Emily DesRoches

Walking around campus, one can easily spot headphones and earbuds. People wear them daily, but is the volume set too loud? There is a prediction by Dr. Adele Goman, of a gradual increase in hearing loss by 30 million adults 20 years or older in the next 35 years.

A study by Melissa Mina, speech pathologist and audiologist, found that young adults are not fully aware of the process of getting noise-induced hearing loss. The conclusion that they disregard it entirely, is supported by work by audiologists Yash Shrimal and Aparna Nandurkar.

What Are Signs of Noise-Induced Hearing Loss?

Noise-induced hearing loss in caused by repeated exposure to loud sounds, according to the CDC. This also increases depending on family history, chronic conditions, or injuries to the ear.

Here are some signs to identify if you have noise-induced hearing loss listed by the CDC. However, do not consider this a diagnosis. Visit your audiologist if you have concerns:

1. Sounds muffled
2. Trouble hearing high-pitches, conversations in noisy places, speech over the phone
3. Asking others to speak more slowly or loudly
4. Turning up volume on the television or radio
5. Ringing in ears
6. Certain sound causing pain in the ears

Headphones are a major culprit because of their daily use, depending on how loud the volume is, determines whether noise-induced hearing loss may occur. James E. Foy, an osteopathic pediatrician, states, “If you can’t hear anything going on around you when listening to headphones, the decibel level is too high.”

At What Volume Are Headphones Safe to Use?

Sounds below 70 decibels (dB) are safe for long period use, according to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD).

However, Dr. Kate Johnson, a trained audiologist, says that, “For every three-decibel increase, that time is cut in half, so knowing the volume of a sound is the simplest way to know your exposure risk.”  The Hearing Health Foundation (HHF), a nonprofit funder of hearing and balance research, states that sounds at 20dB are 10 times stronger than 10dB sounds.

Here are some examples from the HHF of how decibels can affect people’s daily lives:

1. 30-35dB correlates with sleep disruption
2. 45dB disturbs concentration and interferes with learning
3. 60dB interferes with speech comprehension for people with hearing loss
4. 70-75dB interferes with speech comprehension for people with normal hearing

Most headphones can have a maximum volume of 100db. So, experts recommend setting the volume at 50-60% of the maximum, confirmed by a study from Jan L. Mayes, a Canadian audiologist and hearing health educator. The longer you listen for, the lower the volume should be.

Johnson recommends noise-canceling headphones instead of ear buds because it seals outside sounds better. Lastly, take listening breaks, an hour in between listening to loud music to allow your ears to rest.

Tools to Monitor and Moderate Headphone Volume

There are some apps on both IOS and Android devices that can measure sound levels. Here are a few mentioned by the NIDCD.

1. NIOSH Sound Level Meter App (IOS)
2. Sound Meter X (IOS)
3. Sound Meter (Android)
4. Soundprint (IOS and Android)

On IOS devices, there is a setting to reduce loud headphone sounds. It will analyze the audio and reduces any sound above the level that you set beforehand. For Android devices, it is a little different. It does the same as the IOS settings, preventing the volume from rising to a set level.

Using these settings allows one to track and limit their volume levels, protecting them in the future. Dr. Josef Shargorodsky, an Otolaryngologist, also known as an ear, nose and throat doctor, found that 1 in 5 teens from 12 to 19 years old experience some hearing loss, however there is no confirmation on how much headphone volume affects that.

Some researchers theorize that headphone volume is one cause, as this statistic is 30% higher than it was 20 years ago, according to the American Osteopathic Association (AOA). However, more research needs to be done before there is a direct causation.