View source for Tips to Avoid Tinnitus

This is an update from a published Exaggerated Features “Health-a- Chure” article Winter, 1996, page 10.

''MEDICAL DISCLAIMER: The writer is not a physician or a health care professional. Please seek qualified medical advice for all your health care needs.''
==Article Transcript==
A survey was conducted in February/
March 1996 of caricaturists at a
caricature convention, to see what
their top health concerns were in terms
of doing live caricatures at parties or
gigs. Loud music was sited as one of
the top five concerns. And with good
reason. A hired caricaturist (or team of
caricaturists for a large corporate event)
may set up early in a ballroom. Then
the hired band or DJ may set up later.
Most younger people unfortunately are
not concerned about excessive noise or
loud music which can cause temporary
or chronic damage to the human ear.
So when the caricaturists hear the
music get cranked up, they could lose
the ability to concentrate to draw guests.
But based on how loud the music
becomes, it could even cause chronic
tinnitus, which is when a very annoying
sound is ‘heard’ in your head, when
there is no external sound present.

That is why it is so important for all
caricaturists to guard their own health
at a gig. This “Health-a-Chure” article
focuses on hearing safety tips.

Per the American Medical Association
(AMA), loud music is proven to risk
hearing injury, causing some pain or
tinnitus at 95 decibels (db) or above.
But a sign that your hearing health might
be under attack is when you are sitting
in front of your guests, and you can’t
hear them clearly. Or at all.

Another sign is when your guests begin
to put their fingers in their own ears to
avoid loud music. Look for that as a
warning for everyone.

Days before the event, ask to speak
to the house or ballroom manager.
Pinpoint exactly where you or your
drawing team will be placed.

In my experience, many times the room
manager didn’t accommodate enough
space for me to draw and a few guests
who may be waiting for a caricature.
So the early phone call or e-mail is a
smart bet. Ask to be placed away from
the band. And further away from their
speakers. In the above photo on the
right, I was recently placed in the right
corner of a ballroom away from the DJ
on the left.

At the event, ask to speak with the band
or the sound board engineer and say
you need to avoid the risk of a serious
hearing injury. Let them know you mean
business. Your health and well being are
on the line.

Some DJ speakers are mounted on
stands. The speakers can be simply
pivoted away from you. That could be
the beginning to take the edge off loud
music exposure.

Let’s say at the event, the music
becomes louder and louder. After
speaking to the band or sound board engineer, your next best bet is personal
hearing protection.

Audio engineers who work in stage and
auditoriums have a big jar of foam plug
hearing protectors on hand for their
roadies. “ZEE E.A.R.®” yellow dense
foam ear canal plugs, by Calbot Safety
Corporation in Indianapolis, IN. is a good
example. When properly inserted, they
achieve a 29 decibel (db) attenuation
for continuous (not pulse or drumming)
sound. This could reduce loud music
to about 60 db at the ear drum itself
(theoretically). It may even help you
concentrate again, to do that magical
skill of drawing caricatures. Be thankful if
the sound board engineer can give you
a spare pair of hearing protectors.

Parts of the ear are very sensitive. The
ear drum can rupture if presented with
a sound pulse that is too loud for it
to mechanically handle. Anyone who
shoots at a shooting range knows about
hearing protection equipment. The
cochlea and the organ of Corti in the
inner ear have delicate parts and four
rows of tiny nerve endings.

These nerve endings have tiny hairs
that sway in the fluid of the cochlea.
When they sway, a signal is sent by
the acoustic nerves to the left and
right sides of the brain. The brain
then creates “sound” that we hear.
Unfortunately, as we get older, the tiny
hairs get stiff and prone to damage.
They can break from a very loud sound
or noise, like a hammer bending a
nail. When this happens, an electrical
signal is continuously sent to the brain
that it converts to a sound or “ringing
in the ears.” If the damage is severe
enough, that sound may not go away
for a very long time. Imagine hearing
a sound constantly on top of your daily
routine. Do you want to risk poor mental
health? Or even depression caused by
chronic tinnitus? There is treatment and
counseling for tinnitus. But no cure as
of yet.

See a Youtube video (“Ear Safety Tips to
Avoid Tinnitus”) I made to show the parts
of the ear that can be affected.

Be as proactive as possible about your
own comfort and ergonomic safety while
you draw away the hours and dozens
of guests at an event. See the photo of
myself drawing guests when everything
is set just right. Everyone is happy. And
you are smart and safe.

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''Check out Dave’s “Health-a-Chure” videos on his YouTube Channel, Bippy55.''
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