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Protect Your Hearing while Using Headphones
Headphones are one of the most popular ways to listen to music and podcasts. Since 1979 with the introduction of the Sony Walkman Cassette player, people have been using headphones as a way to privately listen to music. This has allowed millions to listen and study without bothering others in busy café’s, educational settings, public transportation, and more. While this coinvent invention has become a staple of our society, it does come with some health risks. This includes a direct risk to our hearing. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 1.1 billion young people are at risk of potentially life-altering hearing loss due to exposure to loud noise. While a large portion of this can be attributed to exposure to loud noise in bars, clubs, and music venues, WHO believes that listening to loud music with headphones on a smart device poses the most notable issue.
Not Just For Older Adults
While hearing loss had long been associated with older adults, in form of age related hearing loss, due to unsafe listening practices, it’s estimated that those under 35 are more likely to listen to music using mobile devices than other age groups, raising the risk to hearing. WHO believes of those 35 years and younger who listen to headphones, 50% are most likely listening at unsafe volumes.
How Loud is Too Loud?
The volume of sound is measured in decibel (dBA). Any decibel level over 85 dBA or more poses the risk of permanent damage to your hearing. It’s not just the level of exposure to consider, but the length of exposure. For instance, at 85dBA it takes 8 hours of constant exposure before damage begins. As the decibel level rises, the time it takes for damage to occur quickly decreases. Headphones and personal listening devices pose such a great risk to hearing due to their potential to deliver decibels as high as 105 dBA, directly to the ears. At this level, damage can occur in under 15 minuets. However, people often listen to their headphones for hours on end.
Tinnitus and Headphone Use
Not only does headphone use contribute to permanent hearing loss, but unsafe listening practices can cause tinnitus as well. Nearly 90% of those who have tinnitus also suffer from hearing loss. Tinnitus is a phantom sound which is often caused by exposure to excessive levels of sound. While initially harmless, when chronic, it can cause stress, sleeplessness and issues concentrating during the day. To better understand how tinnitus can be managed, Dr Edmund Farrar and Dr George Leidig founded a tinnitus support app, called Oto.
“Provided you take the necessary precautions, headphones should not cause any issues,” they advise.
However, if you listen at a high volume for extended periods of time, this can damage the part of your ear that translates sound waves into nerve signals.
This can result in hearing damage or tinnitus (ringing in your ears).
“This hearing damage could be temporary or permanent. It depends on many factors, such as the volume that the headphones are at, and how frequently you listen to sounds at a high volume.”
How can you protect your ears while using headphones?
It’s important to understand while headphones can be incredibly and quickly damaging to your ears, there is a safe way to still used them. Dr Farrar and Dr Leidig explain “A good rule of thumb is usually to keep your headphones at less than 60% total volume, but this will of course vary between manufacturers. Some, like Apple’s iPhone, monitor safe noise levels and you can see this data in the Health app.” Make sure in addition to monitoring the level of sound, to take listen breaks. This gives your inner ear, a chance to rest and recover, preserving the health of your hearing.
The Importance of Hearing Health
Drs Farrar and Leidig note “Both tinnitus and hearing loss can have a huge impact on your life. Hearing loss can make communication very difficult, and you may be required to wear a hearing aid. Tinnitus can be very unpleasant and can interfere with mood, sleeping and concentration. Imagine never hearing silence again! If hearing damage is preventable, you should take the necessary precautions to do so,” recommend Dr Farrar and Dr Leidig.
If you are experiencing issues with your hearing and tinnitus, don’t hesitate to contact us today to test your hearing and help you find the best solution for your hearing issues.