Hearing Protection and Hearing Symptoms in Danish Symphony Orchestras

A study about hearing protectors, problems involving hearing protector usage, hearing problems and working surroundings of classical musicians was made in three Danish symphony orchestras. The questionnaire used in the study was based on a previous study, a study made in Sweden to rock musicians, and a questionnaire used in researching occlusion effect with hearing aid users.

Also a section from an EQ-5D- questionnaire (a standardised instrument for use as a measure of health outcome) was included to the study. Orchestras were visited by the authors and informed about hearing protection, hearing loss, and ear symptoms. 146 musicians filled out the questionnaire. Results show that musicians wear hearing protectors to some extent but their usage can be irregular and hearing protector is sometimes used in one ear only.

Musicians worry about their hearing. The more ear symptoms musicians have, the more they use hearing protectors. Musicians suffer from different kinds of ear symptoms, and musicians with symptoms have more stress, and seem to have inferior quality of life to colleagues without symptoms. Musician’s hearing conservation is thus a complicated matter and further research is needed.