Have you ever left your Earbuds in your pocket and they ended up going through the laundry or maybe lost them altogether? Now it’s so boring going for a run in the morning. Your commute or train ride is dreary and dull. And your virtual meetings are suffering from poor 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 buy a working set of earbuds, you’re grateful. Now your life is full of perfectly clear and vibrant sound, including music, podcasts, and audiobooks. Earbuds have so many uses other than listening to tunes and a large percentage of people utilize them.
Unfortunately, partly because they’re so easy and so ubiquitous, earbuds present some substantial risks for your hearing. Your hearing may be in danger if you’re using earbuds a lot every day.
Earbuds are different for a number of reasons
In the past, you would need cumbersome, earmuff-style, headphones if you wanted a high-quality listening experience. All that has now changed. Fabulous sound quality can be created in a very small space with modern earbuds. They were made popular by smartphone manufacturers, who included a shiny new pair of earbuds with basically every smartphone sold throughout the 2010s (funny enough, they’re rather rare these days when you purchase a new phone).
These little earbuds (frequently they even have microphones) started to show up everywhere because they were so high-quality and accessible. Whether you’re talking on the phone, listening to tunes, or watching movies, earbuds are one of the main ways to do that (whether you are on the go or not).
It’s that combination of convenience, mobility, and dependability that makes earbuds practical in a large number of contexts. Lots of individuals use them basically all of the time consequently. And that’s become a bit of an issue.
Vibrations are what it’s all about
Basically, phone calls, music, or podcasts are all the same. They’re just waves of moving air molecules. Your brain will then sort the vibrations into categories like “voice” or “music”.
Your inner ear is the intermediary for this process. Inside of your ear are tiny little hairs known as stereocilia that vibrate when exposed to sound. These vibrations are minute, they’re tiny. These vibrations are recognized by your inner ear. At this stage, there’s a nerve in your ear that translates those vibrations into electrical impulses, and that’s what allows your brain to figure it all out.
This is important because it’s not music or drums that cause hearing loss, it’s volume. Which means the risk is equivalent whether you’re listening to Death Metal or an NPR program.
What are the risks of using earbuds?
Because of the popularity of earbuds, the danger of hearing damage as a result of loud noise is quite widespread. 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:
- Advancing deafness caused by sensorineural hearing loss.
- Hearing loss contributing to mental decline and social isolation.
- Repeated exposure increasing the advancement of sensorineural hearing loss.
- Needing to utilize a hearing aid in order to communicate with family and friends.
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 directed toward the more sensitive parts of your ear. Some audiologists think this is the case while others still aren’t sure.
Either way, volume is the biggest consideration, and both kinds of headphones can create hazardous levels of that.
It isn’t only volume, it’s duration, as well
You might be thinking, well, the solution is simple: I’ll simply turn down the volume on my earbuds as I binge my new favorite show for 24 episodes straight. Of course, this would be a good idea. But it may not be the complete solution.
The reason is that it’s not only the volume that’s the issue, it’s the duration. Moderate volume for five hours can be equally as harmful as max volume for five minutes.
So here’s how you can be a little safer when you listen:
- Some smart devices let you decrease the max volume so you won’t even have to worry about it.
- As a general rule of thumb, only listen to your media at 40-50% volume.
- Be certain that your device has volume level alerts turned on. These warnings can alert you when your listening volume gets a bit too high. Once you hear this alert, it’s your job to reduce the volume.
- Take regular breaks. The more breaks (and the longer duration they are), the better.
- If you are listening at 80% volume, listen for a maximum of 90 minutes, and if you want to listen longer turn the volume down.
- Quit listening immediately if you notice ringing in your ears or your ears start to hurt.
Earbuds specifically, and headphones generally, can be pretty stressful for your ears. So try to cut your ears some slack. After all, sensorineural hearing loss doesn’t (typically) happen suddenly; it progresses slowly and over time. Most of the time individuals don’t even notice that it’s happening until it’s too late.
There’s no cure and no way to reverse sensorineural hearing loss
Noise-generated Hearing Loss (or NIHL) is typically irreversible. That’s because it’s sensorineural in nature (meaning, the cells in your ear become irreversibly damaged because of noise).
The damage is barely noticeable, especially in the early stages, and develops gradually over time. NHIL can be difficult to identify as a result. It might be getting progressively worse, all the while, you think it’s perfectly fine.
There is presently no cure or capability of reversing NIHL. However, there are treatments designed to mitigate and decrease some of the most significant impacts of sensorineural hearing loss (the most popular of such treatments is a hearing aid). These treatments, however, are not able to reverse the damage that’s been done.
This means prevention is the most useful approach
That’s why so many hearing specialists put a significant focus on prevention. Here are some ways to keep listening to your earbuds while reducing your risk of hearing loss with good prevention practices:
- Some headphones and earbuds include noise-canceling technology, try to utilize those. This will mean you won’t have to turn the volume quite so high so that you can hear your media clearly.
- Having your hearing tested by us regularly is a good plan. We will help identify the overall health of your hearing by getting you screened.
- Use volume-limiting apps on your phone and other devices.
- When you’re not using your earbuds, minimize the amount of noise damage your ears are subjected to. Avoid excessively loud environments whenever you can.
- If you do have to go into an overly loud setting, use ear protection. Use earplugs, for example.
- Switch up the types of headphones you’re using. That is, don’t wear earbuds all day every day. Over-the-ear headphones can also be used sometimes.
You will be able to protect your sense of hearing for many years by taking measures to prevent hearing loss, especially NHIL. And, if you do end up requiring treatment, such as hearing aids, they will be more effective.
So… are earbuds the enemy?
Well…should I just throw my earbuds in the garbage? Well, no. Not at all! Brand-name earbuds can be costly.
But your strategy may need to be changed if you’re listening to your earbuds regularly. You might not even recognize that your hearing is being harmed by your earbuds. Knowing the danger, then, is your best defense against it.
Step one is to moderate the volume and duration of your listening. But speaking with us about the state of your hearing is the next step.
Think you might have damaged your hearing with earbuds? We can help! Get tested now!