Q&A

Subject: Musician and ear noise

From: CK

Hi, I have sort of a swishing sound in my right ear, only following a sound. I had my ears cleaned a month ago, but it didn't help much. Started on Lotrisone two days ago; will that eventually help? I'm... British complexion, dermatitis, allergic to penicillin. I would like some advise to my recurring problem. I play & record music and it's very bothersome. Thank you. CK

Dear musician,

At least one possibility for the noise you hear is the presence of some degree of hearing loss incurred though exposure to high noise levels. Repeated exposure to loud sound damages the delicate nerves of the inner ear which, in turn, fire spontaneously creating the head sounds you are noting. You may well find relief from the medication your physician has prescribed, but you would be well advised to begin to exercise some caution in the amount of high level sound to which you expose yourself. There are musician's earplugs, designed to reduce loud sounds 15 to 25dB while maintaining a flat frequency response so that the blend and balance of the music is maintained, though at a less threatening level. These plugs may be purchased through your audiologist or hearing aid dispenser.

Head noises can also be the side effect of medications...aspirin is a particular culprit. You might check any medications you take against the Physician's Desk Reference in your library to see possible side effects.

As a musician, I would strongly suggest that you have a baseline hearing test if you have not done so already. Ask the audiologist to include in the test, the full range of frequencies available, and to include mid-octaves in the test. Then ask for a copy of the results for your personal files so that you can reference it in the future to monitor your hearing status. As a musician, protecting your ears is simply basic good sense, since your ears are vital to your profession.

There is a good book by Marshall Chasin about musicians and hearing problems that you might like to read.

Good luck!
Solveig