Have you ever been in a club and have the bass so loud that your chest vibrates? Or have you played music on your phone at full volume while sitting next to someone? If yes, then this blog post is for you. The dangers of loud music can include hearing damage or tinnitus (ringing in the ears). In this blog post, we will explore how harmful listening to too much noise can be.
Age Related Hearing Loss And Damage From Loud Noises Are Different
Age related hearing loss and hearing damage caused by loud noises are different . Hearing damage can be caused by a single loud noise or constant exposure to loud sounds. The sound waves cause the eardrum and ear canal to vibrate excessively, which leads to hair cells in the inner ear being bent out of shape and subsequently damaged.
If you are constantly exposed to noises louder than 85 decibels (dB) for prolonged periods of time without any protection, your hearing could be permanently altered resulting in something called Noise Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL). NIHL is usually gradual but irreversible once it starts. You may not notice changes at first because they happen slowly over months or years before symptoms develop such as ringing, muffled speech, difficulty understanding conversation even with background noise reduced.
On the other hand, there is no single cause of age-related hearing loss, loss. It is caused by a combination of genetics, aging, and exposure to noise as the ears age. This type of hearing loss can happen gradually over time or it could be sudden with an event such as ear infection.
How Can You Avoid Hearing Damage From Loud Music?
If you are in a club, make sure to use ear plugs. There are special ear plugs that are designed to protect your ears while still allowing you to enjoy the music. On the other hand, if the music is simply too loud for your taste, leave and go somewhere else. Another alternative is to take breaks by going outside until your ears stop hurting. Keep in mind that some people have more sensitive hearing than others and may need less noise exposure time to cause hearing damage.
If you are using your phone, avoid the temptation to crank it all the way up and instead use a lower volume setting or else plug in headphones so that other people do not have to listen with you. If listening on speakers try to keep them away from you by at least one foot. Make sure not to sleep next to loud noises such as music coming out of an iPhone dock if earplugs don't work well for you.
When buying new ear phones, make sure they offer good ear protection against external noise (although this doesn't always mean expensive). While closed back over the ear headphones are probably the best in terms of isolating you from outside noises - thereby allowing you to play your music at lower volumes - in recent years, even earbuds offer good passive noise cancelation so they are able to provide a similar benefit.
What Should I Do If My Ears Start To Hurt Or Ring?
If you have been in a loud place for a while and your ears start to hurt, then take some time away from the noise. It's important that you give them some relief so they can heal (remember there is no such thing as "resting" one ear). You should also speak with an audiologist to see what additional steps need to be taken if it does not go away after these measures. If you are experiencing tinnitus, refer digital white-noise generators which will help mask the ringing sounds by making more of them.
Do Active Noise Canceling Headphones Help Prevent Hearing Loss?
Noise canceling headphones are helpful in blocking out background noise. However, they should not be worn for long periods of time and you should always take them off when something is asking your attention or if there's an emergency situation nearby. Some people have the misconception that because their ears hurt less with ANC headphones on, it means they're safe from hearing damage - this isn't true!
They can still cause a lot of damage even at low volumes over prolonged exposure times. When purchasing new earbuds, make sure to find ones which block both outside sounds and those coming from inside your device (like music). This type will help prevent tinnitus by protecting your auditory nerve before too much volume has been reached.
