Rockville, MD - November 20, 2010- Research indicates that collegiate musicians are at increased risk for permanent damage to their hearing due to their many hours of instrument playing, attending concerts, and using MP3 players without hearing protection, according to researchers who presented their findings during the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Annual Convention in Philadelphia November 18-20.
In addition, according to ASHA member Ashleigh Callahan and her colleagues, student musicians are also at an increased risk for other auditory problems such as ringing in the ear and painful sensitivity to sound. Although students reported up to 17 hours per week of instrument playing time as well as attending concerts and listening to MP3 players frequently, in most cases they did not wear hearing protection because they felt "hearing protection was not needed."
This research appears to underscore the need for greater education about hearing protection and the risk of noise-induced hearing loss. Through its public education campaign Listen To Your Buds www.listentoyourbuds.org, ASHA has been educating children about the dangers of noise-induced hearing loss. By introducing this health message to the young, it is hoped that children will develop safe listening habits that will continue as they grow older.
Their presentation was part of ASHA's Annual Convention, which began November 18 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. The Convention featured 3 days of workshops, paper sessions, poster presentations, and the Keynote Session by Nancy Goodman Brinker (Founder of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation), plus the Annie Glenn Award, which was given to performing artist and "New Kid on the Block" Joey McIntyre. The Convention ran through Saturday, November 20.
These important findings are one example of the research that discussed during ASHA's Annual Convention. Audiologists and speech-language pathologists, as well as other speech, language, and hearing scientists, gather every year at ASHA's Convention to share their research with their colleagues. This sharing of information results in better care for the people they serve.
About the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
ASHA is the national professional, scientific, and credentialing association for more than 140,000 audiologists, speech-language pathologists, and speech, language, and hearing scientists. Audiologists specialize in preventing and assessing hearing and balance disorders as well as providing audiologic treatment including hearing aids. Speech-language pathologists identify, assess, and treat speech and language problems including swallowing disorders.
