Professional musicians have a high risk of contracting hearing disorders, including tinnitus, according to this German study of 2,227 musicians. During the four-year observation period of the study, 0.08% of this group were identified as suffering from some kind of hearing loss, leading to an unadjusted incidence rate ratio of 1.27% (1.45% adjusted). The authors conclude that “use of already available prevention measures should reduce the incidence of hearing loss in professional musicians”.
Schink T et al (2014). “Incidence and relative risk of hearing disorders in professional musicians”. Occupational & Environmental Medicine, first published online 30 April 2014.
