Can Extended Usage Of EarPods Possibly Cause Deafness?

Hearing tests are done immediately after a baby is born as it is super important. We associate sounds with so many aspects in our life and take it for granted. The sound of the pressure cooker signals food being made. We listen to music to lighten our mood and feel better. We enjoy long bike rides on our bullet, gear up for fireworks and just live life full force. What ties all these scenarios together? Sound, ofcourse! It is either loud or normal. We normally tend to shield our ears or can hear a loud ringing after we have been exposed to very loud sounds. Sound levels are measured in units called decibels. Let us give you a few examples- breathing is around 10 db, a conversation is at 60 db, machinery like fridges and washing machines are slightly louder-70 db, dance club vibes at over 100 db while firecrackers are the loudest- at over 150 db! What is the normal range that is safe? About 60-70 db is a safe bet always.

Best Practices For EarPods To Avoid Hearing Damage

How many times have you listened in on someone’s else’s conversation, with your EarPods on? Don’t worry, we won’t tell. Haha! We also use our EarPods in lots of legitimate ways- to listen to music, podcasts, interesting stories or as white noise to cut loud background noises when working in a crowded cafe and even to avoid conversation and seem busy. That is all okay, no issues. But what if your ears are strapped to them through the day? That is bad, in the long run. We tend to increase the volume when we are out, or if the conversation is unclear. Did you know that the WHO has recommended that we use EarPods for NOT more than an hour every day? That is a very tall order for most of us as we are attached at the ears (and not the hip) to our EarPods. So, is there a way to ensure we won’t go deaf any time soon? Yes, there are some hacks.

• Try not to keep them plugged to your ears all the time, and to keep the earbuds clean.
• Keep the volume levels on the lower end- below 70 db. Most phones have settings that will prompt you with a warning. So, pay heed to that.
• If you listen to sounds louder than 100 db, you could permanently damage your hearing within 8 minutes or less! Now, isn’t that concert starting to sound more scary?

How loud is too loud with EarPods?

We say 60-70 db but that seems very arbitrary for most of us. So, if the volume is broken down to a hundred points, anywhere less than 60-70 points is a good place to stay at. Even lower is just great. You can do that by going to the settings in the control centre of the phone or device you are using. Another hack you could use is- you should be able to listen to what someone is saying at an arm’s length away, even with your EarPods on.

Conclusion

The WHO estimates that there will be a much higher percentage of the teenage population suffering from deafness in the future due to prolonged use of EarPods at very loud volumes. We have all been guilty of doing just that at various points during the day, but if you keep doing it, the nerves in your ears can get damaged permanently. Prevention is the best here in this case- listen to EarPods at low levels so you are aware of what is happening around you and to protect your hearing. Noise cancelling EarPods are great tools, but again we need to be conscious always.