There’s no question that headphones can improve your life when it comes to increasing your productivity. But how much better is, of course, a matter of preference? What headphones are good, and more importantly — the best? One issue to consider is the effect of their use on our ears. The last thing you want to do is start to lose your hearing and have to look for a clinic who offers hearing tests in Victoria BC. Frequent use can lead to hearing loss, so knowing how to protect your hearing is essential. Keeping this in mind, here are some easy steps to help you adequately protect and care for your ears when using headphones.
5 Ways to prevent hearing loss while using headphones
Wearing earbuds or headphones for too long can damage your hearing. Here are some tips to help prevent hearing loss:
Turn down the volume
The first thing you should do is turn down the volume on your headphones. If you’re listening to music on your smartphone, iPad, or another mobile device, you can adjust the volume by using the controls on your headphones or the volume buttons on your device.
Use noise-canceling headphones
Noise-canceling headphones use electronics and active noise reduction technology to block out background sounds that interfere with your listening experience. Some people wear them for hours every day. They’re also used by pilots, construction workers, truck drivers, and people who work in other noisy professions where it’s difficult to hear someone talking to you or giving instructions over background noise. You can enjoy your music without worrying about traffic sounds or other distractions. If you have trouble hearing what’s happening around you wearing earbuds, consider investing in a pair of noise-canceling headphones.
Don’t use louder volume to drown out ambient noise
This is the most common mistake people make when using headphones. They listen at higher volumes because they want to block the sound around them, which only adds up over time and can lead to permanent damage.
Take breaks from listening
You should also take breaks from listening to music or podcasts for at least 15 minutes every hour when using earbuds or headphones that seal off your ears completely from outside sounds. Taking these breaks will allow your ears to rest from exposure to loud sound and reduce the risk of permanent hearing loss.
Adopt the 60/60 rule
The 60/60 rule dictates that you should never listen at more than 60% volume for longer than 60 minutes in one sitting — even if it means turning down some of your favorite songs! While this may seem like an extreme measure, it prevents hearing loss over time.
Wear actual headphones, not earbuds
Earbuds are often placed directly into the ear canal, which does not provide enough room for sound waves to dissipate. They also block out surrounding noise, making it difficult to hear what’s happening around you. This makes it easy to listen at loud volumes without realizing it.
Set a volume limit
When using headphones or earbuds, never set the volume above 80 percent of the maximum volume — even if you think it’s safe. If you’re listening to music through an app on your phone, try tapping on the speaker icon to change the volume level rather than using your phone’s physical buttons, which can be turned up accidentally.
Do headphones cause earwax buildup?
Earwax is a natural substance made by glands in your ear canal that lubricates and cleanses the skin of your ears. If you have earwax buildup, you may experience symptoms like itching, soreness, or pain deep inside your ear canal.
The answer is yes and no. The human ear produces a small amount of wax that helps keep the ear canal’s skin moist, lubricated, and healthy. But when too much wax builds up, it can lead to an infection called otitis externa, also known as swimmer’s ear.
Listening to music through headphones or earbuds blocks some sounds that usually enter your inner ear canal. This reduces airflow through your outer ear and can cause some people’s ears to produce more wax than usual. It may also make hearing harder when you’re wearing headphones or earbuds.
Conclusion
To protect your hearing, you should avoid very loud sounds for an extended time and use headphone volume controls to set a comfortable level. You’ll also want to be sure not to listen to any one sound source for too long. And, of course, wearing headphones at high volumes isn’t recommended. Following these simple guidelines and monitoring how you use headphones and other earphones can help protect your ears from potential damage.
