[CAUT] Hearing Protection Desirable for Tuning?

[lafargue@bellsouth.net]

Brent,
I can't find his page.  What is it?  Thanks.

Lance Lafargue, RPT
LAFARGUE PIANOS, LTD
New Orleans Chapter, PTG
985.72P.IANO
lafargue@bellsouth.net
www.lpianos.com
 
 
 

> -----Original Message-----
> From: caut-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf Of
> BRENT.FISCHER@asu.edu
> Sent: Tuesday, November 01, 2005 12:26 AM
> To: College and University Technicians
> Subject: Re: [CAUT] Hearing Protection Desirable for Tuning?
> 
> 
>   Bob,
> 
>     You mentioned you have some tinnitus and stated that there should
be
> more
> emphasis on hearing damage caused by tuning. My story is clear
evidence
> that
> long term exposure can ruin your hearing and your life.
> 
>     I have had acute tinnitus for more than a year. High pitched
ringing
> and
> bi-tones that match certain notes. The tinnitus matching scale has me
> pegged at
> the highest readings possible, around 35db of internal sound, in the
brain
> that
> level is catastrophic. Since the sudden onset I continued to work with
the
> help
> of multiple medications that completely fogged my thinking and
hearing,
> but
> reached a point of no return last May and completely collapsed. The
> hearing loss
> I have is not serious but noise induced so tuning and rebuilding for
> thirty
> years without consistent hearing protection was certainly the cause.
> 
>    The inner ear hair cells are the conduit to the brain for auditory
> signals.
> When bent or broken there exists an electrical misfiring so the brain
will
> create a signal and sound to replace what it isn't receiving from the
> inner ear.
> Tinnitus is not yet well understood or treatable. With one of the best
> doctors
> in the country working on me there has been no improvement. This story
> should be
> printed on the front cover of the PTG journal so everyone runs to an
> audiologist
> for earplugs. Tinnitus has shaved ten or more years from my career, I
have
> just
> resigned from my post at ASU and am on medical disability, the
financial
> and
> personal losses are devastating. The tinnitus is so severe that even
> simple
> daily tasks are getting difficult and now I face the possibilty of
needing
> to
> move to an assisted living facility. This story is grim but hopefully
will
> help
> get the news out that hearing protection is not an option but
mandatory.
> 
>   Rick Florence participated here at ASU in a hearing study a few
years
> ago that
> showed our average db exposure over a day of work was at 83db, with
spikes
> of
> over 95db during some of the tuning. Not enough for Risk Management to
> require
> us to use hearing protection but they were concerned. I chose to back
off
> of
> hard test blows on practice pianos and saved them for recital work,
being
> an
> aural tuner I had difficulty setting a fine temperment quickly with
> earplugs so
> I elected not to use them. If you have even mild tinnitus I suggest
you
> read the
> web page of Dr. Micheal Robb, he is treating me and is identified as a
> national
> expert in the subject.
> 
> 
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