A new study published in Psychology and Aging, shows that playing a musical instrument throughout your life protects your hearing in old age. The results showed a 70 year-old musician’s hearing was as good as a 50 year-old who did not play, showing a significant difference in the musicians ability to pick out sound against another noise. The researchers suggest that lifelong musicianship mitigates age-related changes in the brain, probably due to musicians using their auditory systems at a high level on a regular basis.
While the study suggests that musicians might be more able to cope with the consequences of hearing loss, the importance of also preserving the ear through ear protection is still incredibly important to these musicians.
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