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 will be presenting their findings during the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Annual Convention in Philadelphia this week.

According to ASHA member Ashleigh Callahan and her colleagues, student musicians are also at an increased risk for other auditory problems such as ringing andl sensitivity to sound. Although students reported up to 17 hours per week of instrument playing time, in most cases they did not wear hearing protection because they felt “hearing protection was not needed.”

According to the ASHA:

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 is part of ASHA's Annual Convention, which begins November 18 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. The Convention will feature 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 will be given to performing artist and “New Kid On The Block” Joey McIntyre (above). The Convention runs through Saturday, November 20.

These important findings are one example of the research being 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.