I don't use headphones very often because I concern about my ear health. I hate hearing aids and don't want to spend the rest of my life using it. What do you experience? Does using headphones affect your ear health?
Headphones can definitely damage your hearing. The problem is that you start out listening at a comfortable level, then after a bit your ears get accustomed to that level and it seems too low, so you turn it up a bit more. Eventually you've got the volume up to such a loud level that you can induce hearing damage without even realizing it. You have to be conscious of the levels all the time and pay attention to your adjustments.
Shane is right. I can personally testify that headphones can damage the ears. My left ear will hurt when it is subjected to prolong noise.
I have used earphones when I was in high school until college. I use it every time I go to bed. Now I'm suffering the consequences of leaving the earphone on my ear until I get to sleep.
Whatever happened to common sense?! We all know that loud noises can damage hearing. So just don't crank up the music that loud. Its all under your own control!
Ah, but with headphones it's not just about being perceived as loud. Moderate volumes over a length of time can have the same effect. And like I said, if you listen for a while, say several hours, you tend to get used to the volume and perceive it as being softer, so in turn ramp up the volume a little. I've been guilty of this. I found out how loud it really was when I left the volume control alone at the end of a listening session, then played the same music back at that volume to start with the next day. It was very loud and I didn't even realize it the day before.
I can honestly say that I've never experienced that. I just don't mess with the volume unless my situation changes-for instance moving from a noisy bus to the house, when I turn it down.
Have you considered using a volume limiter for protection?
I'm careful now that I'm conscious of it. A volume limiter would be a pain as my headphones are all different and I'd have to adjust every time I switched.
I have a fair amount of hearing loss due to many loud concerts, the advent of the walkman when I was a kid (louder the better in those days), being in a band for many years, guns, etc..... We just didn't think about hearing protection 25-30 years ago. I've got a nice permanent ringing to keep me company in a quiet room from here on out.
Oh that ringing sound. It was explained to me before by a friend of mine who is majoring music in college that the ringing sound we are hearing are the notes or tone that the ears can't hear anymore. It sounds ironic and I still can't understand what he really meant even now.
I have tinnitus too so I feel your pain. I didn't end up with it because of noise though, so I haven't had to deal with that. Its a shame, being kinda self inflicted.
I have had chronic ear infections since childhood. My doctor always said that headphones were an absolune no-no for me. I don't let anything near my ears not even my husband.
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