Headphones are the finest example of the current modern human condition. conditions in humankind. Headphones today allow you to insulate yourself from the people around you and at the same time connect to the world of sounds. You may hear music, watch Netflix or follow the news from all across the world.
Most likely, all you know about headphones are portable and produce nice sound, they are useful when you utilize them at low volumes. Headphones might be a health risk if you hear excessively loud sounds. But do you know that the high volume of your headphones is killing your hearing?
Are Headphones Bad For Your Ears?
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Basically, a pair of tiny speakers that you wear on your ears for listening to music and near to your eardrum can be resulting in irreversible hearing loss. Headphones only serve one function that they move the sound source closer to the ear canal, boosting the intensity perceived from ears without raising the decibels which are produced by the earpiece.
Headphones can damage the ears if they are used for a long period of time at a high volume. Loud sound can damage the hair cells in the cochlea and results in complete hearing loss, also known as noise-induced hearing loss.
Humans, by their own nature, enjoy turning up the volume of their music. It gives their music more fun and feels immersive, that is why v-shaped sound signature headphones are so popular. But are you aware of the effects of listening to loud music all the time? Do you even know what listening volumes are recommended?
What Are The Possible Dangers Of Headphones?
Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is a condition in which excessive use of headphones causes hearing loss. This kind of hearing loss is a wide-spreading issue among kids and teens. People choose headphones for cranking up the volume which can damage your hearing.
Without being affected, the human ear can take up to 90 dB. For everyone, the damage is reversible in most situations. Everything more than 120 dB decibels might severely damage the ears.
The motorbike and chainsaws produce around 100 decibels of sound and after less than half an hour, that much loudness leads to hearing loss of someone’s ears. an MP3 player is about 85 decibels at 70% of its maximum volume if you switch up the volume and listen for long times can become a cause of permanent hearing loss.
How High Volumes Cause Hearing Loss?
The human ear consists of three parts like the outer ear, the middle ear, and the inner ear. The inner ear part is called the cochlea which consists of tiny hair cells. These hair cells send sound messages to the brain but the loud volume damages the hair cells.
In contrast, damage to other parts of your body, inner ear damage can never be healed. Over time, your hearing will get worse, and worse as more as hair cells get damaged.
How Can I Keep My Hearing Safe?
Hearing health is an essential aspect of your entire health that is why headphones have a health risk, especially as they tend to be everywhere (headphones are really easy to get a hold of).
If you think about safe methods to listen to music all the time, you’ll avoid harmful habits like listening to loud sounds. Keep in mind, what steps you can take to protect your hearing from noise-induced hearing loss which is caused by headphones, bearing this in mind?
It’s simple to avoid hearing loss by using headphones. If you don’t want to permanently damage your hearing, all you have to do is use the abundance of knowledge that researchers have suggested many methods to adopt in order to make headphones a bit safer to use.
1.) Don’t Turn The Volume Too High:
Sounds of 70 dBA or less are typically considered as safe. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends every sound above or below 85 dBA can harm your hearing more likely over time, so don’t turn your music volume too high.
For instance, music played by headphones is generally 94-110 dBA at the highest level which can be caused by hearing loss permanently. There are several devices with volume controls that allow you to safely set the maximum volume.
2.) Age-Wise Usage Restriction:
According to WHO, safe listening for younger and youngsters, 40 hours of weekly exposure to volume levels no higher than 80 dB, while for children, the level is 75 dB. The recommendations would also include information on the external packaging and advertising of products, as well as on websites for companies.
3.) Keep Notice Of The Volume Warnings:
Most phones have settings that allow you to set a maximum volume and also built-in warnings when pumping up the volume so you don’t accidentally exceed a safe limit. On personal listening devices, set to no more than half volume. To search for the feature, navigate to the menu options, or see it up online if you can’t even find it. This is an excellent approach for parents to regulate the way when their children listen to music.
4.) Avoid Continuous Wear:
Taking breaks from your headphones can be helpful to prevent hearing loss. The longer you hear loud music, there is the greater possibility that your hearing may suffer therefore keep your music at moderate volume. Minimize your headphone use and try taking a five-minute break every 30 minutes or a 10-minute break every 60 minutes.
Conclusion:
The content in this article is for educational and information purposes only and is not for health or medical consultation purposes. Consult always with a doctor or other certified physician for any questions about a medical condition or health needs.
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