Musicians 3 times more likely to suffer from tinnitus

By Stephen Beech

Musicians are three times more likely to suffer from tinnitus, reveals new research.

More than four in 10 musicians (42.6%) suffer from the debilitating hearing complaint - also known as ringing in the ears - compared to just over one in eight (13.2%) of the general public, according to the study.

The findings showed that professional musicians are also at "significantly elevated" risk of experiencing hearing loss and the hearing disorder hyperacusis compared to non-musicians.

The analysis, published in the journal Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, pooled data from 67 studies encompassing more than 28,000 musicians across 21 countries.

The findings showed that hearing loss affected 25.7% of musicians compared to 11.6% of non-musicians, and hyperacusis - an increased sensitivity to everyday sounds - was reported by 37.3% of musicians compared to 15.3% of non-musicians.

Professor Shaun Nguyen, from the Medical University of South Carolina, said: “Many musicians quietly live with ringing ears, sound sensitivity, or hearing loss, no matter whether they play in a symphony hall or a small club.

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"Yet the research we have is still imperfect, often based on self-reported symptoms and missing details about things like other loud hobbies, specific instruments, and how consistently people use hearing protection.

"What we really need now is more personal, musician-entered risk profiling so we can offer practical, tailored advice that helps artists protect their hearing without sacrificing the music they love,”

Among musicians who experienced tinnitus, the majority (76.3%) described their symptoms as occasional, while 15.6% reported permanent tinnitus.

Of the musicians with hearing loss, around 63% of cases were based on subjective self-report, with only about 37% confirmed through objective audiometric testing - which the research team says suggests the true prevalence may be even higher than reported.

But the study found no significant difference in the prevalence of hearing loss, hyperacusis, or tinnitus between classical and rock or pop musicians.

Nguyen said: "This challenges previous assumptions and suggests that auditory risk extends across musical genres."

He added: "Individual factors such as instrument type, seating position within an ensemble, room acoustics, and attitudes toward hearing protection may play a more critical role in auditory risk than genre alone."