PAT I E N T T O PAT I E N T
H
earing loss is grim, especially for people who love music. But few people realize that the worst-case scenario may not be hearing loss, but rather, devastating hearing injury.
Prelude
Protect your hearing Noise-induced damage and one musician’s search for a remedy By Janet Horvath
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MINNESOTA HEALTH CARE NEWS MARCH 2013
During a 31-year career as associate principal cello of the Minnesota Orchestra I saw many colleagues struggle with physical ailments caused by awkward posture and repetitive motion. It never dawned on me that one day my own career would be curtailed by injury. The injury While playing with the orchestra in 2006, I was seated with my left ear within two feet of huge audio speakers. Despite wearing hearing protection, I sustained an acoustic shock injury: Noise from the speakers caused intense pain in that ear and a vibrating/gyrating sensation inside it, with pain radiating into my neck, face, teeth, tongue, jaw, and head. After the concert, the least little sound caused painful spasms, even my own voice. For three months I was forced to isolate myself totally from sound—no music, no TV, no telephone. My family tiptoed around me. I wore headphones and earplugs if I had to leave the house, but any excursion had to be brief.