Using headphones to listen to music or your favorite podcast is a great way to reduce stress or enhance your walk at La Orilla Trailhead. However, listening at too high a volume can do damage to your ears and lead to problems like hearing loss and tinnitus.
What is Tinnitus?
Tinnitus is frequently described as a ringing in one or both ears. However, some people experience buzzing, clicking, whooshing, roaring or other sounds. Some people have acute tinnitus that lasts several days, while others experience chronic symptoms that can last months or even years and interfere with their daily lives.
While the cause of tinnitus is not always known, it can be a symptom of many different conditions, including hearing loss.
Headphones Can Cause Noise-Induced Hearing Loss
One of the more common causes of hearing loss is exposure to loud noise. Any prolonged exposure to volumes above 85 decibels has the potential to damage the hair cells of the inner ear and lead to permanent hearing loss.
Listening to headphones at higher volumes for a prolonged period of time can lead to hearing loss, which in turn, can cause tinnitus. Many people, including teenagers and young adults, listen to music on their headphones too loudly.
A 2021 study looked at the relationship between headphone usage and hearing loss in adolescents between the ages of 12–19. Participants completed a survey as well as took a pure tone audiometry test.
The results showed that participants who listened to music at high levels via headphones in a noisy environment had a hearing loss prevalence of 22.6%. Additionally, those who used earphones for 80 minutes or longer per day had a hearing loss prevalence of 22.3%.
How to Protect Your Ears from Hearing Loss and Tinnitus
The good news is that you can take steps to listen to music on your headphones without increasing your risk of hearing loss or tinnitus. Just try to keep the following in mind when wearing your headphones:
- Safe listening levels consist of no more than 70% volume when using over-the-ear headphones and no more than 60% when using earbuds.
- Over-the-ear headphones are a safer choice than earbuds, as are noise-canceling headphones.
- Use apps or settings on your smartphone to monitor volume levels and limit the maximum volume.
- Take breaks from listening.
- Schedule a hearing test right away if you experience tinnitus or hearing loss.
For more information or to schedule an appointment with one of our experts, call Rancho Santa Fe Audiology today.
