Are You Ears At Risk?

By Gregory A DeTogne

You may be more at risk for hearing loss than you think. Read on to get the facts. 

 

When he was only 31, Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) began experiencing hearing loss. By the time he was 49, he was stone deaf. Somehow, living a major portion of his life in a cloak of virtual silence didn't stop him from completing nine symphonies, five concertos, 32 sonatas, and countless other compositions. But for most others making music their livelihood, suffering such a setback would most likely spell the end of a career.

 

In times not far past, hearing loss was perceived as an unavoidable, occupational hazard in the music business; it was even worn as a badge of honor by some. Today, however, a growing awareness of the problem is bringing about attitudinal changes. With education comes choice, and now musicians of every stripe are discovering they can save their ears without sacrificing the passion and power of their performance.

 

Protecting your hearing starts with understanding the risks involved. At a base level, these risks revolve around the duration of one's exposure to loud sounds. Using OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) guidelines established for industry, we know that most people can safely remain in an environment with 90 dB noise levels for eight hours without risk of damaging their ears. For every incremental increase of five dB from this baseline, safety margins shrink along the time scale by half. For instance, you can safely stay in a 95 dB environment for four hours, a 100 dB environment for two hours, and so forth.

 

Beyond what OSHA has discovered, we also know that a variety of other factors determine a person's susceptibility to hearing loss. Michael Santucci, an audiologist who founded Chicago-based Sensaphonics (a firm dedicated to developing hearing conservation products and strategies which serves a large number of prominent musicians) says genetics, history of past disease, cardiovascular health, use of medications, and the general nature of our noisy planet all play a significant role in hearing health.

 

"Genetics play about a 40% role in hearing loss over our lifetime," he relates. "If a musician in a band is from a family who has someone suffering from hearing loss due to exposure to loud sounds, he or she has a higher risk of damage than someone from a family who doesn't. There are also studies which have shown that persons with a history of childhood middle ear infections are at greater risk of hearing damage, just as are those who have cardiovascular-restrictive habits such as smoking and excessive drinking. In the latter case, the flow of blood is reduced to the inner ear, which results in a decrease in its ability to repair delicate nerve cells vital to hearing. Some medications also have an ototoxic effect on the inner ear, especially in large doses. Mega-doses of aspirin can even be harmful. A guitar player came to me once complaining of hearing loss. In trying to cope with the pain of carpal tunnel syndrome, he was downing handfuls of the common over-the-counter drug at a time. The habit definitely was a large contributor to his condition."

 

"Also not to be overlooked among these risk factors is the clamorous nature of our everyday lives. The world is just plain louder than it used to be, and that puts everyone at greater risk, including musicians," Santucci adds.

 

So what can be done to safeguard your hearing? For starters, Santucci suggests that you get your hearing checked at least once a year. Think of it as a trip to the dentist. "You need to establish a baseline," he contends, "so you can tell whether your hearing is getting worse or not. You can also use in-ear monitors when you perform. Used properly, they can save your ears."

 

Proper use of personal (in-ear) monitors is your responsibility, though. The good news is that, with the isolation afforded by personal monitors, musicians can hear their monitor mix more clearly at lower volumes than necessary with traditional floor wedge monitors. Unfortunately, at this point, there is no direct correlation between where to set the volume control of your personal monitors and how much SPL is present in your ears. The way to accurately test the sound pressure level in your ears is to consult an audiologist who can test the levels as you use the product.

 

"If you're doing a three-hour show, in-ear monitor levels should be about 97 dB on average," Santucci explains. "And that doesn't include peaks. If you need to hear a cymbal crash at 115 dB, that's fine, but 97 dB should still be your average. How do you know when you've reached a proper level? The only way is to measure sound levels at your ear drum while you're actually plugged-in to your in-ear system. We developed a probe-like device which does exactly that about ten years ago which we still bring onstage for our clients today."

 

Ed. note: This year Shure has adopted hearing conservation as a corporate cause, and will dedicate efforts towards the education of musicians and sound professionals about the dangers of noise induced hearing loss. To support this cause, Shure will hold a special benefit concert called Shure Musical Roots at this year's Winter NAMM. The concert, which celebrates the diversity of music, will be headlined by Living Colour and will take place at the House of Blues Anaheim. All proceeds generated from the event will be donated to hearing conservation charities: H.E.A.R., the House Ear Institute's Sound Partners Program, and the Hearing Aid Music Foundation.


Release 11