The Effect of Unilateral Hearing Protection on Vocal Intensity With Varying Degrees of Background Noise

Introduction: The Lombard effect (LE) is a phenomenon in which speakers adjust their vocal production by raising the volume in noisy environments. As a result, the LE can create problems of vocal strain, fatigue and potential injury. Objectives: This study aims to examine the difference in vocal intensity output in subjects wearing unilateral hearing protection versus no hearing protection in the presence of background noise. Methods: Each subject was seated inside a sound booth wearing a head-mounted microphone. Subjects were asked to read an excerpt from “The Rainbow Passage” while various levels of background noise were played: 50, 60, 70, and 80 dBA (Multitalker Babble). Each noise level was played while the subject was with and without unilateral ear protection (Optime 98 Earmuff [3M]) in random order. The earmuff has a noise reduction rating of 25 dB. After each reading of the text, subjects were asked to rate communication disturbance, vocal clarity, and discomfort during talking using a 10 cm visual analogue scale. Results: The LE is reduced from 0.38 dB/dB to 0.29 dB/dB with unilateral ear occlusion. However, self-perception of disturbance, clarity and comfort were not affected by unilateral occlusion, only by noise level. Conclusions: Unilateral hearing protection reduces the LE and may protect against phonotrauma when speaking in an environment with loud background noise.