title: Noise and the classical musician.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To test the hypothesis that noise exposure may cause hearing loss in classical musicians.
  
  
  METHODS
  Comparison of hearing levels between two risk groups identified during the study by measuring sound levels.
  
  
  METHODS
  Symphony orchestra and occupational health department in the west Midlands.
  
  
  METHODS
  Hearing level as measured by clinical pure tone audiometry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Trumpet and piccolo players received a noise dose of 160% and 124%, respectively, over mean levels during part of the study. Comparison of the hearing levels of 18 woodwind and brass musicians with 18 string musicians matched for age and sex did not show a significant difference in hearing, the mean difference in the hearing levels at the high (2, 4, and 8 KHz) audiometric frequencies being 1.02 dB (95% confidence interval -2.39 to 4.43).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study showed that there is a potential for occupational hearing loss in classical orchestral musicians.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Occupational Health, University of Birmingham.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: McBride
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gill
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Proops
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Harrington
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gardiner
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Attwell
mesh_terms: D001301:Audiometry, Pure-Tone; D006317:Hearing Loss, Noise-Induced / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D009146:Music; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D012307:Risk Factors; D013016:Sound