Month: April 2021

Losing the Sound of Metal – hearing loss Telegraph interview

the telegraph
sound of metal telegraph image

Drummer  learns to live with his hearing loss

In Oscar-nominated film Sound of Metal, Riz Ahmed plays a rocker who loses his hearing. Sadly, the story is a reality for too many musicians.

Unsurprisingly, recent data says musicians are among the most likely people to have a hearing problem. “Research has shown that between 37-58 per cent of classical musicians, and 46-49 per cent of rock or pop musicians have found to have hearing impairments, with the general population coming in at around 13 per cent,” says Paul Checkley, Clinical Director at Harley Street Hearing & Musicians’ Hearing Services.

Noise exposure

“The music industry is somewhat behind when making a comparison to the management of noise exposure in the industrial and construction sectors. The use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) on building sites is enforceable, meaning that without use of the appropriate hearing protection, you could be removed from site. This is not the case in the music industry, despite the levels of noise being comparable at times.”

Although Paul points out that the increase in headphone use blurs the line somewhat between damage done by listening to music on your phone and being bombarded by decibels at a gig, the number of stars who have damaged their hearing while on the job is nevertheless long.

tinnitus

It’s not just tinnitus that can affect a person’s mental health. Paul Checkley also lists hyperacusis (where everyday sounds seem much louder than they should) and diplacusis (where the same sound can be perceived as being different in pitch between the two ears) as potential hearing problems that can cause a person problems beyond their ears. “These symptoms, along with the hearing loss, can affect a person’s confidence, and does often impact their mental health,” he says.

hearing loss

“The presence of a hearing loss alone can also cause people to isolate because they are embarrassed about not hearing well, which then has further effect on their mental health. Managing the hearing loss can help to reverse the isolation, allowing the person to become more confident with their interactions and therefore improve their well-being.”

In the UK, the Musicians Union offer a Musicians’ Hearing Health Scheme, which offers free check-ups and professional earplugs, as well as subsidised treatments like wax removal. And although treatment like the one that worked for Brian Johnson after the fact is good, all audiologists will tell you that protection is the best cure.

hearing aids

“Don’t wait for there to be a problem with your hearing; be proactive,” says Paul Checkley. “Having annual hearing tests will allow your hearing to be monitored and means that it will be much easier to pinpoint any potential changes and manage them quickly and efficiently. There are patients who have significant hearing losses who initially thought they might have to stop playing music, but through careful use of hearing aids with specific settings for their musical endeavours, and the understanding that there are adaptations that might be required, many are able to continue playing and performing music.”

Click here see the full Telegraph interview.

If you have any hearing concerns call 020 7486 1053 

Sound Of Metal movie – Kerrang tinnitus interview

sound of metal telegraph image
sound of metal telegraph image

Sound of Metal

New movie Sound Of Metal explores the tragic consequences of a musician going deaf. Paul Checkley Clinical Director at Harley Street Hearing speaks to  Kerrang! on how tinnitus is affecting the lives of music fans…

Tinnitus

Tinnitus, or as most people know it, a high-pitched ringing you get in your ears, can be intermittent for some people, but for others it’s a chronic condition. It’s also irreversible.

“People say, ‘I came out of a gig and my ears were ringing’ without understanding that isn’t something to just joke about,” says Paul Checkley, Clinical Director at Harley Street Hearing, an audiological practice in London. “It means that potentially your hearing has been damaged irreversibly… There is no cure for tinnitus as such, which is one of the biggest issues that people face: you get this ringing in your ears and are then told that you’re going to have that for the rest of your life.”

“A lot of the damage to people’s hearing appears to be done by leisure activities,” explains Nic Wray of the British Tinnitus Association, who are being approached by more and more people asking for help. “If you go to a building site or a factory, everyone’s got ear protection, but there’s not as much awareness for people going to live events. Venue staff are protected by health and safety legislation, but the musicians aren’t covered onstage because they’re not employees and it’s the same for the audience.”

Because tinnitus has no cure, only treatment, both Paul and Nic recommend wearing earplugs. Harley Street Hearing fits both heavy gig-goers and musicians with custom-moulded, “flat response” plugs, while BTA’s Plug’em initiative contains a guide to the different types of ear protection available.  

For those who already suffer from tinnitus and need help managing it, Paul explains that the hearing problem has “a psychological aspect and a physiological aspect”, and that more is known about the former. “What we do know is that there’s a link between the emotional part of our brain the perpetuation of the tinnitus, so the treatments are centred around rehabilitation and therapy,” he explains. “Things like cognitive behavioural therapy have a really good research base. Mindfulness or meditation is beginning to have an equally strong research base and works really well, too.”

“If you’ve got tinnitus, we would normally do a hearing test to allow us to assess it,” says Paul. “We have criteria that say we’ve got to send you to get a medical opinion if it’s particularly troublesome for you. In those cases, your GP is your best place to start.”

See the full Kerrang interview here