HEARING CONVERSATION

FOR MUSICIANS
 WHAT IS HEARING CONSERVATION?

Occupational Hearing Non-occupational

Conservation Hearing Conservation
 Prevention of significant,
 Prevention of permanent hearing loss
significant, permanent
hearing loss  Resulting from off-the-job
exposure to oto-traumatic
agents in persons of all
 Resulting from on-the- ages
job exposure to oto-
traumatic agents  Recreational activities:
guns, motorsports,
(noise) in workers concerts, etc.
 HEARING CONSERVATION AMENDMENT

OSHA – Occupational 15-20 million

Safety & Health
Administration
workers employed
in unregulated non-
NIOSH – National
Institute for Occupational manufacturing
Safety & Health industries – ARE
MSHA – Mine Safety & NOT REGULATED
Health Administration
FRA – Federal Railroad  Construction
Administration  A griculture
 Service
Air Force & Army
 Musicians
 AUDIOLOGIST’S ROLE

Professionals that help people who

are finding it difficult to hear or are
hard of hearing by providing
innovative solutions using both
medical science and technology
Audiologists specialize in the following:
▪ Normal and impaired hearing
▪ Prevention of hearing loss
▪ Identification of hearing and balance problems
▪ Hearing Conservation and Protection
▪ Rehabilitation
▪ Dispensing of assistive technology systems
WHAT DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH ME?

Music Induced Hearing Loss (MIHL):

▪A gradual hearing loss due to
chronic noise exposure to loud
music

Effects of music exposure are :

(a) Gradual and may not be noticed for years
(b) Not limited to hearing
(c) Related to intensity (loudness) & duration
(length) of exposure
 THE PATHWAY OF SOUND

MIDDLE INNER
OUTER EAR EAR EAR
 WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THERE IS A
DISRUPTION OF THE PATHWAY?

 Sensorineural Hearing Loss

▪ Hearing loss caused by aging, illness, and excessive
exposure to noise.

 Conductive Hearing Loss

▪ Hearing loss occurs when sound waves are
prevented from reaching the inner ear.

 Mixed Hearing Loss

▪ Hearing loss caused by a combination of both
sensorineural and conductive hearing losses.
SENSORINEURAL HEARING LOSS
INNER HAIR CELLS
MIHL (MUSIC-INDUCED HEARING LOSS)
HE A RI NG LOSS A S A RE SULT OF PROLON GE D OR SUDDE N
E X P OSURE TO LOUD M USI C

 When our ears are

exposed to levels of
noise over 85 dB, the
tiny hair cells in our
cochlea can become
disorganized and
damaged from too
much and too harsh of
vibrations.

 Once the hair cells

break, they will NEVER
grow back, this causes
hearing loss.
WHY THE HIGHS?
 ASSOCIATED AUDITORY SYMPTOMS:

Hearing Loss
Tinnitus
Hyperacusis
Pitch Perception Difficulty
•Diplacusis
 OTHER ASSOCIATED SYMPTOMS
 Frequent misunderstanding  Muffled hearing or ringing in
of what is said & often asks the ears after you leave a
to repeat noisy environment
▪ This is temporary noise-
 Difficulty following verbal induced hearing loss and is a
instructions and/or responds sign that some damage has
inconsistently been caused to the hair cells
in your ears
 Turning up the volume of the
television, radio, or stereo  Trouble hearing certain
consonants such as “s,” “sh,”
and “t.”
 Easily distracted
 Difficulty hearing when
 Short attention span or poor background noise is present,
memory for sounds or words such as in a restaurant .

