Efforts to educate the general public about the dangers of excessive noise exposure from music have also increased through organizations like Hearing Education Awareness for Rockers (HEAR).

However, many people still do not realize that music students practicing without earplugs can be as dangerous as football players practicing without helmets.

A decibel (dB) is a unit that measures the intensity or loudness of sound on a scale from zero dB to 140dB. A normal conversation is about 60dB. Sound levels that are louder than 85 decibels can cause damage to the ears over time. The louder the sound levels are, the less time it takes for damage to occur. One time exposure to very loud sounds can cause permanent damage to your hearing.

Drumline rehearsals can reach sound levels of 110dB, which can damage hearing in minutes, and marching bands and rock concerts can reach sound levels of 130dB, which can damage hearing in seconds.

If you are exposed to dangerous levels of noise, you should wear hearing protection devices in the forms of earplugs or earmuff. Several different types of plugs and muffs are available. Hearing protection should be selected based on the level of noise and type of activity you will be involved in. This will insure adequate protection and comfort.

Traditional earplugs do not reduce noise levels equally at all frequencies. They reduce sound more in the high frequencies than in the low and mid frequencies. This unequal reduction of sound can make music and speech sound muffled, distorted and unnatural. The result is not acceptable to many musicians.

Fortunately, plugs are available especially for musicians.

Musicians' earplugs or high fidelity earplugs have a special filter in them that reduces sound levels equally across all frequencies. This replication of the natural response of the ear canal makes the music sound the way it would without earplugs, only softer so that it does not damage your hearing.

Musicians' earplugs can be non-custom or custom-made. Non-custom plugs, are of course, much less expensive than custom ones. Non-custom plugs look similar to other flanged silicone or plastic plugs on the market, and cost around $10 to $20. Custom plugs require an impression of each ear to be made, and can cost $175 to $200 a set. Both types of plugs are reusable and are available through most audiologists.

The plugs allow many benefits besides hearing protection. They allow musicians to hear themselves playing their own instruments as well as the entire orchestra or band so they can correctly hear their relationship to other instruments. Earplugs also reduce fatigue and stress so that musicians can practice and perform longer without feeling as tired.

In Pittsburgh, where the University of Pittsburg Medical Center has donated thousands of plugs to public schools, both music teachers and students who use musicians earplugs have been delighted with the results. The teachers feel less frazzled and students hear how clear music sounds.

Musicians plugs are obviously most commonly used by music teachers, marching band and orchestra members. However, spectators at concerts or sporting events, football players, industrial workers, and airline travelers or subway commuters also commonly use these type of plugs to protect their hearing ad reduce fatigue.

By Danielle Tousinau
http://www.timesnews.net/communityArticle.dna?_StoryID=3581836