Have you ever left your Earbuds in your pocket and they ended up going through the laundry or maybe lost them altogether? Now it’s so boring going for a run in the morning. Your commute or bus ride is dreary and dull. And the sound quality of your virtual meetings suffers significantly.
Sometimes, you don’t recognize how valuable something is until you’ve lost it (yes, we are not being subtle around here today).
So you’re so relieved when you finally get a working pair of earbuds. The world is instantly vibrant again, full of music, podcasts, and crystal clear sound. Earbuds are all over the place these days, and people use them for a lot more than just listening to their favorite music (though, naturally, they do that too).
But, regrettably, earbuds can present some substantial risks to your ears because so many people are using them for so many listening activities. If you’re using these devices all day every day, you might be putting your hearing in jeopardy!
Why earbuds are different
It used to be that if you wanted high-quality audio from a set of headphones, you’d have to use a heavy, cumbersome set of over-the-ear cans (yes, “cans” is jargon for headphones). All that has now changed. Awesome sound quality can be produced in a very small space with contemporary earbuds. Back throughout the 2010s, smartphone manufacturers popularized these little devices by supplying a pair with every new smartphone purchase (Presently, you don’t find that as much).
These little earbuds (frequently they even have microphones) began showing up everywhere because they were so high-quality and available. Whether you’re talking on the phone, listening to music, or watching movies, earbuds are one of the main ways to do that (whether you are on the go or not).
It’s that mixture of convenience, portability, and reliability that makes earbuds practical in a wide variety of contexts. Lots of individuals use them basically all of the time consequently. And that’s become somewhat of an issue.
Vibrations are what it’s all about
Basically, phone calls, music, or podcasts are all the same. They’re simply air molecules being vibrated by waves of pressure. It’s your brain that does all the heavy lifting of interpreting those vibrations, sorting one type of vibration into the “music” category and another into the “voice” category.
In this endeavor, your brain receives a big assist from your inner ear. Inside of your ear are very small hairs known as stereocilia that vibrate when subjected to sound. These vibrations are infinitesimal, they’re tiny. These vibrations are distinguished by your inner ear. At that point, there’s a nerve in your ear that translates those vibrations into electrical impulses, and that’s what lets your brain figure it all out.
It’s not what type of sound but volume that causes hearing damage. So whether you’re listening to NPR or Death Metal, the risk is exactly the same.
What are the risks of using earbuds?
Because of the appeal of earbuds, the risk of hearing damage as a result of loud noise is pretty prevalent. Across the globe, more than a billion people are at risk of developing hearing loss, according to one study.
Using earbuds can raise your risk of:
- Advancing deafness caused by sensorineural hearing loss.
- Hearing loss contributing to cognitive decline and social isolation.
- Repeated subjection increasing the development of sensorineural hearing loss.
- Needing to use a hearing aid in order to communicate with family and friends.
There could 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 components of the ear. Some audiologists think this is the case while others still aren’t sure.
Besides, what’s more relevant is the volume, and any set of headphones is capable of delivering hazardous levels of sound.
Duration is also a concern besides volume
You may be thinking, well, the fix is simple: While I’m binging all 24 episodes of my favorite streaming program, I’ll simply reduce the volume. Of course, this would be a smart idea. But it might not be the total answer.
This is because how long you listen is as important as how loud it is. Modest volume for five hours can be just as damaging as top volume for five minutes.
When you listen, here are some ways to keep it safer:
- Enable volume warnings on your device. These warnings can alert you when your listening volume goes a little too high. Once you hear this alert, it’s your job to reduce the volume.
- Give yourself lots of breaks. The more breaks (and the longer length they are), the better.
- It’s a good plan not to go above 40% – 50% volume level.
- Quit listening right away if you hear ringing in your ears or your ears start to hurt.
- If you don’t want to worry about it, you may even be capable of changing the maximum volume on your smart device.
- If you’re listening at 80% volume, listen for a max of 90 minutes, and if you want to listen more turn the volume down.
Your ears can be stressed by utilizing headphones, specifically earbuds. So give your ears a break. After all, sensorineural hearing loss doesn’t (typically) develop suddenly; it progresses slowly and over time. Most of the time people don’t even recognize that it’s happening until it’s too late.
There is no cure and no way to reverse sensorineural hearing loss
Usually, NHIL, or noise-related hearing loss, is irreversible. That’s because it’s sensorineural in nature (meaning, the cells in your ear become irreversibly destroyed because of noise).
The damage accumulates gradually over time, and it usually begins as very limited in scope. NHIL can be difficult to identify as a result. You may think your hearing is just fine, all the while it’s slowly getting worse and worse.
There is currently no cure or ability to reverse NIHL. However, there are treatments created to offset and minimize some of the most considerable effects of sensorineural hearing loss (the most prevalent of such treatments is a hearing aid). These treatments, however, are not able to reverse the damage that’s been done.
This means prevention is the best approach
That’s why so many hearing specialists put a substantial focus on prevention. Here are a few ways to keep listening to your earbuds while decreasing your risk of hearing loss with good prevention practices:
- Having your hearing checked by us regularly is a smart plan. We will be able to help you get tested and monitor the general health of your hearing.
- Utilize earbuds and headphones that incorporate noise-canceling technology. This will mean you won’t need to crank the volume quite so loud in order to hear your media clearly.
- When you’re using your devices, use volume-limiting apps.
- Use multiple kinds of headphones. Put simply, switch from earbuds to other kinds of headphones sometimes. Try using over-the-ear headphones also.
- Control the amount of damage your ears are encountering while you’re not using earbuds. This could mean paying additional attention to the sound of your environment or steering clear of overly loud situations.
- If you do need to go into an extremely noisy setting, utilize hearing protection. Wear earplugs, for example.
Preventing hearing loss, especially NIHL, can help you preserve your sense of hearing for years longer. And, if you do end up needing treatment, like hearing aids, they will be more effective.
So… are earbuds the enemy?
So does all this mean you should grab your nearest set of earbuds and chuck them in the garbage? Not Exactly! Especially not if you have those Apple AirPods, those little devices are expensive!
But it does mean that, if you’re listening to earbuds on a regular basis, you might want to think about varying your strategy. You might not even realize that your hearing is being harmed by your earbuds. Knowing the danger, then, is your best defense against it.
When you listen, reduce the volume, that’s the first step. But speaking with us about the state of your hearing is the next step.
Think you may have damaged your hearing with earbuds? We can help! Get tested now!