The harmonious sound of a music played by a professional good for the ears? Not at all, say researchers at the University of Bremen, Germany, after analyzing data from German Health Insurance between 2004 and 2008. The study, published by the journal Occupational & Environmental Medicine, examines the hearing problems of 2,227 professional German musicians aged 19 to 66.
According to the researchers’ observations, they are almost four times more likely to develop a deafness than people who do not exercise this profession. The risk of suffering from persistent tinnitus also increases by 57%. In question, the prolonged and repeated exposure to sounds. “Given the number of musicians concerned and the severity of the consequences in terms of professional activity and quality of life, their hearing loss is a real public health problem”, indicate the authors of the study.
The solution proposed by the researchers is to wear protective earplugs during rehearsals and concerts and sound barriers between sections of orchestras, regardless of the instrument or style of music being played. Acoustic filter caps are more and more used by professionals.