Have you ever forgotten your Earbuds in your pocket and they ended up going through the laundry or maybe lost them altogether? All of a sudden, your morning jog is a million times more boring. You have a dull and dreary train ride to work. And your virtual meetings are suffering from poor sound quality.
Sometimes, you don’t recognize how valuable something is until you’ve lost it (yes, we are not being discreet around here today).
So when you finally find or purchase a working set of earbuds, you’re thankful. Now your life is full of completely clear and vibrant audio, including music, podcasts, and audiobooks. Earbuds are all over the place these days, and people utilize them for so much more than just listening to their favorite songs (though, of course, they do that too).
But, regrettably, earbuds can present some significant risks to your ears because so many people use them for so many listening activities. If you’re wearing these devices all day every day, you could be putting your hearing at risk!
Why earbuds are different
In the past, you would require bulky, earmuff-style, headphones if you wanted a high-fidelity listening experience. That isn’t always the situation now. Modern earbuds can supply stunning sound in a tiny space. Back throughout the 2010s, smartphone makers popularized these little devices by offering a pair with every new smartphone purchase (Currently, you don’t see that as much).
These little earbuds (frequently they even have microphones) began showing up all over the place because they were so high-quality and available. Whether you’re out and about, or hanging out at home, earbuds are one of the principal ways you’re talking on the phone, streaming your favorite program, or listening to tunes.
Earbuds are practical in a number of contexts because of their dependability, portability, and convenience. Lots of individuals use them basically all of the time consequently. That’s where things get a little challenging.
It’s all vibrations
Here’s the thing: Music, podcasts, voice calls, they’re all in essence the same thing. They’re just waves of vibrating air molecules. Your brain will then sort the vibrations into categories like “voice” or “music”.
Your inner ear is the mediator for this process. Inside of your ear are tiny little hairs called stereocilia that oscillate when exposed to sound. These are not large vibrations, they’re tiny. Your inner ear is what really recognizes these vibrations. Your brain makes sense of these vibrations after they’re converted into electrical impulses by a nerve in your ear.
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 the same.
The dangers of earbud use
The danger of hearing damage is widespread because of the popularity of earbuds. According to one study, over 1 billion young individuals are at risk of developing hearing loss across the globe.
Using earbuds can raise your risk of:
- Needing to use a hearing aid in order to communicate with family and friends.
- Advancing deafness due to sensorineural hearing loss.
- Experiencing sensorineural hearing loss with repeated exposure.
- Experiencing social isolation or cognitive decline as a consequence of hearing loss.
There might be a greater risk with earbuds than conventional headphones, according to some evidence. The idea here is that the sound is funneled directly toward the more sensitive parts of your ear. Some audiologists believe this while others still aren’t convinced.
Besides, what’s more significant is the volume, and any set of headphones is able to deliver hazardous levels of sound.
Duration is also an issue besides volume
You might be thinking, well, the fix is simple: I’ll simply turn down the volume on my earbuds as I binge my new favorite program for 24 episodes in a row. Of course, this would be a smart idea. But there’s more to it than that.
This is because how long you listen is as significant as how loud it is. Think about it like this: listening at top volume for five minutes will damage your ears. But listening at medium volume for five hours might also harm your ears.
When you listen, here are a few ways to keep it safer:
- Take frequent breaks. It’s best to take frequent and lengthy breaks.
- Activate volume warnings on your device. If your listening volume gets too high, a notification will alert you. Once you hear this alert, it’s your task to reduce the volume.
- As a basic rule of thumb, only listen to your media at 40-50% volume.
- If you don’t want to think about it, you might even be capable of changing the maximum volume on your smart device.
- If your ears begin to experience pain or ringing, immediately stop listening.
- If you are listening at 80% volume, listen for a max of 90 minutes, and if you want to listen longer turn the volume down.
Earbuds particularly, and headphones generally, can be kind of stressful for your ears. So try to cut your ears some slack. Because sensorineural hearing loss typically happens slowly over time not suddenly. Most of the time individuals don’t even notice that it’s occurring until it’s too late.
There’s no cure and no way to reverse sensorineural hearing loss
Typically, NHIL, or noise-related hearing loss, is permanent. That’s because it’s sensorineural in nature (meaning, the cells in your ear are irreparably destroyed due to noise).
The damage builds up gradually over time, and it normally starts as very limited in scope. That can make NIHL hard to recognize. It might be getting progressively worse, all the while, you think it’s just fine.
Regrettably, NIHL cannot be cured or reversed. Still, there are treatments designed to mitigate and minimize some of the most considerable impacts of sensorineural hearing loss (the most popular of such treatments is a hearing aid). But the general damage that’s being done, unfortunately, is irreversible.
This means prevention is the best approach
This is why prevention is emphasized by so many hearing specialists. And there are several ways to lower your risk of hearing loss, and to exercise good prevention, even while using your earbuds:
- Control the amount of damage your ears are encountering while you are not wearing earbuds. Avoid overly loud settings whenever possible.
- Use volume-controlling apps on your phone and other devices.
- Use earbuds and headphones that have noise-canceling tech. This will mean you won’t have to crank the volume quite so loud so that you can hear your media clearly.
- Use multiple types of headphones. Simply put, switch from earbuds to other types of headphones now and then. Try using over-the-ear headphones as well.
- Having your hearing tested by us routinely is a good plan. We will be capable of hearing you get screened and track the overall health of your hearing.
- If you do have to go into an extremely noisy setting, utilize hearing protection. Ear plugs, for instance, work exceptionally well.
You will be able to preserve your sense of hearing for many years by taking measures to prevent hearing loss, particularly NHIL. And, if you do wind up needing treatment, such as hearing aids, they will be more effective.
So… are earbuds the enemy?
Well…should I just toss my earbuds 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 regularly. These earbuds could be damaging your hearing and you might not even recognize it. Your best defense, then, is knowing about the danger.
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 may have damaged your hearing with earbuds? We can help! Get tested now!