When you play a woodwind instrument, you use your lungs a lot more than the average person. I have always been curious about what effect this could have on the lungs, good or bad. It is often said that wind musicians generally have a greater lung capacity than other people, but is this true, and could there be other effects on the lungs? I’ve had a look into this and have found out some interesting information.
Woodwind musicians do not necessary have greater lung capacity, but they are trained to use much more of their lung capacity than most people. However, they are also more at risk of lung diseases and infections, particularly saxophone lung.
There are definitely both benefits and increased risks to the health of the lungs of woodwind musicians. Some of these are backed up by research, others more speculation. I’m going to cover the main benefits and health risks here and talk about whether there is evidence to support the claims.
Do wind musicians have greater lung capacity?
It is often stated that wind musicians have a greater lung capacity because they play an instrument. This implies that playing an instrument increases your lung capacity. However, this is not the case. It may be the case that people who naturally have a greater lung capacity may be more capable of playing a woodwind instrument well in terms of air flow, but playing a woodwind instrument does not in itself increase you lung capacity.
What actually happens is that woodwind musicians will be exercising their lungs much more than the average person. The amount of air flow needed is huge to make the instrument sound fully. The difference between the type of lung exercise experienced by woodwind musicians and sportspeople is the control required. While sportspeople need to control their breathing, they will not be filling their lungs as full as possible and holding them in that full position, releasing the air slowly and gradually, as a musician does.
There is also a difference between low woodwind and high woodwind in terms of lung function. Low woodwind instruments require huge volumes of air, meaning that the musician will have to learn to use the full capacity of their lungs. They will often literally practice breathing for this purpose.
High woodwind instruments require a little less air in one go, but must send that air through at a much faster speed, meaning the lungs are still being used in their full capacity. In addition to exercising their lungs and diaphragm, woodwind musicians will also find that their core and abdominal muscles are becoming stronger. Posture is also very important – for the full lung capacity to be available, the musician will need to sit straight upright on their chair, any slouching will squash the lungs and reduce available lung capacity.
Are woodwind musicians more susceptible to lung diseases?
There is some speculation that woodwind musicians are more susceptible to lung diseases and infections than most people. There have been some small scale studies that show some links between woodwind musicians and lung problems. However, one important point to consider is how woodwind musicians treat their instruments
It is certainly the case that there are diseases that can be caused by bacteria present in woodwind instruments reaching a player’s lungs. However, if the musician takes the time to clean their instrument regularly, there should be no serious risk of this. It is usually people that don’t take the time to clean their instruments thoroughly or don’t know how to do it properly that end up with these sorts of problems.
Some of the lung problems that musicians can be susceptible to are bronchitis (or other chest infections) and hypersensitivity pneumonitis (often known as saxophone lung). Saxophone lung is a condition caused by mould spores in an instrument. When a musician blows down their instrument, they create a warm, wet environment, well suited to breeding bacteria. If the player is allergic to the bacteria, they will most likely start to experience an adverse reaction over time, most likely a persistent cough with no obvious cause.
While saxophone lung is often not serious, it can be unpleasant (and, in extreme cases, deadly) when left untreated. It tends to go undiagnosed for long periods of time, as it requires someone to make the connection between the instrument and the illness. The disease is quite rare and can be eradicated by cleaning your instrument regularly.
Another serious condition that can occur as a result of not cleaning a woodwind instrument sufficiently is bronchitis. This is quite a serious chest infection that can cause a lot of damage to the lungs if left untreated. As musicians don’t always realise the cause of bronchitis, it can keep recurring, damaging the lungs by causing the air sacs to fill with fluid.
Are lung problems from woodwind instruments preventable?
The identified lung problems that are caused by playing a woodwind instrument are generally preventable if you take good care of your instrument. There is some speculation that woodwind musicians are more susceptible to lung cancer, but I have not found any evidence to back up this claim.
One of the problems with prevention is that not many woodwind musicians have ever been taught proper cleaning practices for their instruments. Studies undertaken at the University of Nottingham concluded that musicians have a 16% increased risk of respiratory illness, believed to be caused by a lack of cleaning of instruments.
As part of the studies, half of the participants said they didn’t clean their instrument after every use, and 58% of participants said they had never been taught how to properly clean an instrument. 61% were not aware that not cleaning their instrument put them at an increased risk of respiratory problems. It seems like a lot of the respiratory illness cases in musicians could be solved by teaching players how to clean their instruments effectively.
Summary
To sum up this article, there are some correlations between woodwind players and some lung conditions. The conditions are usually mild but can be difficult to diagnose and are therefore often left to progress untreated. Woodwind musicians do not have a greater lung capacity than others, but they are trained to make use of their full lung capacity more effectively than most people.