Have you ever misplaced 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 walk in the morning. You have a dull and dreary commute to work. And the audio quality of your virtual meetings suffers considerably.
Sometimes, you don’t recognize how valuable something is until you have to live without it (yes, we are not being discreet around here today).
So you’re so relieved when you finally get a working pair of earbuds. The world is suddenly vibrant again, full of music, podcasts, and crystal clear sound. Earbuds are all over the place these days, and people utilize them for a lot more than simply listening to their favorite tunes (though, naturally, they do that too).
But, unfortunately, earbuds can present some considerable risks to your ears because so many people are using them for so many listening tasks. Your hearing could be in danger if you’re using earbuds a lot every day.
Earbuds are unique for several reasons
In the past, you would need bulky, earmuff-style, headphones if you wanted a high-quality listening experience. That isn’t always the case anymore. Contemporary earbuds can supply stunning sound in a very small space. Back throughout the 2010s, smartphone makers popularized these little devices by offering a pair with every new smartphone purchase (amusing enough, they’re rather rare these days when you buy a new phone).
These little earbuds (frequently they even include microphones) started to show up all over the place because they were so high-quality and accessible. Whether you’re out and about, or hanging out at home, earbuds are one of the main ways you’re talking on the phone, viewing your favorite show, or listening to tunes.
It’s that combination of convenience, portability, and dependability that makes earbuds practical in a wide variety of contexts. As a result, many consumers use them almost all the time. That’s where things get a bit tricky.
Vibrations are what it’s all about
Essentially, phone calls, music, or podcasts are all the same. They’re just waves of moving air molecules. Your brain will then classify the vibrations into categories like “voice” or “music”.
Your inner ear is the intermediary for this process. Inside of your ear are very small hairs known as stereocilia that vibrate when exposed to sound. These vibrations are minute, 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 signals, and that’s what lets your brain make heads or tails of it all.
This is important 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 program.
The dangers of earbud use
The danger of hearing damage is prevalent because of the appeal 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 danger of:
- Advancing deafness caused by sensorineural hearing loss.
- Hearing loss contributing to cognitive decline and social isolation.
- Needing to use a hearing aid so that you can communicate with family and friends.
- Repeated subjection increasing the development of sensorineural hearing loss.
There’s some evidence to suggest that using earbuds might present greater risks than using regular headphones. The thinking here is that the sound is funneled directly toward the more sensitive parts of your ear. But the jury’s still out on this, and not all audiologists are on board.
Either way, volume is the primary consideration, and both kinds of headphones can create hazardous levels of that.
Duration is also an issue besides volume
Perhaps you think there’s an easy solution: 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 good plan. But there’s more to it than that.
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 max volume for five minutes will harm your ears. But listening at medium volume for five hours could also harm your ears.
When you listen, here are a few ways to keep it safer:
- If you don’t want to think about it, you may even be capable of changing the maximum volume on your smart device.
- Be certain that your device has volume level warnings turned on. If your listening volume goes too high, a notification will alert you. Naturally, then it’s up to you to lower your volume, but it’s better than nothing!
- If you’re listening at 80% volume, listen for a maximum of 90 minutes, and if you want to listen longer turn down the volume.
- Quit listening immediately if you experience ringing in your ears or your ears start to ache.
- As a basic rule of thumb, only listen to your media at 40-50% volume.
- Take regular breaks. The more breaks (and the longer length they are), the better.
Earbuds specifically, and headphones generally, can be pretty stressful for your ears. So give your ears a break. Because sensorineural hearing loss typically happens gradually over time not immediately. Most of the time people don’t even realize that it’s happening until it’s too late.
Sensorineural hearing loss is irreversible
Noise-generated Hearing Loss (or NIHL) is typically permanent. That’s because it’s sensorineural in nature (meaning, the cells in your ear are irreversibly destroyed because of noise).
The damage accumulates slowly over time, and it normally begins as very limited in scope. That can make NIHL hard to recognize. It might be getting progressively worse, all the while, you believe it’s perfectly fine.
There is presently no cure or ability to reverse NIHL. However, there are treatments created to mitigate and reduce some of the most significant impacts of sensorineural hearing loss (the most prevalent of such treatments is a hearing aid). But the overall damage that’s being done, sadly, is permanent.
This means prevention is the best strategy
This is why prevention is emphasized by so many hearing specialists. And there are multiple ways to lower your risk of hearing loss, and to practice good prevention, even while listening to your earbuds:
- Wear hearing protection if you’re going to be subject to loud noises. Ear plugs, for instance, work exceptionally well.
- Utilize earbuds and headphones that have noise-canceling tech. With this feature, you will be able to hear your media more clearly without having to turn it up quite as loud.
- When you’re not wearing your earbuds, limit the amount of noise damage your ears are subjected to. This could mean paying extra attention to the sound of your environment or steering clear of overly loud situations.
- Schedule regular visits with us to have your hearing tested. We will help identify the overall health of your hearing by getting you screened.
- Use other kinds of headphones. That is, don’t wear earbuds all day every day. Try using over-the-ear headphones also.
- Use volume-controlling apps on your phone and other devices.
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 need them.
So… are earbuds the enemy?
So does all this mean you should find your nearest pair of earbuds and chuck them in the trash? Not Exactly! Particularly not if you have those Apple AirPods, those little devices are not cheap!
But your strategy may need to be modified if you’re listening to your earbuds regularly. You might not even recognize that your hearing is being harmed by your earbuds. Your best defense, then, is knowing about the danger.
When you listen, limit the volume, that’s the first step. Step two is to consult with us about the state of your hearing today.
Think you might have damaged your hearing with earbuds? We can help! Get tested now!