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 so much more boring. You have a dull and dreary train ride to work. 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 pair of earbuds, you’re thankful. The world is suddenly vibrant again, full of music, podcasts, and crystal clear sound. Earbuds are all over the place right now, and individuals utilize them for so much more than just listening to their favorite music (though, of course, they do that too).
But, unfortunately, earbuds can present some considerable risks to your ears because so many people use them for so many listening tasks. Your hearing could be in jeopardy if you’re using earbuds a lot every day.
Earbuds are unique for numerous reasons
In previous years, you would require cumbersome, earmuff-style, headphones if you wanted a high-fidelity listening experience. That’s all now changed. Fabulous sound quality can be produced in a very small space with contemporary earbuds. Back throughout the 2010s, smartphone makers popularized these little devices by offering a pair with every new smartphone purchase (amusing enough, they’re somewhat rare these days when you purchase a new phone).
These little earbuds (sometimes they even have microphones) started to show up all over the place because they were so high-quality and accessible. 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).
Earbuds are useful in quite a few contexts because of their reliability, mobility, and convenience. Because of this, many people use them almost all the time. That’s where things get a bit tricky.
It’s all vibrations
In essence, phone calls, music, or podcasts are all the same. They’re just air molecules being moved by waves of pressure. It’s your brain that does all the heavy lifting of interpreting those vibrations, organizing one kind 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 tiny little hairs known as stereocilia that vibrate when exposed to sound. These are not huge vibrations, they’re very small. Your inner ear is what actually recognizes these vibrations. Your brain makes sense of these vibrations after they are transformed into electrical signals by a nerve in your ear.
It’s not what type of sound but volume that results in hearing loss. Which means the risk is the same whether you’re listening to Death Metal or an NPR program.
What are the risks of using earbuds?
The risk of hearing damage is prevalent 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 increase your risk of:
- Experiencing social isolation or mental decline as a consequence of hearing loss.
- Sensorineural hearing loss leading to deafness.
- Developing sensorineural hearing loss with repeated exposure.
- Not being able to communicate with your family and friends without wearing a hearing aid.
There’s some evidence to suggest that using earbuds might present greater risks than using regular headphones. The idea here is that the sound is directed toward the more sensitive parts of your ear. But the jury’s still out on this, and not all audiologists are convinced.
Either way, volume is the primary factor, and both kinds of headphones can deliver hazardous levels of that.
It’s not simply volume, it’s duration, also
You may be thinking, well, the fix is easy: While I’m binging all 24 episodes of my favorite streaming program, I’ll simply reduce the volume. Well… that would be helpful. But there’s more to it than that.
The reason is that it’s not simply the volume that’s the problem, it’s the duration. Think about it like this: listening at max volume for five minutes will harm your ears. But listening at medium volume for five hours might also harm your ears.
When you listen, here are some ways to make it safer:
- Some smart devices allow you to decrease the max volume so you won’t even have to worry about it.
- Be certain that your device has volume level alerts turned on. If your listening volume goes too high, a warning will alert you. Once you hear this alert, it’s your task to lower the volume.
- Take frequent breaks. The more breaks (and the longer duration they are), the better.
- Use the 80/90 rule: Listen at 80% volume for no more than 90 minutes. (Want more minutes? Lower the volume.)
- Stop listening right away if you notice ringing in your ears or your ears start to ache.
- It’s a good idea not to go above 40% – 50% volume level.
Earbuds particularly, and headphones in general, can be kind of stressful for your ears. So try to cut your ears some slack. Because sensorineural hearing loss usually occurs gradually over time not immediately. Which means, you may not even acknowledge it occurring, at least, not until it’s too late.
Sensorineural hearing loss is irreversible
Usually, NHIL, or noise-related hearing loss, is irreversible. That’s because it’s sensorineural in nature (meaning, the cells in your ear are irreparably destroyed due to noise).
The damage is barely noticeable, particularly in the early stages, and develops slowly over time. NHIL can be difficult to detect as a result. It might be getting progressively worse, all the while, you think it’s just 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, can’t reverse the damage that’s been done.
This means prevention is the most useful approach
That’s why so many hearing specialists place a substantial emphasis on prevention. And there are several ways to decrease your risk of hearing loss, and to exercise good prevention, even while listening to your earbuds:
- Use volume-limiting apps on your phone and other devices.
- If you do need to go into an extremely loud environment, use ear protection. Wear earplugs, for example.
- Make routine visits with us to have your hearing examined. We will be capable of hearing you get screened and monitor the general health of your hearing.
- Use earbuds and headphones that have noise-canceling tech. With this feature, you will be capable of hearing your media more clearly without having to crank it up quite so loud.
- Switch up the types of headphones you’re wearing. Put simply, switch from earbuds to other kinds of headphones now and then. Over-the-ear headphones can also be sometimes used.
- Limit the amount of damage your ears are experiencing while you are not using earbuds. This could mean paying extra attention to the sound of your surroundings or avoiding overly loud scenarios.
Preventing hearing loss, particularly NIHL, can help you safeguard your sense of hearing for years longer. 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 set of earbuds and chuck them in the garbage? Not Exactly! Not at all! Brand-name earbuds can get expensive.
But your approach could need to be changed if you’re listening to your earbuds regularly. These earbuds could be harming your hearing and you may not even recognize it. Knowing the danger, then, is your best defense against it.
Step one is to control the volume and duration of your listening. Step two is to speak with us about the state of your hearing today.
If you think you might have damage due to overuse of earbuds, call us right away! We Can Help!
