Hearing Health
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Hearing Loss in Musicians
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Call Number: Online ResourceISBN: 9781597561815Publication Date: 2009-01-01The editor and contributors are all experts in their relative fields and work daily with professionals in the performing arts who are endangered by exposure to high-volume sound. Here they clearly present some of the anatomy and physiology of the hearing mechanism; medical problems associated with exposure to long-term, high volume sounds in the musical environment; and, in the bulk of the book, hearing protection and practical advice on preventive measures. -
Advances in Audiology and Hearing Science
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Call Number: Online ResourceISBN: 9781771888288Publication Date: 2020-06-10With chapters from audiology professionals from around the world, Advances in Audiology and Hearing Science presented in two volumes--provides an abundance of information on the latest technological and procedural advances in this ever-improving field. Volume 1 primarily focuses on revised clinical protocols and provides information on new research to help guide decisions and criteria regarding diagnosis, management, and treatment of hearing-related issues. Topics include new clinical applications such as auditory steady-state response, wideband acoustic immittance, otoacoustic emissions, frequency following response, noise exposure, genomics and hearing loss, and more. The volume also includes a section on canine audiology, allowing students and professionals a broader exposure to hearing science. -
Neurolaryngology Ch. 32 Hearing Loss in Singers and Other Musicians
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Call Number: Online ResourceISBN: 9781944883843Publication Date: 2018-01-10Neurolaryngology brings together in one volume the latest concepts in this important and developing field. In order to make this text as useful as possible for clinicians, selected chapters on general concepts important to clinical care have been included, including chapters on history, physical examination, clinical voice laboratory assessment, common diagnoses and treatments, and other topics important to all voice patients, including those with neurolaryngological complaints. Starting with a perspective on modern voice medicine, including neurolaryngology and a brief historical overview of the development of laryngology, the text goes on to describe neuroanatomy and physiology, laryngeal function, and the role of chaos in voice disorders. It contains fascinating new ideas on applications of nonlinear dynamics to voice care and research, a topic of great relevance in neurolaryngology. Beginning the section on clinical assessment of voice disorders is a description of the current approach to history and physical examination recommended for patients with neurolaryngological voice disorders. The text contains the most current research and references throughout, presenting the latest information about many conditions, including some rarely covered in the laryngologic literature; it highlights diagnosis and treatment of a wide array of motor and sensory disorders that may impair voice. The interdisciplinary expertise of numerous authors has been invaluable in the preparation of this text; however, every effort has been made to maintain style and continuity throughout. Clinically relevant and thought provoking, Neurolaryngology is the definitive encyclopedic reference in this new subspecialty of laryngology. -
Vocal Health and Pedagogy, Chapter 25: Hearing Loss in Singers and Other Musicians
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Call Number: Online ResourceISBN: 9781597568609Publication Date: 2017-11-15 -
Teaching the Whole Musician, Chapter 3: "Is It Tendinitis?": Common Physical Injuries
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Call Number: Online ResourceISBN: 9780190868796Publication Date: 2021-04-02This chapter presents the causes, strategies for prevention, and the process of rehabilitation for the most common injuries suffered by musicians. Basic anatomical structures such as joints, muscles, and the nervous system, are introduced as the foundation of healthy technique and the prevention of injury. The three categories of injuries discussed are musculoskeletal, vocal, and hearing. Causes, types, treatment, and warning signs for each category that might be observed by the instructor are discussed. Guidelines for how to support the student, depending on the severity of the concern, are offered with an emphasis on seeking professional help as early as is possible.
