Walk down the aisles at any big box electronics store and the varieties of headphones to choose from are amazing! There are all assorted styles, colors and sizes. You can get over-the-ear models or ear buds. Choose wisely because headphones protect your hearing and maintaining your hearing health is worth it. Just as you invest in great headphones, also invest in yearly hearing exams so Desert Valley Audiology can keep you on the path to protecting your precious personal listening devices. Here are some things to remember when shopping for headphones.
Keep your hearing health in mind
Headphone sales have jumped 36% between 2013 and 2017. While price, size and style may drive your purchase, you should also keep in mind what will be best for protecting your hearing.
Exposing your ears to continuous loud music (over 85 decibels) or short bursts of really loud music can kill the tiny hair cells in your ears that transmit sound signals to your brain. Once the cells are gone – they don’t regenerate, and they don’t come back. When a certain amount is gone, you begin to experience hearing loss.
Mind the volume
Smart phones and iPhones are designed to give you warning on volume levels and cannot be turned up as loud as some of the older personal listening devices like a Walkman. But the prolonged use of loud music through earbuds can be just as damaging as blasting music on a Walkman.
Studies show more and more of us are using personal listening devices and headphones in noisier environments like trains, airplanes, subways and buses. When the environment is loud, we turn up the volume on our devices to compensate. And that might mean turning the volume to dangerous levels!
Hearing loss widespread
Overexposure to loud sound is the No. 1 cause of hearing loss and the No. 1 loud sound is music on a personal listening device. The World Health Organization has estimated that by 2050 nearly 900 million people around the world will have debilitating hearing loss – 93% more than have it today – in part because of damaging levels of sound from personal listening devices.
Researchers from Denmark recently discovered one out of seven 9 to 11-year-old had signs of hearing loss and the use of personal music players may be linked to that hearing loss. The study gathered data from 3,000 children.
Noise cancelling headphones
If you are just going to be listening to music in a quiet setting somewhere, the type of headphones you have won’t matter so much, but if you know you are going to be needing them for a noisy environment get the best noise cancelling headphones you can. These headphones reduce the amount of outside noise that seeps in which means you don’t have to play your music as loud. Certain models of noise cancelling headphones have battery powered technology, so they emit sound waves that cancel or “white noise out” sound from the environment. No studies are available as to which model is the best – you might consider checking the Consumer Report ratings for some guidance.
Follow these rules
Always use noise cancelling headphones in a loud environment. If you must raise your voice to be heard – that means loud. Be aware of how long and how loud. Use the 80 – 90 rule. If you are listening at 80% volume don’t listen for more than 90 minutes. This is tough to keep track, but some of the newer headphone models have built-in features that track listening time and volume. Use both earphones. Ears work in tandem to process sound and give us a proper sense of loudness. When you only use one headphone, your tendency is going to be to play your music louder. Be aware of your surroundings. Skip the earphones if you are driving, biking or running because there might be dangers in the outside environment that you need to hear and be aware of. To recap: Limit your headphone time, dial down the volume and get the best you can afford.
Visit Us at Desert Valley Audiology
If you, your teenagers or your partner use personal listening devices frequently, and are concerned about your hearing abilities, contact us! Schedule a hearing exam with us at Desert Valley Audiology to set a base level of your hearing health.