Hearing loss caused by exposure to excessively loud music is an impairment that we usually bring on ourselves. Usually afflicted are young people who listen to loud music frequently, over extended periods of time and with headphones. Experts believe that the safest way to listen to music is in an open field, i.e. with speakers. Headphones, on the other hand, amplify the sound and send it right to the eardrum.
Dangerous music – high volumes, close distance and long exposure
The Polish Association of Audiologists warns that the maximum audibility threshold for a human ear is 110-120 decibels. If the environment around a given person is louder, he or she reaches the threshold of pain and hearing damage occurs. Crossing this threshold by 30 decibels results in a permanent hearing loss.
No one should be exposed to a 110-decibel noise for more than 1 minute and 29 seconds a day. This could be juxtaposed with an average of 70 decibels of urban traffic during rush hours. A rock concert will hit us with 100-105 decibels and a disco – 110-115 decibels. Headphones, in turn, even in the smallest music players and smartphones can generate (according to a research by the European Commission) volumes of up to 88-113 dB.
That is why extended periods of exposure to loud music are likely to cause hearing damage. In a survey by “Action on Hearing Loss", a British organisation, two thirds of those interviewed reported ringing in the ears after a loud night at a concert or a disco.
Besides the volume, other key factors that may induce hearing loss include the duration of exposure and the distance to the source of sound.
The duration is important as the longer we listen to loud music, the stronger the tension of muscles in the inner ear. Therefore, as recommended by the Polish Association of Audiologists, we should let our ears rest in silence after a night out at a concert or cinema.
Why are headphones so dangerous?
According to American studies, already one and a half hour of daily exposure to noise incurs the risk of damage to hearing. At the same time, Brian Filgor, the author of these studies and an audiologist at the Children’s Hospital in Boston, argues that people using headphones from time to time can rest assured about the safety of their hearing.
"I’m rather referring to those who listen to music at volumes turned up to over 80 percent, for 1.5 hours a day, every month, over a few-years period," Filgor explains.
Nevertheless, experts have varied views as to whether ear-bud headphones inserted into the ear canal are more hazardous than their standard counterparts. Referring to the results of another American study, Fligor says there is no difference. But Katarzyna Ostrowska, a audiologist, believes otherwise.
"Ear-buds are the worst, as they send the sound right to the tympanic membrane. Young people tend to forget that while listening to music, we should still hear what's happening around, rather than cut ourselves off from the outside world. So I’d recommend choosing standard headphones which generate much less harmful decibels," the expert claims.
Dr. Henryk Kowalski from the Mościcki Hospital in Chorzów has the following message to parents – before you buy your child a portable audio player, be sure to check what kind of sound it generates. Listen for any crackles and wheezes or loud noises, and see if the maximum loudness levels are safe. If they are not, specifically tell your child not to turn up the device to such high volumes.
“It may turn out that after two or three months of exposure, the child will lose his or her ability to hear certain frequencies. And more often than not, this loss is irreversible," warns Dr. Kowalski.
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