What Are the Best Tips for Preventing Hearing Loss from Headphones?

Using the correct type of headphones, using high-quality, clear headphones, and taking breaks are some of the most effective tips for preventing hearing loss from headphones. 

FREMONT, CA: Many of us devote a significant portion of our lives to maintaining and improving our and our children's health. We protect our long-term health in various ways, including taking vitamins, eating healthily, wearing sunscreen, and other measures. Despite our best efforts, we are often unaware of some of the health risks we face on a daily basis. One such threat is the excessive amount of sound we expose our ears regularly.

Any excessively loud sound can be hazardous, whether it comes from live performances or surround sound systems. Headphones, however, are a more common cause of hearing impairment. Previously, we could only utilize these accessories with Walkmans and MP3 players. Headphones are now omnipresent, providing continual audio from cellphones, laptops, gaming consoles, and tablets. Kids use them to listen in on online classes, and adults use them during online meetings.

Using the correct type of headphones: Headphones come in various styles and sizes. The word relates to a wide range of headphones, from tiny wireless earbuds to over-the-ear headphones so large that they resemble speaker straps. While they all have the potential to cause hearing impairment, the ease with which they might do so depends on their design. Earbuds are one of the worst offenders because they are meant to form a seal when put into the ear canal. The tiny silicone and foam tips increase the bass such small devices produce. However, trapping all those soundwaves increases the sound-induced pressure on the eardrums and fragile inner ear architecture.

Instead, trying open-backed headphones is necessary. This headphone style permits unrestricted airflow into and out of the earcups, relieving strain on one's ears and allowing soundwaves to escape elsewhere.

Taking a break: Most sources on hearing preservation will tell individuals that taking breaks from auditory stimulation assists the ears in recovering. While this is undoubtedly true, most advice ignores another reason to take a break: volume creep. The longer we listen to music or watch videos, the more likely it is that we will gradually and unconsciously increase the volume. Perhaps there was a quiet moment, a very low-volume music track played, or an outside noise distraction. Whatever the reason, we frequently progressively increase the volume to compensate and leave it there. Breaks allow our perception and physical anatomy to reset, enabling us to notice when we've let volume creep take us to unhealthy sound levels.