Hearing Loss: The Importance of Hearing Protection
How Protecting Your Hearing Now Can Save You In The Long Run
Hearing loss holds the third most chronic health condition among adults in the United States. Over 430 million people globally require treatment for their severe hearing loss. Hearing loss is on the rise and expected to nearly double in the next thirty years. Not only can hearing loss affect the workplace, but it can also decrease the quality of life.
Factors of Hearing Loss
Everyone at some point starts losing their hearing- it’s a natural part of life. However, more people are losing their hearing at a younger age due to many factors such as:
Loud noise: concerts, earbuds at loud volumes, entertainment venues, blasts of noise such as gunshot
Occupational noise: loud workplace such as construction, factories, farming
Recreational noise: loud music, jet engines, activities with high noise levels such as snowmobiling or motorcycling
Excessive ear wax
Genetics
Some medications or illnesses
When you compare the decibel levels of different activities it clearly shows that the louder the activity, and the longer you are exposed to it, poses a serious threat to your hearing ability.
Decibel Levels as Indicated by The Den Bear’s Honey
My History with Sound Exposure
Certain jobs have increased exposure to loud activities, and musicians are no stranger to that. From a young age we are often surrounded by music and instruments of all kinds, so we become used to the loud noise. We might not notice the influence music has on our hearing while we are young, but the older we get it’s impossible to ignore.
I’ve participated in many different ensembles, from percussion ensemble, wind ensemble, orchestra, jazz band, marching band, and choir. Every ensemble is different when it comes to sound, but all are prone to being high on the decibel scale. My high school music rooms had low ceilings considering the music being made, and this caused an issue when rehearsing loud music. Earplugs became an everyday essential in the band room; it’s surprising it didn’t happen sooner.
Earplugs are known to have positive benefits, and as musicians, it is a crucial part of protecting our hearing. We are constantly surrounded by sound, and the more we can protect our ears at the start of our music journey the better off we will be in the future.
Types of Hearing Disorders & How To Prevent Them
As musicians, we are more likely to suffer from hearing loss than the average person. Some hearing disorders we could suffer from are:
Hearing loss: partial or total inability to hear sounds, often impacts high frequencies
Distortion of sound: blurring of sounds
Tinnitus: hearing sounds that aren’t there such as buzzing or whistling sounds in the ear or head
Hyperacusis: discomfort from loud sounds that are comfortable to others, this can also lead to the fear of sound
Diplacusis: pitches are distorted and may sound different than they are, which can make matching pitches difficult
“Having strong, sensitive hearing is like being able to take in a sunset and appreciate all of the vivid colors as it sets.”
Protecting our hearing not only increases the potential longevity of our careers and creativity, but it improves our quality of life.
Musicians can prevent hearing loss by going for annual hearing tests. Getting our levels checked on a regular basis helps to know how much sound we are exposing our ears to, and it can keep track of our level changes over time.
Using in-ear monitors and equalizers can help discover missing frequency bands, and adjust for sound cues we might miss from hearing loss. They can provide protection and allow musicians to hear the music directly in their ears.
Earplugs not only protect our hearing but can make hearing the music clearer. That being said, it can depend on the kind of earplugs being used. Foam earplugs are likely to mute sound more; they lessen high frequencies more than low frequencies. These could work well for marching bands, but you are often better off with custom-made earplugs for other settings if possible. Those will work better in reducing decibels more smoothly, all while maintaining the quality of speech and music. The custom-fit earplugs are molded to the ear which allows for a great seal.
“Musicians should partner with an audiologist for long-term hearing healthcare with a personalized hearing conservation program.”
Protect Your Hearing Before It’s Too Late
Despite having hearing protection available, many musicians don’t use them because they can make it difficult to perform and hear the other musicians. I’ve faced this issue myself while playing in a classical setting. The sound quality while wearing earplugs can greatly affect our performance so we sometimes avoid them. However, with the rise in great quality options of hearing protection, we should be able to find one that works best for us. Our hearing is a vital part of our senses, and without it, as a musician would be devastating.
Damage to our hearing is irreversible, so protecting it as much as we can every day can go a long way. Amy Jachim, a professional audiologist, recommends, “musicians should partner with an audiologist for long-term hearing healthcare with a personalized hearing conservation program. Hearing monitoring is important so that if hearing loss is identified, a rehabilitation plan can be put together.” Being mindful of the noise levels around us, wearing hearing protection, limiting the time spent in loud environments, and getting annual checkups will minimize hearing loss and preserve our remaining hearing.
You can contact your doctor to schedule a hearing test or find a hearing specialist.
Here is a list of recommended earplugs:
The Den Collective partners with The Meta Musician and Boundless Musician to provide health and wellness resources to those that need it.
Improving and maintaining your physical health and overall well-being is essential. Myself and The Den Collective are here to support and help in any way we can!