Everyone has that “one” song. The song that has you cranking up the volume, belting out the lyrics and riffing on your air guitar. But what happens when it’s every song you listen to and you’re rocking out with headphones? It could lead to noise-inducted hearing loss.
The World Health Organization recently warned that 1.1 billion young people are at risk of hearing loss due to dangerous levels of noise – in their earbuds and at entertainment venues. In fact, hearing loss among teens has already increased about 30% since the 80’s and 90’s.
The best way to protect your hearing is to be mindful of your listening experience. Many experts say the best way to protect your ears is to obey “60/60” rule – keeping the volume of a device under 60% of the maximum volume for a maximum of 60 minutes a day. But you also need to be aware of your surroundings, as you may not even realize just how loud the noise is.
Think of when you go to the gym. You see people with headphones or earbuds, getting into the zone. There may be an exercise class, weights clanging together and machines in use. During that time, the temptation may be to turn up the music to drown all of that background noise out and focus.
It’s easy to see how anyone can absentmindedly increase the volume too loud. Luckily, there are different options available to help. One is to purchase over-the-ear style headphones that have noise canceling technology. Another is to invest in custom made ear buds that block out most noise and allow users to listen to audio at much lower levels.
What are some other scenarios where you may absentmindedly have the audio volume too loud? Or what are some of your go-to’s for protecting your hearing? We’d love to hear from you!
