Musicians and Hearing Protection: Balancing Passion with Safety

Musicians are passionate about music and make music a large part of their lives, whether they’re listening or playing. It could be in an arena with thousands of people watching or a tiny garage alone. Either way, the long-term exposure to loud noise is a risk for hearing health. The more intensely a musician listens to or plays loud music, the higher the probability of developing hearing loss. Read on to learn more about hearing loss in musicians and how to prevent it.

Types of Hearing Loss

A musician may develop hearing loss in many different forms. For example, one of the most common types of hearing loss among musicians is noise-induced hearing loss. Fortunately, this is 100% preventable when hearing protection is used.

Other types of hearing loss include sensorineural, conductive and mixed. There are also related symptoms of hearing loss which can include ringing, hissing or other sounds that can be persistent or come and go which is tinnitus. Hyperacusis is when a person becomes highly sensitive to noise and finds it uncomfortable.

What Kind of Music Does the Most Damage?

Many people make the mistake of thinking that only certain types of music will cause hearing loss. For example, rock and roll or heavy metal music are often perceived as the worst culprits when it comes to noise level. This simply isn’t true. Any type of music that is played loud enough can cause damage to your hearing. As a musician, exposing yourself to high levels of noise over a long period will inevitably speed up the aging process of your ears and put your hearing in a declining state. This is where ear protection comes in.

When to Wear Protection

Musicians should be wearing some form of ear protection whenever they play. If the music you play or listen to is louder than a leaf blower, you need to wear protection. For most musicians this means they need to be wearing protection during practice sessions as well as live performances.

It’s not just about the level of noise; it’s about the duration of the exposure. Most musicians are musicians for life, whether they play professionally or not. The sooner musicians start wearing ear protection, the less likely they are to develop noise induced hearing problems.

The Right Kind of Ear Protection

There are several options for ear protection for musicians so the best thing you can do is discuss it with your audiologist. Musician earplugs are ideal for live performances because they can filter the noise while still delivering the same quality of sound to your ears, allowing you to perform at your best. If you’re at a rehearsal and you don’t need to play, earmuffs can eliminate the noise completely and give your ears a well-deserved rest while you concentrate on other tasks.

As a musician, it’s vital that you schedule regular checkups with an audiologist so any problems can be spotted quickly. If you do develop hearing loss, there are many treatments that will allow you to maintain your lifestyle.