Auditory thresholds among military musicians: conventional and high frequency.

PURPOSE To analyze and characterize tonal auditory thresholds between 500 Hz and 16,000 Hz of professional musicians, specifically members of a military band. METHODS A historic cohort study was carried out comparing one group of 50 professional musicians (military band) with another group (44 subjects) without history of professional exposure to intense sound; the groups were homogenous (p<0.05%) in relation to gender (male) and age (about 35 years old). Tone threshold audiometry for conventional (from 500 to 8,000 Hz) and high frequencies was applied (from 9,000 to 16,000 Hz). RESULTS Exposure to music triggered permanent hearing impairment. As to conventional auditory thresholds, the exposed and non-exposed groups presented sensorineural hearing loss of 32 and 2.27%, respectively. The subjects exposed to music had 14.54 times more risks of acquiring sensorineural hearing loss than the non-exposed group. After 20 years of exposure to music, significant worsening was observed in auditory thresholds, especially at extended high frequencies, and differences occurred between the groups from the age of 30 on. CONCLUSION Exposure to music caused permanent hearing impairment, showing differences in relation to the non-exposed group, registered in conventional audiometry and at high-frequency audiometry.