Loud sound is an environmental byproduct of being a musician – any kind of musician. While everyone always looks to rock bands as the loudest culprits, concert violinists actually have the most hearing loss, thanks to being located directly in front of the brass section in the orchestra.
For guitar players, it used to be that you had to really crank your amp in order to get that nice overdrive distortion and sustain, but those days are mostly over now that it’s fairly easy to dial that in on most amps at whatever volume you want. That said, anyone who’s ever played with a powerhouse drummer knows that you have to turn it up just to compete onstage, unless of course you’re in a situation where you’re wearing in-ear monitors.
That’s why this infographic is so interesting. It shows just how many people (especially young people) have some hearing loss thanks to their passion. The part of the chart that stick out is the “Signs of hearing loss in humans” which reads:
- Ear pain, itching or irritation
- Muffled hearing
- Pus or fluid leaking from the ear (Ewww)
- Tinnitus (ringing, roaring, hissing or buzzing in the ear)
- Difficulty distinguishing words that people are saying
If any of these are happening to you, go see a doctor as soon as you can.
Remember that everyone around music or a loud environment should consider ear protection. I suggest the Etymotic Research ER20 ETY’s. They’re inexpensive and cut the level down without changing the frequency response. Since I found them, I won’t go anywhere without them.
Otherwise, enjoy the chart.
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