Often when we don’t have much to do we tend to do too much of something. This could be drinking alcohol, binge eating, or listening to music. It’s a natural reaction to overcompensate ourselves for the things we are missing in life. If you, or your loved one, have an addictive personality, or some other kind of personal issue, then this can aggravate the situation. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that billions of young people worldwide could be at risk of hearing loss due to unsafe listening practices. Hearing Loss And Listening To Music

The WHO estimates that over 43 million people aged 12–35 years live with hearing loss due to different causes. Among teenagers and young adults aged 12–35 years in middle- and high-income countries:

• Nearly 50% are exposed to unsafe levels of sound from the use of personal audio devices


• Around 40% are exposed to potentially damaging sound levels at clubs, discos and bars

With many live music and entertainment venues closed due to lockdowns around the world, listening to wonderful music is still possible at home. Listening to good music is good for us, mentally and physically; it can make us feel happy or excited, or spur us into action or exercise. This is great if you have good hearing but if you, or your loved ones, are suffering from hearing loss then wearing hearing aids will allow you to listen to music properly and safely.

Safe Listening Levels

Safe listening levels depend on the intensity, duration and frequency of exposure. These factors are interrelated and contribute to the overall level that your ears are exposed to. Audiologists have calculated permissible exposure levels for work and recreational settings with 85 decibels (dB) being considered the highest safe exposure level, up to a maximum of eight hours per day. A sound as high as 100 dB, the level of a subway train, can be safely listened to for only 15 minutes daily. The output of personal audio devices may range from 75 dB to as high as 136 dB so it’s important to monitor noise levels. Even a short duration of exposure to high-decibel levels such as these can be harmful. Habitual exposure can lead to hearing loss, over time, being generally defined as being someone who cannot hear or has a hearing threshold of 25 dB or more.

Safer Listening Practices It’s not difficult to protect your hearing, here are some tips;

• Keep the volume down


• Use carefully fitted noise-cancelling earphones/headphones


• Have short listening breaks


• Move away from loud sounds


• Limit your daily use of personal audio devices

If you, or your loved ones, are concerned about hearing loss from listening to music too often, too loudly, for too long, then the best thing to do is to get your hearing checked. Don’t hesitate to make an appointment with one of our friendly, professional audiologist consultants at Clarisound. We can help you and your loved ones to enjoy the sound of music safely.