 Trouble identifying and/or  A constant or intermittent

localizing sounds ringing, buzzing, or hissing in
your ear.
 Hypersensitivity to loud ▪ This is called tinnitus.
sounds ▪ Often a symptom
accompanying hearing loss.
 NOISE IS DANGEROUS IF…

You have to shout over background noise to

be heard

The noise is painful to your ears

The noise makes your ears ring

You have decreased or “muffled” hearing

for several hours after exposure
 ___________________ 160 dB
___________________ 150 dB Intolerable
____________________140dB
____________________130 dB
Live Rock Band
____________________120 dB Pain
High Hat Symbol Strike ____________________110 dB
Full Symphony Orchestra
____________________100 dB
Fortissimo Singer @ 1 m ____________________90 dB
Very Noisy
Loud Radio/Avg. Stereo ____________________ 80 dB
____________________70 dB Loud
Normal Piano Practice Moderate
____________________ 60 dB
Soft mp3 player in home
____________________ 50 dB
Background studio TV

____________________ 40 dB
____________________ 30 dB
Quiet Office ____________________ 20 dB Faint

____________________ 10 dB
______________________0 dB
Rustle of Leaves Very Faint
EFFECTS RELATED TO INTENSIT Y &
DURATION:
FACTORS TO CONSIDER:

(1) Instrument

(2) Piece of Music

(3)Environment

(4) Seating
Musical Instrument (at 3 meters) Decibel Level (dB) Decibel Sound Pressure Level (dB
SPL/Peak Level)
Normal Piano practice 60-90 105
Loud piano 70-105 110
Keyboards (electric) 60-110 118

Vocalist 70-85 94
Chamber music (classical) 70-92 99
Violin/viola (near left ear) 85-105 116

Violin/viola 80-90 104

Cello 80-104 112
Acoustic Bass 70-94 98

Clarinet 68-82 112

Oboe 74-102 116
Saxophone 75-110 113

Flute 102-118 126*

Flute (near right ear) 92-104 107
Piccolo 90-106 109

Piccolo (near right ear) 102-118 113

French Horn 92-104 106
Trombone 90-106 125

Trumpet 88-108 113

Tympani and Bass drum 74-94 106
Percussion (high hat near left ear) 68-94 125

Amplified guitar (on stage using ear-monitors) 100-106 118

Amplified Guitar (on stage with wedge monitors) 105-112 124
Symphonic Music 86-102 120-137

Amplified rock music 102-108 140+

iPod in ear canal (Volume=6) 94 110-130**
iPod in ear canal (Full volume) 105 110-142**
 STRATEGIES FOR PREVENTION OF
MIHL:

Controlling  Measure the noise level at the source

the level of using a SLM
sound at it’s  Elevated speakers
source &
 Sound treated practice rooms
the
propagation  Use of risers
of sound  Alternate between pieces of high and
toward the low intensity
musician  Play instruments with less force or
practice mutes
 Take frequent breaks from loud
noises
 SELECTING HPDS:

The selection of an appropriate HPD must

take into account at least three factors:

(1) The individual's noise exposure

(2) Any existing hearing loss
(3) The need to communicate in the
presence of excessive background noise
 CUSTOM EAR PLUGS:

Passive: Active:
 No electronic • Upgrade or replace the
component electronics for long-term
 Ability to customize hearing protection
filtering or boring for
communication • Unlike traditional passive
hearing protection, enhances
low-level sounds instead of
blocking them.

• Musician’s Active ear plugs

• In-ear monitors
Flat-attenuation earplug HEARING
▪ Low to moderate noise exposure of 90 dB PROTECTION
or less
FOR
MUSICIANS
Musician’s Earplugs
• Replicate the natural resonance of the ear
canal
• Boosts high frequency sounds
Regulate
• 3 attenuation filters (9, 15, 25 dB of the sound
attenuation)
reaching
the
In-the-ear Monitors Musician’s
▪ Allows for musician’s to hear of PA systems, crowds, eardrum
noise, & high-volumes on stage from the other band
members instruments and equipment
 CONCLUSIONS:

• Hearing Tests Annually

• Wear hearing protection
• IEMs and attenuation plugs reduce the
sound level at the ear
• Consider room acoustics and your practice
environment
• Use dampers or practice mutes
• Set volume limits on mp3 players
• Become an advocate!