THE FACTS
To many musicians, hearing loss is just an unfortunate — and inevitable — consequence of pursuing a passion.
But a lifelong dedication to playing an instrument or being in a band may not be quite as hard on the ears as many assume. Some recent research suggests it may even benefit hearing.
In a study published this year, researchers examined professional musicians recruited from four classical orchestras. Their jobs often require multiple concerts each week, hours of practice and, in some cases, teaching others. Extensive tests analyzing factors that included blood cholesterol as well as noise exposure, the scientists found hearing loss among the musicians no worse than among the general population.
They did find a greater risk of hearing loss among musicians with the greatest exposure to higher-frequency noise (above three kilohertz) and a greater prevalence of tinnitus, or ringing in the ears, among musicians in general.
In another study, in the current issue of the journal Psychology and Aging, scientists gave hearing tests to 74 musicians and 89 nonmusicians.
The musicians showed far less age-related decline in certain aspects of hearing, among them the ability to discern frequencies, hear conversation against a noisy background and hear tones as they get quieter.
THE BOTTOM LINE
While chronic exposure to any loud noise can cause hearing damage, musicians may have better hearing than people in the general population.
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