According to MRC Institute of Hearing and Research, one in every 6 grownups has sufficient hearing loss to cause problem in social situations. According to the World Health Organization, loud music is the single biggest cause of preventable hearing problems. So you have to assume that the pounding bass delivered right in the sensitive part of your inner year is not a wise idea. Can it. Keep on reading to answer the question âcan headphones make you deaf?â
Dr. Foy a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine says that listening to music through headphones at a very high volume for a long period of time may lead to lifelong loss of hearing for kids and teens. He adds that even mild hearing loss as a result to loud noise may lead to developmental delays language and speech.
The DOs or Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine, look beyond just symptoms to understand perfectly well how environmental and lifestyle factors can affect your well being. They will listen and partner with you to assist you to prevent injury and encourage the natural tendency of your body toward self âlearning.
So, how loud is too loud?
Today, majority of MP3 players are able to produce up to 120 decibels of sound, equal to the sound level at a rock concert. At this level, you can lose hearing after only about one and quarter hours.
Dr. Foy stresses to parents and patients that if you are unable to hear anything going on around you while listening to music on headphones, the decibel level is very high. He advises that headphones users should not go beyond 60% of maximum volume while listening to music through headphones.
Lay it loud
It is obviously not damaging to listen to music through your headphones at half the volume of your player. It all depends on how loud the volume is and how long your headphones are on your ears. The world health organization has laid down guidelines as to what decibels are acceptable. Majority of companies manufacturing music players adhere to these guidelines. However constant exposure is still a major problem. It is very dangerous to crank up the volume for a long period of time and may lead to partial deafness. The higher your volume gets the lesser amount of time your ear can take it.
Uncomfortably numb
Unlike individuals who lose hearing during a bomb blast or hearing that sonic boom of an airplane, loss of hearing caused by headphones creeps on your ear and if not contained, its effects can be dangerous. There are people who do not show any signs of deafness during their childhood and hardly hear anything when they are in their sixties. Studies have shown that this is very common for individuals who listen to loud music through the headphones or attend a lot of clubs or live concerts. Deafness brought about as a result of listening to loud music through headphones doesnât happen overnight. Your ear will warn you before things get really bad with tinnitus.
Conclusion
The question âcan headphones make you deaf?â depends on several factors. Duration and level of volume plays a key role. If you limit the duration of time you listen to music through the headphones and also keep the volume low and soft, you will not experience problems with hearing. On the contrary, listening to loud music for a very long time through the ear phones will no doubt impair your hearing ability or worse still make you deaf. The best thing is to adhere to the guidelines laid down by the World Health Organization.
