Many of us, especially the younger generation, cannot live without a headphone. Besides letting us listen to our favourite music without disturbing others (especially when you’re on a train, bus, etc), headphones let music enthusiasts fully enjoy listening to their music and every bit of the instrument played in the background.
As listening to a headphone is so enjoyable, sometimes we just turn the volume a bit too high. Do you know the risks involved when you constantly listen to loud music on your headphone?
But how loud is too loud?
In general, any sound louder than 85 to 95 decibels is too loud. Listening to any sound louder than 85 decibels over an extended period of time is a risk factor to long-term hearing loss.
As an audiologist in Malaysia, we recommend everyone to keep sound levels at somewhere between 60 and 85 decibels to minimize the damage the ear is exposed to.
If you want to listen to music at around 100 decibels anyway, restrict your usage to within 15 minutes. But remember every individual is different so you should consult your audiologist to know your limits.
Here are some general guidelines to determine whether or not your headphones are too loud and are doing lasting harm to your ears.
1. Remove your Headphones
One simple test you can make is to remove your headphones, and hold them in front of you, at your preferred volume. If you can hear the music clearly, the volume is too loud.
2. Ask for Assistance
Ask a friend to sit beside or in front of you. If your music can be heard and your friend can easily pick up the sounds, it is time to bring the volume down a couple of notches.
3. Volume
Make sure to check the volume control, it should stay below the halfway mark. If the volume is over two thirds or 60%, it is usually too much for your ear.
Although hearing loss may not occur overnight, you can prevent it from happening by monitoring the volume on a regular basis.
Pay attention for signs of hearing loss
You may have symptoms of hearing loss and don’t realize it. Some signs are:
- Buzzing, ringing, clicking or roaring in the ears
- Difficulty in hearing at noisy places
- Muffled Sounds
- You need to keep turning the volume up because you don’t hear clearly.
What to do if you think you have a hearing loss?
If you think you have a hearing loss problem, you will probably have a lot of questions. Don’t procrastinate, get reliable advice from your audiologist in Malaysia and do a hearing test.
If you’re in Johor, and don’t know where to go to, get in touch with the hearing aid centre in Johor Bahru that specializes in carrying out hearing test and hearing aid fitting. They will have the answer to all your questions.
Don’t worry, even if you are suffering from hearing loss, there are a lot of options to continue doing the things that are important to you. Your audiologist can decide whether hearing aids or other technology is right for you.
Conclusion
Whenever possible, take a break and keep the volume as low as you can. It’s a good idea to choose noise cancellation headphones. This type of headphones reduce the amount of ambient noise so you can enjoy the music at a lower volume.
Remember, if you are exposed to loud noise over a long period, it can cause irreversible hearing loss. So it’s very important that you minimize the damage and avoid issues such as tinnitus for as long as possible.
Do you have more questions? Feel free to book a hearing consultation session with us.