Music Hertz Your Hearing: How Earbuds And Headphones Negatively Impact Your Hearing

Posted on: 1 May 2015

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Most people would assume that it is only older people who suffer from hearing loss. However, it is possible for young children, teens and younger adults to suffer hearing damage as well. There are many reasons for this, such as an injury, but it can also occur from listening to loud music. In fact, 50 percent of participants in a recent study were found to listen to music at decibels that are considered unsafe.

Decibels: How Much Is Too Much?

Decibels refer to exactly how extreme the sound pressure if of the music that you are listening to. This and the exposure time is what determines the extent of the damage that is done to your ears and hearing. Listening to music at high decibels will break down the fine hair cells in the ears. These fine hairs work to stimulate auditory nerve fibers, which are responsible for transmitting sound data to your brain. When these hairs are damaged, it is permanent. It is what leads to the loss of your hearing. The damage to these hairs will typically begin around 85 decibels

Change Your Listening Style and Device

The way you listen to your music will dramatically impact whether your hearing is damaged from the sound. Many people who wear earbuds for listening to music will crank up the volume all the way so that all background noise is eliminated. Unfortunately, some earbuds exceed 120 decibels, which is far too high to avoid damage. For that reason, you may want to opt for larger headphones that have the ability to cancel out background noise easier since they fit around the entire ear.

If you're not into large headphones, then you should consider finding earbuds that won't provide you with the temptation to crank up the tunes. For earbuds and headphones, there are noise-canceling features that will block out ambient noise so that there is no reason that you need to turn your groove up to the maximum volume.

Does the Type of Music Matter?

Some may think that hard rock music is more damaging to your hearing than something softer, such as country or classical music. However, this isn't necessarily true. It all boils down to how long you are exposed to the music and what its volume is set to.

If you would like to learn more about exposure to loud noises and its effect on your hearing, or you have already suffered hearing loss and would like to learn about what options are available, consult with an audiologist like Audiology Consultants, P.C. for more information.