How Wearing Headphones Can Cause Permanent Hearing Loss

Wearing earphones/headphones/earbuds have become quite the fad now. Apart from people who need to wear headphones for work, you'll find almost everyone with some kind of earphones or the other plugged into their ears almost permanently. For some, it's just to answer calls easily, for others, its music all day. Studies have however shown that wearing earphones for extended periods can lead to a range of hearing problems and even hearing loss. 

Hearing specialist David A. Schessel, MD, PhD tells parents: "If you can hear the music your child/teenager is playing through their headphones or earphones, it means the sound is too loud and can lead to permanent hearing loss." 

The amount of hearing loss that one will suffer is related both to the volume, measured in decibels (dB), and the duration of time that one is exposed to the sound. Sound at 85 dB or below is considered safe. Think about it! 

If one is exposed to sounds greater than 90 dB for an average of eight hours per day without hearing protection, hearing loss will most likely result. As the volume increases, the safe time of exposure decreases. 

Here are some loudness/time facts to consider (the unit of measurement is decibel): 

• At 95 dB, damage will occur after four hours of exposure per day. 
• At 100 dB, damage will occur after two hours of exposure per day.
• At 105 dB, damage will occur after one hour of exposure per day. 
• At 110 dB, damage will occur after 30 minutes of exposure per day. 
• At 115 dB, damage will occur after 15 minutes of exposure per day.  
• At 120-plus dB, damage occurs almost immediately. 

Most portable stereo music systems produce sound in the range of 95-108 dB at level four and in excess of 115 dB at level eight. 

For comparison, a soft whisper is usually measured at 30dB; busy traffic at 75dB; a subway train at 90dB; a gunshot blast at 100 dB, a jet plane at 140 dB; and a rocket launching pad at 180 dB. Sounds above 140 dB usually cause pain. If you have to speak in a loud voice to be understood, background sound is probably in excess of 90 dB.

Use headphones or earphones cautiously. The general rule of thumb is if to hold them away from your ears, if you can still hear the sound clearly, then the volume is too loud to be sitting right in your ears.

Source: Stonybrookmedicine