“Beyond the benefits of new technologies, earbuds carry certain risks. The most obvious is managing the volume to avoid exposure to sounds that are too loud. Furthermore, the ear canal is very sensitive, and earbuds can aggravate problems with earwax and skin irritation in the canal. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, noise-canceling headphones isolate the user, who must then be particularly attentive to their surroundings. In a sense, they become deaf to the outside world and hear only what their headphones are playing. This may seem great, but it also exposes them to a risk of inattention, or even injury.” - Drew Sutton, MD, board-certified otolaryngologist
If you take public transportation in a big city or simply walk down the street, you are bound to come across a multitude of teenagers, young adults, or adults equipped with headphones or earbuds. For many people, headphones are an everyday essential.
Going to the gym, working from home, or simply listening to your favorite tracks: these are just a few of the reasons why headphones are among the items we take everywhere.
While headphones and earbuds are a great way to enjoy all your digital content on the go, it is important to know their limitations and what to watch out for in order to listen safely and put your hearing health first.
Here is an overview of the pros and cons of earbuds, and how these factors influence the relationship between headphones and hearing health. Understanding the impact of headphones on your hearing will allow you to use them in a way that gets the most out of them without sacrificing your health.
The benefits of earbuds
Earbuds have exploded in popularity in recent decades. The Walkman ushered in private mobile listening, and since its release, headphone use has become a fixture of modern society.
From their compact size to their ability to transform boring situations into immersive moments, headphones have countless advantages. Here is a detailed overview.
Portability
Today’s earbuds are much less bulky than in the past: you can now slip them into a bag or pocket before heading out. For many, this portability encourages them to carry them daily, just like keys and a wallet. With advances in technology, this portability will only improve.
Hearing aids, close cousins to earbuds, clearly illustrate how much these devices have been miniaturized. The EV3 by CLARIA is 26% smaller than its predecessor, the EV1, which was already much more compact than traditional hearing aids. The EV3 is smaller while providing new features, such as increased comfort and Clear Sound + technology.
Audio entertainment
The podcast and audio entertainment industry has seen significant growth in recent years. This growth is largely due to the fact that people are very busy today: listening to their favorite show, movie, or book allows them to multitask.
Earbuds allow them to enjoy their favorite talk shows or books while doing a thousand other things. Hanging laundry, walking the dog, commuting to work, or waiting in a waiting room: these are all moments when you can now consume entertainment privately, without interfering with the task at hand.
The disadvantages of earbuds
While earbuds have quickly become faithful companions for many of us, keeping them in our ears constantly has serious drawbacks. Constant exposure to loud sounds, the inability to hear your surroundings, and the lack of ventilation for the ears are among them.
They obstruct the ear canal
The ear is made up of three parts: the inner ear, the middle ear, and the outer ear. When you put in earbuds, you obstruct the ear canal, which belongs to the outer ear. The seal created by the earbuds allows them to block out external noises, but it can also cause problems when they remain in place for hours.
The outer ear constantly secretes a substance called cerumen (earwax). Earwax plays an essential role: it keeps the ear canal hydrated, helps remove dead cells, and acts as a barrier against foreign objects that might penetrate the ear. Its production is continuous, but the ear is self-cleaning and regularly clears out earwax without any help.
This self-cleaning power is the main reason why health professionals advise against using cotton swabs in the ear canal: it is unnecessary and can lead to damaging the eardrum.
Earbuds effectively seal off the outer ear, which can lead to an accumulation of moisture and earwax. The problem is exacerbated when wearing earbuds at all hours of the day, as the ears can then no longer “breathe” or clear out earwax.
When earwax builds up, it can lead to what is known as an earwax impaction: the substance builds up to the point of completely obstructing part of the ear canal.
An earwax impaction can cause several problems, including hearing loss in some cases. When the buildup obstructs the canal, it also prevents sound waves from reaching the eardrum, which can decrease your hearing acuity. Fortunately, an earwax impaction is easily diagnosed by a simple visual examination, and hearing loss generally disappears once the impaction is removed.
