing noise-induced auditory damage is much easier: Avoid loud noise.
Because if it sounds loud, it’s too loud, and your auditory health is at risk.
