The numbers speak for themselves:one in two young people listen to music with the volume of their headphones at a level harmful to their hearing. The WHO sounded the alarm more than two years ago, alerting to the harmful effects of headphones on the population. How will this affect our hearing? How to prevent earphone-induced hearing loss? What to do in case of hearing loss? Here are the answers to all your questions.
The World Health Organization estimates that more than one billion people between the ages of 12 and 35 will experience hearing loss due to exposure to loud noises from earphones.
Unfortunately, hearing loss from headphones is irreversible , only hearing aids allow you to "regain hearing capacity". There is no treatment to restore hearing when it is linked to sensory hearing loss .
Specialists distinguish between two types of deafness:
Conductive hearing loss which reaches the outer and middle ear and prevents sounds from being transmitted to the inner ear. It is the consequence of earwax plug, recurrent ear infections, etc. In general, conductive deafness can be treated:drug treatment, installation of diabolos, removal of adenoids, etc.
Perceptive hearing loss as for her, she can't be cured! It is the consequence of Ménière's disease, taking so-called ototoxic drugs, a viral infection and also sound trauma due to exposure to loud noises, such as listening to headphones at full volume. It is the result of damage to the hair cells that transmit sound from the inner ear to the brain via the auditory nerve.
If headphones have an irremediable effect on hearing abilities, be aware that no longer hearing has serious consequences aftereffects on the physical and psychological state of people with deafness.
Children and young adults experience a loss of self-confidence . They have difficulty learning and to concentrate . They end up isolating themselves from others and then appear serious depressive disorders .
This is why, if you have the slightest doubt about your hearing faculties or those of those around you, it is important to consult an ENT doctor very quickly. b> or a hearing aid specialist .
To avoid hearing loss , the only solution is prevention .
More and more children are using earphones or headphones to watch a video, listen to music or play games, and this increasingly early. It's not uncommon to see a toddler as young as 3 years old, headphones on, watching a video on their parent's tablet or smartphone!
Use your headphones well obviously start by lowering the volume . Above 85 decibels, damage to the inner ear is inevitable if exposure to noise is prolonged. From 110 decibels, the damage to hearing is very rapid. Be aware that in-ear headphones at full volume easily reach 100 decibels!
What to do?
The best way to tell if the headphones volume is too loud is simple:if you start to hear ringing in your ears or feel dizzy, it's time to turn it down!
Listen Safely his program or his favorite singer does not stop at lowering the sound of his headphones, but also at controlling the listening time . For listening at 85 decibels, it is best not to exceed eight hours a day and this time is halved each time the volume is increased by three decibels. At 88 decibels, the maximum duration drops to 4 hours. Either way, never fall asleep with your headphones!
Hearing loss has distinct signs:
If you have any of these signs, it's time to consult an ENT or go to a hearing center .
You will then take a hearing test to assess your hearing faculties. If the specialist finds an effective loss of your hearing, the ENT will then prescribe a hearing aid . This will allow you to regain normal hearing , while replacing your earbuds . You should know that hearing aids today are so advanced that they can pair with your smartphone and stream sound directly to your ears and above all without any risk!
