Love a workout playlist? Protect your hearing while using headphones
Dr. Nitinkumar Patel, MD, a head and neck surgeon at Kaiser Permanente in Falls Church, VA
Queuing up your favorite music, podcast, or movie on your smartphone or tablet is a common and effective way to make exercising more enjoyable. But if you are using headphones or earbuds, keep in mind that they can cause serious hearing damage if not used properly.
Learning how to use headphones and earbuds is vital to preserving hearing. Also, protecting children’s hearing is essential.
Headphones and earphones vs. earbuds
The type of listening device you use, and how you use it, can impact your risk of hearing damage.
- Over-the-ear headphones feature soft, cushioned cups that usually fit completely over the ears.
- Earphones are worn directly in the ear canal.
- Earbuds sit outside of the ear canal and allow for more ambient noise to be heard when worn, compared to earphones or headphones.
You can find wired or wireless versions of each of these devices, and many feature noise cancellation, which can offer a safer way to enjoy your content, because blocking out background noises allows you to listen at a lower volume.
The dangers of listening at high volumes
The type of listening device you use doesn’t matter as much as what volume level you set the device at. If the volume is too high, any device can be dangerous. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) typically defines a safe noise level as 85 decibels for up to 8 hours per day, 40 hours per week. Decibels gauge sound strength, where 0 is barely audible and 130 is the pain threshold for most people. Hearing damage can begin when you listen at very high volumes, and when you approach 130 decibels, safe listening time quickly decreases.
You can avoid getting close to hearing damage by maintaining a volume level that’s at or below 50% of the maximum setting. Take breaks every hour for 5-10 minutes to give your ears a time-out.
Red flags of hearing damage
Damage from loud noise exposure over time starts subtly and gradually progresses. When this occurs, you may notice any or all of the following things:
- Muffled hearing or difficulty hearing in noisy settings like restaurants or a busy street
- Buzzing or ringing in your ear (called tinnitus)
- A need to turn the volume up on your TV, phone, or other device louder than you normally do
- Temporary hearing loss immediately after a loud event, like a concert, that takes hours or even days to improve
The right devices can help protect your hearing
When choosing a listening device, especially for younger children, look for those that are designed with hearing safety in mind. Many brands offer volume-limiting features, noise cancellation, or noise isolation. These qualities can help you reduce the need to raise the volume in loud settings. Over-the-ear headphones may perhaps be the best option, because they can reduce or block more ambient noise, so you don’t need to increase the volume on your device as high to hear clearly.
If you’ve already experienced hearing loss because of extreme noise exposure in your past, aging, or another reason, practicing safe listening habits to prevent further damage is vital to preserving your hearing.
Taking steps to protect your hearing can help you keep your ears healthy and hearing strong for years to come.
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Kaiser Permanente is honored to partner with The St. James to help keep our young athletes healthy and thriving, both on and off the field.
The Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group
is one of the nation's premier multispecialty medical groups and is one of the largest integrated medical groups in Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia. Founded in 1980, the medical group has more than 1,800 Permanente physicians spanning more than 65 specialties. Together, we serve approximately 750,000 Kaiser Permanente members in Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia at 35 area medical centers, plus several community hospitals and skilled nursing facilities.
Dr. Nitinkumar Patel, MD, a head and neck surgeon at Kaiser Permanente in Falls Church, VA