Hearing and Headphones – The connection

Compared to the 1980s and 1990s, the number of teens suffering from hearing loss is much higher. As per statistics, these numbers are as much as 30% higher than the last few decades and considering the usage of unsafe technology around us, researchers do not see these numbers coming down any soon. This is unless; the awareness about the situation is spread among the students and their parents. The primary cause of this situation is the excessive use of headphones and the following facts and observations will help you better understand the connection between increased popularity of headphones and the increase in the number of hearing loss cases.

As per Dr. Foy, an osteopathic pediatrician from Vallejo, Calif, exposure to loud sound through the means of headphones for an extended period of time can result in a permanent hearing loss. In fact, children who use headphones on a daily basis could face delay in the speech and language development and overall personality development as well.

The technology of today enables a child to hear a sound as loud as a rock concert (almost 120 decibels) through the use of headphones. Exposure to such loud noise for a mere hour can cause a lifelong damage which is irreversible.

One way to keep a check on the level of sound in headphones is to make sure that you can hear the conversations happening around you even after putting on the headphones. As per Dr. Foy, this level is somewhere around 60% of the maximum volume allowed by device. Another thing to keep in mind is to ensure that you do not spend more than 60 minutes in a day listening to music through the headphones.

Dr. Foy says that the loss of hearing caused by the use of earphones is slow but cumulative and hence one cannot quickly make out the problem. However, by the time an individual realizes the problem, the damage has already been done and only a hearing test or a medical examination can tell the level of damage and the kind of diagnose required.