{"id":1749,"date":"2020-04-15T14:37:10","date_gmt":"2020-04-15T18:37:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.entofga.com\/?p=1749"},"modified":"2020-04-16T18:22:31","modified_gmt":"2020-04-16T22:22:31","slug":"how-to-prevent-hearing-damage-from-headphones","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.entofga.com\/how-to-prevent-hearing-damage-from-headphones\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Prevent Hearing Damage from Headphones"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Many\npeople love listening to their favorite music, podcasts or radio stations on the\ngo. Everywhere you look, you\u2019ll see people listening to something through their\nheadphones or earbuds, especially now that wireless options are available. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This luxury, however, can be costly. According to the World Health Organization<\/a>, 1.1 billion young people worldwide are putting their hearing at risk through unsafe listening practices \u2013 in particular, by listening to music too loudly through headphones. In fact, noise exposure is one of the most common causes of hearing loss. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How\nDo Headphones Cause Hearing Damage? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"woman<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Headphones\nand earbuds cause hearing loss when worn too long, too loud or too often. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Inside the inner ear<\/a> there are thousands of stereocilia, which are tiny hair cells responsible for converting soundwaves into electrical energy. This energy is then translated to the brain via the auditory nerve to be interpreted as sound. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Loud noises damage these hair cells and causes them to die, and once dead, they do not regenerate. The louder the sound, the more quickly damage can occur. Loss of hearing caused by unsafe noise levels is known as noise-induced hearing loss<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Earbuds\nAre Especially Dangerous <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Earbuds\nare tiny speakers that are inserted into the ear canal. They are especially\ndangerous to hearing because they are often low quality, do not block out ambient\nsound and have poor bass. These factors cause people to turn up their music\nmuch louder than they should. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over-the-ear\nheadphones are usually a safer option because they provide a buffer space\nbetween the sounds they\u2019re emitting and the ear canal. However, they can still\ncause damage and should be used with caution. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Safer\nListening Alternatives <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Noise-cancelling\nheadphones help block ambient noise and provide better sound clarity, so you\ndon\u2019t feel tempted to turn up the music too loud. They work by using inverse\nwaves to cancel out incoming background noise, especially low-frequency sounds.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Noise-isolating\nheadphones are also safer as they create a seal around the ear that creates a\nphysical barrier between the ear and external sounds. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

No\nmatter what type of headphones you wear, you should never turn up the volume\ntoo loud. Follow the 60\/60 rule: Listen to music for no more than 60 minutes at\nno more than 60 percent of the device\u2019s maximum volume. \n\nFor\nmore information about safe listening or to schedule an appointment, call ENT\nof Georgia today. \n\n\n\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learn More About Hearing Loss<\/h3>\n\n\n\n