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Hearing Loss Due to Heavy Music
Teenagers are more prone to damaging their hearing ability with heavy, loud music than adults, but more than half say they're neither going to cut down on listening time nor reduce the volume.
Going to concerts or blasting your music player once a while is ok. Too much exposure to loud noise can lead to noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). Personal stereo player is the main culprit of NIHL among teens. There is a chance that children who listen to loud music may need hearing aids later in life. In fact, many experts believe that people are losing their hearing at a much younger age than they did 30 years back.
How damage occurs?
The excessive sound level acts upon the sensitive receptor cells inside the inner ear - the so-called hair cells. Due to excessive exercise that these hair cells undergo under such conditions, damage occurs.
As you expose your ear to repeated episodes of loud music, the damage is ultimately going to be permanent
Common warning signals include
- Ringing, hissing sound in the ear during or after being around the music.
- Distorted hearing.
- Trouble understanding conversation, especially if you are in a crowd of people talking.
- A feeling of heaviness in the ears or head.
However, you may still be damaging your hearing even if you don't have these symptoms.
How loud is too loud? And for how long can a person listen to loud music?
The risk of damage to hearing is calculated on the basis of how loud and how long you are exposing yourself.
Experts agree that continued exposure to noise at or above 85 dB(A) over time can cause a hearing loss. An increase of a few decibels has a drastic effect on the danger to hearing - this is because each increase of 3 dB(A) represents a doubling of sound energy.
How can I look after my ears if using MP3 player / or at music concert?
- Take regular breaks from the music or headphones to give ears a rest.
- Stand away from loud speakers in concerts.
- Wear earplugs if going to a loud concert.
- Turn down the MP3 volume slightly - a small reduction in volume can make a big difference to the risk of damage to hearing.
- Avoid using the volume to drown background noise or use earphones that block out background noise.
- Limit listening time to one hour or less at a time.
- See your doctor right away if you suspect any problems with your hearing, and get your hearing tested on a regular basis.
Noise induced hearing loss is usually painless and gradual, which often makes it difficult to notice until it is too late. Once it happens, it is permanent.
So, a handy rule of thumb is that if you can't talk to someone 2 metres away without shouting, the noise level could be damaging.