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Effectiveness of Earplugs in Preventing Recreational Noise–Induced Hearing Loss: A Randomized Clinical Trial IMPORTANCE: The incidence of hearing loss has risen in past years. Attendance at music festivals and concerts may contribute to this increasing problem. OBJECTIVE: To assess the effectiveness of earplugs in preventing temporary hearing loss immediately following music exposure. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: A randomized, single-blind clinical trial was conducted on September 5, 2015, at an outdoor music festival in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Normal-hearing adult volunteers were recruited via social media. An exclusion criterion was the participants’ intention to wear earplugs. Of the 86 volunteers assessed, 51 were included in the study. All analyses were performed on an intention-to-treat basis. INTERVENTIONS: Participants were randomly assigned to a group using earplugs or an unprotected group during a 4½-hour festival visit. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: The primary study outcome was a temporary threshold shift (TTS) on the audiogram, primarily for frequencies at 3 and 4 kHz. Secondary study outcomes included distortion product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE) measurements and claims of tinnitus using a questionnaire and tinnitus matching experiments. RESULTS: Of 51 participants included, 25 were randomized to the earplug group and 26 to the unprotected group. Nine in each group (36% and 35%, respectively) were men, and the mean (SD) ages were 27.3 (5.6) years in the earplug group and 27.0 (6.2) years in the unprotected group. Baseline demographics were similar in both groups. The time-averaged, equivalent A-weighted sound pressure level experienced was 100 dBA during the festival. A TTS over frequencies at 3 and 4 kHz after exposure was seen in 4 of 50 ears (8%) in the earplug group compared with 22 of 52 ears (42%) in the unprotected group (P
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Noise-Induced hearing loss among professional musicians [Abstract] : [Objectives] : After presbycusis, noise exposure is considered the second cause of sensorineural hearing loss. Due to exposure to high-intensity sounds, musicians may be at risk of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). Given the importance of good hearing in music career, this study aimed to investigate the frequency of hearing loss and use of protective measures among Iranian musicians. [Methods] : In this cross-sectional study, 125 musicians, including 21 women (16.8%) and 104 men (83.2%), with at least five years of work experience were recruited. All participants underwent clinical and audiometric examinations. Demographic data, complaints about hearing loss, and information about the use of protective devices were collected through interviews. [Results] : Audiometric notch in either one or both ears and bilateral hearing loss were present in respectively 42.4% and 19.2% of the participants. The history of tinnitus after performance and ear pain during performance was reported by 64 (51%) and 35 (28%) individuals, respectively. Less than 2% of the participants used hearing protection devices. [Conclusions] : Long-term exposure to loud sounds puts musicians at risk of hearing loss. However, due to their inadequate knowledge, most musicians never use protective devices to prevent damage to their auditory system.
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Noise induced hearing loss and other hearing complaints among musicians of symphony orchestras Objectives An investigation of the hearing status of musicians of professional symphony orchestras. Main questions are: (1) Should musicians be treated as a special group with regard to hearing, noise, and noise related hearing problems (2) Do patterns of hearing damage differ for different instrument types (3) Do OAE have an added value in the diagnosis of noise induced hearing loss (NIHL) in musicians. Methods 241 professional musicians, aged between 23–64 participated. A brief medical history and the subjective judgment of their hearing and hearing problems were assessed. Musicians were subjected to an extensive audiological test battery, which contained testing of audiometric thresholds, loudness perception, diplacusis, tinnitus, speech perception in noise, and otoacoustic emissions. Results Most musicians could be categorized as normal hearing, but their audiograms show notches at 6 kHz, a frequency that is associated with NIHL. Musicians often complained about tinnitus and hyperacusis, while diplacusis was generally not reported as a problem. Tinnitus was most often localized utmost left and this could not be related to the instrument. It was usually perceived in high frequency areas, associated with NIHL. In general, musicians scored very well on the speech-in-noise test. The results of the loudness perception test were within normal limits. Otoacoustic emissions were more intense with better pure-tone thresholds, but due to large individual differences it can still not be used as an objective test for early detection of NIHL. Conclusions Musicians show more noise induced hearing loss than could be expected on the basis of age and gender. Other indicators, such as complaints and prevalence of tinnitus, complaints about hyperacusis and prevalence of diplacusis suggest that musicians’ ears are at risk. Continuing education about the risks of intensive sound exposure to musicians, with the emphasis on the possible development of tinnitus and hyperacusis and the need for good hearing protection is warranted.
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Hearing Loss, Tinnitus, Hyperacusis, and Diplacusis in Professional Musicians: A Systematic Review Professional musicians (PMs) are at high risk of developing hearing loss (HL) and other audiological symptoms such as tinnitus, hyperacusis, and diplacusis. The aim of this systematic review is to (A) assess the risk of developing HL and audiological symptoms in PMs and (B) evaluate if different music genres (Pop/Rock Music-PR; Classical Music-CL) expose PMs to different levels of risk of developing such conditions. Forty-one articles including 4618 PMs were included in the study. HL was found in 38.6% PMs; prevalence was significantly higher among PR (63.5%) than CL (32.8%) PMs; HL mainly affected the high frequencies in the 3000-6000 Hz range and was symmetric in 68% PR PMs and in 44.5% CL PMs. Tinnitus was the most common audiological symptom, followed by hyperacusis and diplacusis. Tinnitus was almost equally distributed between PR and CL PMs; diplacusis was more common in CL than in PR PMs, while prevalence of hyperacusis was higher among PR PMs. Our review showed that PR musicians have a higher risk of developing HL compared to CL PMs; exposure to sounds of high frequency and intensity and absence of ear protection may justify these results. Difference in HL symmetry could be explained by the type of instruments used and consequent single-sided exposure.