Ear infections can also occur if fluid builds up in the middle ear, as this fluid can become infected with bacteria. If you are concerned about hearing loss, certain warning signs should alert you: whistling, buzzing, ear sensitivity, and muffled sounds.
They can cause damage
An even more serious disadvantage: earbuds can cause permanent hearing loss if used improperly. They are generally equipped with transducers and speakers that are smaller than those in over-ear headphones, but because they block the ear canal and are located closer to the eardrum, they can still damage hearing.
Earbuds are capable of causing damage due to the high volumes they can reach. Many people do not imagine that the sound level of their headphones could be too high and assume that the products they buy are safe. Sound levels below 70 dBA are generally considered safe, yet most earbuds can significantly exceed this recognized safe range.
It is well established that prolonged exposure to levels of 85 dB, or brief exposure to levels above 90 dB, promotes the onset of temporary hearing loss. Many headphones available today can reach 100 decibels (dB) or more. It is therefore up to you to listen responsibly and not crank the volume all the way up.
Many devices, such as smartphones, now offer features designed to ensure safe listening by limiting the maximum volume of headphones, but this setting generally must be activated manually: it is not applied by default.
Unlike an earwax impaction, hearing damage due to loud and prolonged headphone use can be irreversible, with no real solution. Hence the importance of fully understanding the rules of safety and the prevention of hearing loss.
Avoid turning the volume near the maximum, listening to music too loudly, going to a concert (a rock concert, for example) without proper protection (earplugs), and frequenting places with intense background noise. If you use noise-canceling headphones or earbuds, stay aware of the volume and duration of use. Noise cancellation is a great thing, but be sure to listen to your music at a reasonable volume.
By adopting good listening habits and remaining mindful of your headphone use and sound levels, you will reduce your risk of hearing loss. High volumes should be avoided at all costs.
How headphones can damage the ear
Headphones can damage your ears in the same way as other sources of noise-induced hearing loss. Occupational noise exposure has long been one of the leading causes of noise-induced hearing loss. Construction workers and other professions performed in noisy environments force those involved to navigate settings where the noise is constant.
For these workers, regulations now require the wearing of hearing protection. But while companies are making progress in preserving hearing, the technology industry is bringing products to market that can cause lasting damage. With the growing popularity of headphones, they could well become the leading cause of noise-induced hearing loss.
When we think of headphones, we don’t imagine them to be as loud as a jackhammer, yet they can cause lasting damage due to their proximity to the ears. Headphones damage the inner ear, and in general, this damage concerns the cochlea.
The cochlea is the snail-shaped auditory organ responsible for converting the sounds you hear into nerve impulses. Loud noises can damage the hair cells in the cochlea, which are responsible for detecting different sound frequencies. These cilia perceive certain frequencies by bending, and the sound intensity corresponds to the strength of the wave that causes them to bend.
Prolonged exposure to loud sounds damages these hair cells and can permanently harm them to the point where they no longer perceive sounds as well.
Conclusion
In short, headphones are a wonderful daily companion that allows you to listen to what you want, when you want. Their small size and ease of use are appreciated, but it must be kept in mind that they can cause hearing problems if not used responsibly.
Poor headphone listening habits can lead to both conductive and sensorineural hearing loss. Keeping your earbuds in for too long and listening too loudly harms the health of your ears and risks causing hearing loss.
If you suspect signs of hearing loss, consult a hearing care professional for an assessment.
Like most children of yesterday, you may have unintentionally damaged your hearing at a time when headphones and safe listening guidelines were much less common than they are today. If you think you have lost some hearing acuity, have a hearing test performed. In the case of mild to moderate hearing loss, hearing aids can be a good solution to hear better.
The discreet and compact format of CLARIA devices allows you to regain the ability to hear others without any complex associated with wearing a hearing aid.
Sources:
Too Loud. Too Long. | Noisy Planet | NIH
Criteria for a Recommended Standard | CDC
Noise and Hearing Loss Prevention | NIOSH | CDC
