Eric Clapton recently expressed concerns that he had tinnitus and was “going deaf.” No less a musical talent than Ludwig van Beethoven shared these same concerns as he progressed from hearing buzzing in his ears (tinnitus) at age 26 to progressive hearing loss and total deafness by the age of 44. Yet, he still continued to compose music. He was able to do so by holding a pencil in his mouth and touching the other end to the soundboard of the piano as he played. Using the same principle that makes a bone-conduction hearing instrument work, Beethoven was able to conduct sound vibrations through the pencil to his teeth to his skull bones and into his inner ear.
The human ear is an amazing instrument. When its parts break down or fail to function properly, however, today’s remarkable technology is doing its best to keep pace to help the hearing impaired once again enjoy the sounds of the world around them. If you have concerns about your hearing, or a parent or other family member’s hearing abilities, we hope you’ll feel comfortable discussing today’s options for better hearing with a certified clinical audiologist at BETTER HEARING CENTER. Most insurances accepted for hearing evaluations_. We are New Hampshire’s premier hearing care provider._
P.S. By placing a vibrating tuning fork between their back teeth, musicians are able to hear a note via bone conduction, leaving both hands free to tune.