It doesn’t matter where you look- gym, train, work, or even on a sidewalk, you will always find someone with a pair of funky earphones or headphones plugged into their ears and engrossed in their mobile phones.
Whether you are using them to jam out during a workout or ending the day with a podcast, many of us spend a lot of time every day with earbuds blasting sound into our ears!
While these little sonic feeding tubes pump out our favourite tracks and keep us entertained, anytime and anywhere, this convenience comes at a price: Ear damage.
The World Health Organization estimates that "1.1 billion young people worldwide are at risk of hearing loss due to unsafe listening practices," in part from listening to music via headphones or earbuds. Noise exposure is one of the most common causes of hearing loss.
Meaning that extended usage of hearing devices can damage the vital parts of the ear, resulting in irreversible damage. Hence, we have come up with a few tips that you can adopt to reduce the risk of any such happening:
1. Turn down the volume
Yes, it’s as simple as that! Just turn down the volume! If you are someone who cranks up the volume occasionally then stop doing it right away!
According to a study in the Noise & Health (2017), people who listen to 90 decibels or 100 decibels sound levels for a prolonged period of time (including when they are sleeping) are at the greatest risks of cochlear damage & hearing impairment. So it’s very much important that you keep a check on your volume levels.
2. Use the right device
There is no dearth of earphones online or even offline. But when it comes to the matters of the ear, listen to the brands!
What we mean here is do not compromise on quality and go for only original earphones that you buy from verified sources.
As we understand that you do want to binge-watch Netflix on your mobile sometimes, prolonged earphone usage generally creates an environment of high temperature and humidity in the ear canal. Which is a perfect breeding ground for bacteria & fungus! Hence, always pick the ones which have soft earbuds!
3. Take listening breaks
The longer you hear loud music, the higher are your chances of damaging your ears.
An Indian study in Noise & Health (2009) showed that more than 30% of the test subjects listened to music above the safety limits (which is set at 80db) for eight hours and if you are crossing either or both these limits, you are clearly risking hearing damage or loss.
So, lessen the duration, try taking breaks & keep on reducing the volume if your usage is increasing!
Having said that, here’s something you can try doing, follow the 60/60 rule:
Listen at 60% of your device’s volume for 60 minutes and then take a break! This will make your listening experience safer, comfortable, and at the same time, your brand earphones might also last for a longer period of time!
4. Go for the ones with noise cancellation:
If you are someone who listens to music in a silent environment, then you would not be finding it difficult to concentrate or enjoy what you are listening to.
But if you are in a loud spot, which generally causes a lot of hindrance & disturbance in listening to what is being played or said, noise-cancelling earphones are imperative for you!
As they reduce the amount of outside noise that seeps into your ear and stop you from increasing the volume now and then. This leads to preserving your hearing.
Hence, don’t just crank up the volume to drown the outside noise but use the ones with noise cancellation that can cancel it out!
5. Clean your earphones
Just like any other device that you use, make it a point to clean your earphones. Especially the piece which you put inside your ears!
This will help you get rid of any buildup dust, microbes, or any other unwanted substance. However, you should keep in mind the manufacturer’s instructions while cleaning your favourite gadget!
6.Keep your ears clean:
Our ears have a natural cleaning system, which is how earwax is formed. It is more like nature’s way of taking care of our sound receptors.
Normally it clears out on its own, but studies have shown that extensive use of earphones and earplugs often leads to a hardened buildup of earwax, which is difficult to clear.
Hence, go out for a thorough professional ear cleaning now and then and definitely avoid poking pencils or pointed objects inside your ear! Actually, earphones or no earphones, make this a part of your hygiene routine! This will keep your ears happy and sound!
7. Use both earphones:
This might come as a surprise to you but plugging in just one earphone in one ear, again and again, can cause hearing impairment. As in this way you are over stressing just one ear and might want to increase the volume again to listen clearly!
Having taken you through these tips, there’s one more thing that you can do. You can count on boAt’s wireless Bluetooth earphones for a comfortable fit and active noise cancellation! You can have a look at Rockerz 255 Pro,Bassheads 225, Airdopes 441, Airdopes 131 as these earphones have a reputation for giving you a soothing and powerful listening experience!
