Have you ever lost your earbuds? (Or, perhaps, unintentionally left them in the pocket of a pullover that went through the washer and dryer?) 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.
The old saying “you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone” applies here.
So when you finally find or purchase a working set of earbuds, you’re grateful. Now your life is full of completely clear and vibrant audio, including music, podcasts, and audiobooks. Earbuds are everywhere right now, and individuals use them for so much more than simply listening to their favorite songs (though, of course, 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. Your hearing may be at risk if you’re wearing earbuds a lot every day.
Why earbuds are different
In previous years, you would require bulky, earmuff-style, headphones if you wanted a high-quality listening experience. All that has now changed. Fabulous sound quality can be created in a very small space with modern earbuds. Back throughout the 2010s, smartphone makers popularized these little devices by offering a pair with every new smartphone purchase (Presently, you don’t find that so much).
These little earbuds (frequently they even include microphones) began showing up everywhere because they were so high-quality and available. Whether you’re out and about, or hanging out at home, earbuds are one of the main ways you’re taking calls, viewing your favorite show, or listening to tunes.
Earbuds are practical in a number of contexts because of their reliability, portability, and convenience. Because of this, many consumers use them pretty much all the time. And that’s become somewhat of a problem.
It’s all vibrations
Basically, phone calls, music, or podcasts are all the same. They’re simply air molecules being moved by waves of pressure. It’s your brain that does all the heavy lifting of interpreting those vibrations, grouping one kind of vibration into the “music” category and another into the “voice” category.
In this activity, your brain is given a big assist from your inner ear. Inside of your ear are tiny little hairs called stereocilia that vibrate when subjected to sound. These are not large vibrations, they’re very small. Your inner ear is what really identifies these vibrations. At this stage, you have a nerve in your ear that translates those vibrations into electrical signals, and that’s what lets your brain make heads or tails of it all.
This is significant because it’s not music or drums that cause hearing damage, it’s volume. Which means the risk is the same whether you’re listening to Death Metal or an NPR podcast.
What are the risks of using earbuds?
The danger of hearing damage is prevalent because of the popularity 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 raise your danger of:
- Experiencing sensorineural hearing loss with repeated exposure.
- Sensorineural hearing loss resulting in deafness.
- Hearing loss contributing to mental decline and social isolation.
- Needing to utilize a hearing aid so that you can communicate with family and friends.
There’s some evidence to suggest that using earbuds might present greater risks than using regular headphones. The reason may be that earbuds direct sound right to the most sensitive parts of the ear. But the jury’s still out on this, and not all audiologists are on board.
Besides, what’s more important is the volume, and any set of headphones is able to deliver dangerous levels of sound.
Duration is also an issue besides volume
Maybe you think there’s a simple fix: While I’m binging all 24 episodes of my favorite streaming program, I’ll simply lower the volume. Well… that would help. But it may not be the complete solution.
The reason is that it’s not simply the volume that’s the issue, it’s the duration. Think about it like this: listening at top volume for five minutes will damage your ears. But listening at medium volume for five hours could also harm your ears.
So here’s how you can be a little safer when you listen:
- If you don’t want to think about it, you may even be capable of changing the maximum volume on your smart device.
- It’s a good idea not to go above 40% – 50% volume level.
- If your ears start to experience pain or ringing, immediately stop listening.
- Be certain that your device has volume level warnings turned on. These warnings can alert you when your listening volume goes a little too high. Once you hear this alert, it’s your task to reduce the volume.
- Give yourself lots of breaks. The more breaks (and the longer duration they are), the better.
- If you are 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 using headphones, especially earbuds. So try to cut your ears some slack. Because sensorineural hearing loss normally occurs slowly over time not suddenly. Which means, you may not even acknowledge it happening, at least, not until it’s too late.
There is no cure and no way to reverse sensorineural hearing loss
Typically, NHIL, or noise-related hearing loss, is 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, particularly in the early stages, and progresses slowly over time. NHIL can be hard to identify as a result. It may be getting gradually worse, in the meantime, you believe it’s perfectly fine.
There is presently no cure or capability of reversing NIHL. But strategies (hearing aids most notably) do exist that can reduce the impact sensorineural hearing loss can have. These treatments, however, are not able to reverse the damage that’s been done.
This means prevention is the most useful approach
That’s why so many hearing specialists put a significant emphasis on prevention. And there are several ways to lower your risk of hearing loss, and to practice good prevention, even while listening to your earbuds:
- Reduce the amount of damage your ears are encountering while you are not using earbuds. Avoid excessively loud environments whenever possible.
- If you do have to go into an extremely loud setting, utilize hearing protection. Ear plugs, for instance, work remarkably well.
- Many headphones and earbuds incorporate noise-canceling technology, try to use those. With this function, you will be able to hear your media more clearly without having to crank it up quite so loud.
- Getting your hearing tested by us regularly is a smart plan. We will be able to help you get screened and monitor the overall health of your hearing.
- Use volume-restricting apps on your phone and other devices.
- Use multiple kinds of headphones. That is, don’t wear earbuds all day every day. Try using over-the-ear headphones also.
You will be able to protect your sense of hearing for many years by taking measures to prevent hearing loss, particularly NHIL. It can also help make treatments such as hearing aids more effective when you do ultimately require them.
So… are earbuds the enemy?
So does all this mean you should grab your nearest pair of earbuds and chuck them in the trash? Not Exactly! Particularly not if you have those Apple AirPods, those little gizmos are not cheap!
But your strategy could need to be modified if you’re listening to your earbuds constantly. You might not even recognize that your hearing is being harmed by your earbuds. Being aware of the danger, then, is your best defense against it.
When you listen, reduce the volume, that’s the first step. But talking to us about the state of your hearing is the next step.
Think you might have damaged your hearing with earbuds? We can help! Get assessed now!
