I’ve written several articles on the American health-care system and attempts to reform it, but I hadn’t written many articles on medicine until recently.
Then, a client assigned me an article on medical problems. Then another. And another. I’m not a doctor, but I decided to post some of what I have learned from my research on Storeboard. The first article on male infertility is here. The second article on leg swelling and pain is here.
The third article in the series is posted below.
Improper Headphones Can Cause Hearing Loss
Did you know that earphones and headphones can damage your hearing more than car stereo speakers, construction equipment, huge boom boxes, and motor vehicles?
"Headphones and Earphones Can Cause Permanent Hearing Loss: What You Need to Know" reports that the reason is simple -- they deliver noise directly into your ear, while much louder noises deliver the noise into the air. Proper headphones and earphones can block outside noise and, thus, allow listeners to lower a stereo system’s noise level and reduce their risk of hearing loss, according to the Stony Brook (N.Y.) School of Medicine article.
"If you can hear the music your child/teenager is playing through their headphones or earphones, it means the sound is too loud and can lead to permanent hearing loss," said Stony Brook pediatric otolaryngologist Wasyl Szeremeta.
Symptoms of noise causing damage to your hearing include ear pain, ringing in the ears, needing to shout to be heard, and hearing problems for hours after listening to the noise, according to the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.
Understanding how earphones and headphones can cause hearing loss requires understanding the decibel levels of various noises and how they affect hearing. Decibel levels of about 80 and under are safe, according to "Noise-Induced Hearing Loss," a Stony Brook School of Medicine online brochure. Traffic noise is 80 decibels, while whispers and conversations are 30 and 60 decibels, respectively.
Decibel levels of about 90, though, can cause gradual hearing loss over time, while decibel levels of about 140 can cause permanent hearing loss. "Noise-Induced Hearing Loss" reports that the sound of firecrackers and rock concerts is often 140 decibels, while the sound of lawnmowers and motorcycles is often 90 decibels, and the sound of chainsaws and snowmobiles is often 110 decibels.
Unfortunately, teens often risk their hearing by listening to music for a few hours per day via earphones or headphones.
"Most portable stereo music systems produce sound in the range of 95-108 dB (decibels) at level four (volume settings) and in excess of 115 dB at level eight," says the "Headphones & Earphones" report.
The report says that you can suffer hearing loss if you listen to a 95-decibel noise for four hours daily, a 100-decibel noise two hours daily, a 105-decibel noise one hour daily, a 110-decibel noise 30 minutes daily, a 115-decibel noise 15 minutes daily, and a 120-decibel noise "almost immediately."
"Continual exposure to more than 85 decibels can be dangerous," the report adds.
Fortunately, some earphones and headphones can block out anywhere between 25 and 50 decibels of noise that isn‘t coming from the stereo system. On the other hand, some earphones and headphones don’t block out outside noise and, thus, could compel users to increase their music’s decibel level.
Apartment Therapy lists five headphones or earphones that block out background noise and, thus, can protect your hearing. They are:
* AfterShokz Bluez Open Ear Wireless Headphones * AudioTechnica Premium Solid Bass In-Ear Headphones * dB Logic EP-100 * Maxwell Safe Soundz Headphones * V-Moda Over-Ear Noise Isolating Headphones
|