Have you ever lost your earbuds? (Or, perhaps, unintentionally left them in the pocket of a pullover that went through the laundry?) Now it’s so boring going for a run in the morning. Your commute or train ride is dreary and dull. And your virtual meetings are suffering from bad audio quality.
Sometimes, you don’t realize how valuable something is until you have to live without it (yes, we are not being subtle around here today).
So you’re so relieved when you finally get a working set of earbuds. Now your life is full of completely clear and vibrant audio, including music, podcasts, and audiobooks. Earbuds have so many uses other than listening to music and a large percentage of people utilize them.
But, regrettably, earbuds can present some considerable risks to your hearing because so many people use them for so many listening tasks. If you’re using these devices all day every day, you might be putting your hearing in danger!
Why earbuds are different
In previous years, you would require bulky, earmuff-style, headphones if you wanted a high-fidelity listening experience. That’s all now changed. Fabulous sound quality can be created in a very small space with contemporary earbuds. Back throughout the 2010s, smartphone makers popularized these little devices by supplying a pair with every new smartphone purchase (funny enough, they’re pretty rare these days when you purchase a new phone).
Partly because these sophisticated earbuds (with microphones, even) were so readily available, they started showing up everywhere. Whether you’re talking on the phone, listening to tunes, or watching Netflix, earbuds are one of the chief ways to do that (whether you are on the go or not).
Earbuds are practical in a number of contexts because of their reliability, portability, and convenience. Lots of people use them pretty much all of the time consequently. That’s where things get a little tricky.
Vibrations are what it’s all about
In essence, phone calls, music, or podcasts are all the same. They’re simply waves of moving air molecules. Your brain will then sort the vibrations into categories like “voice” or “music”.
In this endeavor, your brain is given a big assist from your inner ear. There are tiny hairs inside of your ear that oscillate when exposed to sound. These are not big vibrations, they’re tiny. Your inner ear is what actually identifies these vibrations. At this stage, you have a nerve in your ear that converts those vibrations into electrical signals, and that’s what allows your brain to figure it all out.
This is important because it’s not music or drums that cause hearing loss, it’s volume. So whether you’re listening to NPR or Death Metal, the risk is exactly the same.
The dangers of earbud use
The risk of hearing damage is widespread because of the appeal of earbuds. Across the globe, more than a billion people are at risk of developing hearing loss, according to one study.
On an individual level, when you utilize earbuds at high volume, you increase your danger of:
- Continued exposure increasing the advancement of sensorineural hearing loss.
- Going through social isolation or cognitive decline as a result of hearing loss.
- Developing deafness due to sensorineural hearing loss.
- Needing to utilize a hearing aid in order to communicate with friends and loved ones.
There may be a greater risk with earbuds than conventional headphones, according to some evidence. The reason may be that earbuds direct sound right to the most sensitive parts of the ear. Some audiologists believe this while others still aren’t sure.
Either way, volume is the main factor, and both kinds of headphones can deliver hazardous levels of that.
It’s not only volume, it’s duration, as well
You might be thinking, well, the solution is simple: While I’m binging all 24 episodes of my favorite streaming show, I’ll simply reduce the volume. Naturally, this would be a smart idea. But it may not be the total answer.
This is because how long you listen is as crucial as how loud it is. Think about it like this: listening at max volume for five minutes will harm your ears. But listening at medium volume for five hours might also harm your ears.
When you listen, here are a few ways to make it safer:
- It’s a good idea not to go above 40% – 50% volume level.
- If you don’t want to worry about it, you might even be capable of changing the maximum volume on your smart device.
- Make use of the 80/90 rule: Listen at 80% volume for no more than 90 minutes. (Want more minutes? Lower the volume.)
- If your ears begin to experience pain or ringing, immediately quit listening.
- Give yourself lots of breaks. It’s best to take regular and extended breaks.
- Make sure that your device has volume level warnings turned on. These warnings can alert you when your listening volume gets a bit too high. Naturally, then it’s up to you to adjust your volume, but it’s better than nothing!
Your ears can be stressed by utilizing headphones, specifically earbuds. So try to cut your ears some slack. Because sensorineural hearing loss usually occurs slowly over time not immediately. Which means, you might not even recognize it happening, at least, not until it’s too late.
Sensorineural hearing loss is permanent
Noise-Induced Hearing Loss (or NIHL) is usually irreversible. That’s because it’s sensorineural in nature (meaning, the cells in your ear become irreparably damaged due to noise).
The damage is scarcely noticeable, especially in the early stages, and progresses gradually over time. That can make NIHL difficult to recognize. It might be getting slowly worse, in the meantime, you believe it’s just fine.
There is presently no cure or ability to reverse NIHL. Still, there are treatments designed to mitigate and reduce some of the most significant effects of sensorineural hearing loss (the most prevalent of such treatments is a hearing aid). These treatments, however, are not able to counter the damage that’s been done.
This means prevention is the most useful strategy
This is why prevention is emphasized by so many hearing specialists. Here are some ways to continue to listen to your earbuds while lowering your risk of hearing loss with good prevention routines:
- If you do have to go into an extremely noisy environment, utilize hearing protection. Wear earplugs, for instance.
- Change up the types of headphones you’re using. That is, don’t use earbuds all day every day. Try using over-the-ear headphones also.
- Schedule regular visits with us to have your hearing tested. We will be able to help you get screened and track the general health of your hearing.
- When you’re not using your earbuds, minimize the amount of noise damage your ears are exposed to. This could mean paying extra attention to the sound of your surroundings or avoiding overly loud scenarios.
- Utilize earbuds and headphones that incorporate noise-canceling tech. This will mean you won’t have to crank the volume quite so loud in order to hear your media clearly.
- Use volume-controlling apps on your phone and other devices.
You will be able to preserve your sense of hearing for many years by taking steps to prevent hearing loss, especially NHIL. It can also help make treatments such as hearing aids more effective when you do ultimately need them.
So… are earbuds the enemy?
So does all this mean you should grab your nearest set of earbuds and throw them in the trash? Not Exactly! Not at all! Brand-name earbuds can be expensive.
But your strategy may need to be changed if you’re listening to your earbuds constantly. You may not even recognize that your hearing is being harmed by your earbuds. Being aware of the danger, then, is your best defense against it.
Step one is to control the volume and duration of your listening. The second step is to consult with us about the state of your hearing right away.
If you think you might have damage caused by overuse of earbuds, call us right away! We Can Help!