Musician vs Hearing

Musician vs Hearing

Music is the art of organizing sound to produce some combination of form, harmony, rhythm, melody, or other expressive content. Without sound, music would not be able to exist. Hence, without hearing, it would be difficult, almost impossible, for one to be a musician.

How do musicians protect their hearing?

Whether it be jazz, pop, or any other genre, musicians have the risk of noise-induced hearing loss, tinnitus, and ringing-in-the-ears sensations. They would wear ear protection to protect their ears for better hearing care and for avoiding the use of hearing aids in the future as without the proper protection, the loud sounds most musicians endure when performing and playing their instruments might permanently harm their hearing.

There are both custom and non-custom products available to help them prevent hearing loss. These are the types of products that help them protect their hearing:

  • Musician earplugs: Designed for musicians who play a range of instruments. Comes in several types of material, ranging from foam to softer plastic, and allows the musician to hear the music while performing. It is also useful for concertgoers who want to protect their hearing.
  • In-ear monitors: Used by artists and audio engineers to deliver sound to the ear while blocking out background and damaging noise levels. Available in custom or universal options.
  • Electronic earplugs: May be configured to change to different pitches and noises based on the musicians’ environment and volume level. It allows musicians to hear critical sounds while blocking our harmful noise levels.

Both in-ear and musician earplugs can be custom-made and fitted by a licensed audiologist to each musician’s personal needs.

Hearing needs protection

It is important for everyone to protect their hearing, not only just musicians. Here are some ways that we can help protect our hearing in daily life.

  • For iPhone users, activate “Reduce Loud Sounds” in the phone settings. Open “Settings”, then go to “Sounds & Haptics” section, find for “Headphone Safety” to enable “Reduce Loud Sounds”.
  • Be aware of the volume adjustments when in noisy environment. One should keep volume at the preferred volume as cranking up the volume in noisy places might cause damage in hearing without knowing.
  • When attending loud concerts or being at any loud places, wear earplugs. After that, take some quiet time to allow your ears to relax and “reboot”. Stay in quiet or low-volume environments for a period of roughly 16 to 18 hours.

Overview

It is so easy to find specialist for different illnesses, but what is difficult is that we often do not realize the symptoms or choose to ignore them so that they do not “exist”, in a way, pushing the problem away and not wanting to spend money. It is best to seek medical attention as soon as one notices some symptoms, even if it isn’t.

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