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Incidence and relative risk of hearing disorders in professional musicians Background Hearing disorders have been associated with occupational exposure to music. Musicians may benefit from non-amplified and low-intensity music, but may also have high risks of music-induced hearing loss. Aims To compare the incidence of hearing loss (HL) and its subentities in professional musicians with that in the general population. Methods We performed a historical cohort study among insurants between 19 and 66 years who were employed subject to social insurance contributions. The study was conducted with data from three German statutory health insurance providers covering the years 2004–2008 with about 7 million insurants. Incidence rates with 95% CIs of HL and the subentities noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL), conductive HL, sensorineural HL, conductive and sensorineural HL, as well as tinnitus were estimated stratified by age, sex and federal state. A Cox regression analysis was conducted to estimate adjusted HRs and two-sided 95% CIs for HL and its subentities. Results More than 3 million insurants were eligible, of whom 2227 were identified as professional musicians (0.07%). During the 4-year observation period, 283 697cases of HL were seen, 238 of them among professional musicians (0.08%), leading to an unadjusted incidence rate ratio of 1.27. The adjusted hazard ratio of musicians was 1.45 (95% CI 1.28 to 1.65) for HL and 3.61 (95% CI 1.81 to 7.20) for NIHL. Conclusions Professional musicians have a high risk of contracting hearing disorders. Use of already available prevention measures should reduce the incidence of HL in professional musicians.
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To Your Health: Hear the Music - A Guide to Hearing Loss Prevention Excerpts from Dr. Marshall Chasin's book "Hear the Music: Hearing Loss Prevention for Musicians," are presented. Chasin, who is an audiologist and director of auditory research at the Musicians' Clinics of Canada, provides tips to a variety of musicians on how to prevent hearing loss and damage caused by aging or frequent exposure to music.
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Hearing HealthHearing Health Foundation (HHF) is the largest nonprofit funder of hearing and balance research based in the United States. For 65 years and counting, HHF has awarded scientific research grants to foster the development of cochlear implant technology, more effective hearing aids and successful ear surgeries, and ultimately a cure for hearing loss which affects nearly 50 million Americans.
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Noise & HealthNoise & Health is a bimonthly peer-reviewed open access medical journal published by Medknow Publications on behalf of the Noise Research Network. It publishes articles on the subject of auditory and non-auditory effects of occupational, environmental, and leisure noise.
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Journal of Speech, Language & Hearing ResearchIncludes articles pertaining to the processes & disorders of hearing, language, & speech, & to the diagnosis & treatment of those disorders.
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American Journal of Speech-Language PathologyAddresses all aspects of clinical practice in speech-language pathology, including screening, assessment and treatment techniques; prevention, professional issues, supervision and administration.
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Language, speech & hearing services in schoolsLSHSS publishes peer-reviewed research and other scholarly articles pertaining to the practice of audiology and speech-language pathology in the schools, focusing on children and adolescents. The journal is an international outlet for clinical research and is designed to promote development and analysis of approaches concerning the delivery of services to the school-aged population. LSHSS seeks to advance evidence-based practice by disseminating the results of new studies as well as providing a forum for critical reviews and meta-analyses of previously published work.
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NIOSH Sound Level Meter (Ios)This award-winning app combines the best features of professional sound level meters and noise dosimeters into a simple, easy-to-use package.
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Sound Meter (Android)Professional sound level meter that measures loudness or sound pressure level (SPL) in decibels.
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Hearing Health FoundationHHF is the largest nonprofit funder of hearing and balance research in the U.S. and a leader in driving new innovations and treatments for people with hearing loss, tinnitus, and other hearing and balance disorders.
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Let's Listen ResponsiblyTo protect our ears, let’s follow “a sound diet”: turning it down when we can, being aware of our daily sound dose, taking quiet breaks to rest our ears, and carrying and using earplugs when we need to.
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Listen Up! Protect Your Hearing (infographic)To protect your hearing, use earplugs — and try to avoid loud noises.
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Hearing ProtectorsThe best ways to protect your hearing are to avoid exposure to loud sounds, move away from the noise, or turn down the volume. When these options aren’t possible, hearing protectors—earplugs or protective earmuffs—can help. Hearing protectors are wearable devices that can lower the intensity of sound that enters your ears.
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Eight Pairs of Earplugs in Four Noisy Settings: My Hearing Protection ExperimentA personal exploration of different types of ear plugs
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Measuring How Well Earplugs WorkEach year an estimated 22 million workers are exposed to noise loud enough to harm their hearing.
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WHO releases new standard to tackle rising threat of hearing lossWHO has issued a new international standard for safe listening at venues and events. T
A Simple Hearing Protection Toolkit
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Carry earplugs: Think of earplugs like sunscreen for our ears—let’s keep them on hand wherever we go.
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Turn it down: Reducing the volume by just 3 decibels cuts the risk of hearing damage in half.
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Take quiet breaks: Let’s rest our ears in quiet after excess noise.
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Know the signs: Tinnitus or muffled hearing are early signs of damage. Earplugs at concerts protect our ears. (
