Our electronics now come standard with earbuds and headphones, which are also essential to how we listen to music. One has to question whether this is a fear tactic to get teenagers to remove their earbuds or whether headphones really can cause hearing loss.
Nowadays, it’s difficult to listen to music without headphones. The loudness of some songs is too much for many sound systems; therefore, musicians have learned to include earbuds in their music. Some tracks sound different with headphones on or off, and they may lack depth when played over speakers.
But several studies suggest that earphones contribute to hearing loss. Not necessarily employing them results in this. Like most things, headphones can be misused and be unhealthy for us. We can permanently harm our hearing if we use them too frequently and loudly. Young individuals who listen to music excessively loudly and regularly should be especially concerned about this.
It’s not a novel idea that listening to loud music might be dangerous. Since rock concerts began more than 40 years ago, young people have been listening to loud music. These practises only caused hearing loss in musicians and ardent groupies. Young people today listen to loud music virtually every day, in contrast to the majority of individuals who formerly only infrequently attended loud events. This is causing cases of NIHL, or noise-induced hearing loss, to manifest early.
How headphones damage your hearing
Headphones enable users to listen to music privately and enhance sound quality by directing sound directly into the ears. You are the only person who is listening to the private show, so no speakers are required to play the music loudly. Vocals and guitars sound clearer and more defined, and effects like surround sound are simple to accomplish. However, there is a chance for danger as well.
The volume can be pushed up to potentially harmful levels in order to drown out other sounds. Let’s do a comparison to show you how loud this actually is. A chainsaw operates at a sound level that is similar to that of a motorcycle engine, which is 100 decibels. These are obnoxious, loud noises that can harm our ears and leave them ringing for hours.
In contrast, a music player playing at 70% volume is producing 85 decibels of sound. This effect is heightened by the direct playback of these noises into your ears. You turn up the volume to make the music stand out from the background noise if you’re on a noisy bus or aeroplane. You might turn up the level to 90 dB if the background noise is 75 dB in order to clearly hear it. The ear doesn’t care why you increase the loudness, which is an issue. 90 dB is 90 dB to the ear.
How can I prevent hearing loss?
Do not panic; cutting off all of your headphone cords won’t help you avoid losing your hearing. Limiting your use of these gadgets and maintaining a fair volume can also help to protect your ears.
Wearing headphones with effective passive or active noise reduction is a wise choice. You may play music at a safe volume while still hearing it fairly loud and clearly by lowering the ambient noise. Additionally, avoid falling asleep with music playing via your headphones and spend some time during the day enjoying solitude or soft noise. Our ears need to rest because they get fatigued much like other muscles do. As a result, you must take breaks from listening to preserve your ears. You can maintain a positive relationship with music and reduce your risk for NIHL and tinnitus by turning down the volume and avoiding extended exposure.
