If you regularly use earphones or headphones, you need to be a little cautious. A person's ears can only tolerate sounds up to a certain decibel (a measurement of sound intensity). Some people have a habit of listening to very loud music, which can affect their hearing in the future. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), people's hearing is deteriorating worldwide due to listening to music at high volumes. It should be noted that constant exposure to loud noise can cause eardrum and nerve pain. If you regularly use gadgets like headphones, earphones, or earbuds, you should take precautions now.
Keep the volume low
If you have a habit of listening to music or watching movies on OTT at high volume, then try to improve it from now on, otherwise it can affect your hearing ability. To avoid this problem, keep the volume low while using headphones, ear plugs or earbuds. Even while watching TV at home, keep the soundbar volume under control. According to research done by scientists, noise up to about 80 decibels can be tolerated for about 20 hours. Keeping the sound level between 60 to 85 decibels is considered safe for the ears. Exposure to sound louder than 85 decibels can affect the hearing ability, hence always make it a habit to keep the volume under control.
Noise cancellation headphones
Turning up the volume on your headphones to drown out external noise can gradually damage your hearing. In such cases, using noise-canceling headphones is more beneficial than increasing the volume. The advantage of these headphones is that they block external noise, preventing interference with music listening. However, they should not be used while driving or walking on the road, as the inability to hear external noise can lead to accidents.
Headphones are better than earbuds
Some people don't understand the difference between earbuds and headphones. Earbuds are very small and fit snugly inside the ear. They are usually made of silicone or hard plastic. The design of earbuds focuses sound very close to the eardrum, causing sound waves to reach the eardrum directly and making it sound very loud, which is harmful to the ears.
Headphones, on the other hand, are placed over the outside of the ear and cover the entire ear. Their design helps block out unwanted sound. Over-the-ear headphones provide significant control of external noise by completely covering the ears.
A little break is also necessary
Listening to music is a good habit and relieves stress, but too much of anything is harmful. If you listen to loud music continuously, take a 5-minute break every half hour or a 10-minute break every hour.
Set a volume limit
Some devices have custom volume settings that allow you to set a custom volume limit. Check your device's settings or user manual to find out what volume limits you can set. Most smartphones have a maximum volume limit. If you try to increase the volume too much, a pop-up message appears on your phone warning you that exceeding this limit may be harmful to your ears.
Keep these things in mind
- Keep your device's volume between 60 and 80 dB. Listening to sounds above 85 dB for extended periods is harmful.
- Avoid continuous earphone use, especially before bedtime. Using the device at a volume above 80 dB for more than 8 hours can damage your ears.
- Clean your earphones regularly, as dust and dirt increase the risk of ear infections.
- Protect your ears from the effects of loud noise by taking regular breaks.
