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Earbud Headphones May Cause Hearing Loss
Posted by
samzenpus
on Thu Dec 29, 2005 12:43 AM
from the could-you-speak-up dept.
from the could-you-speak-up dept.
benr writes "According to an AP report, the earbud headphones that are so popular for ipods and other portable devices may lead to hearing loss. From the article: "The big culprits aren't the devices themselves, but the tiny 'ear bud' style headphones that the music players use. 'Unfortunately, the earbuds are even more likely to cause hearing loss than the muff-type earphones that were used on Walkman and portable CD players'""
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New Tech to Help Prevent Hearing Loss? 162 comments
Wired is reporting that Blomberg is working on an invention to help users maintain a greater control over the volume output of portable music devices. Many people have expressed a growing concern about hearing loss in recent years due to the increased use of headphones and exposure to loud music. From the article: "Les Blomberg, executive director of the Noise Pollution Clearinghouse, described hearing loss with a nice analogy: 'If you have a field of grass and you walk on it, you compress the grass and it bends down over the night, and in a few days, it springs back up and is OK again. But if you keep doing that over and over, you wear a path in it. And that's kind of what happens with hearing loss.'"
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I've proven this... (Score:5, Informative)
WHAT? (Score:3, Funny)
Re:I've proven this... (Score:5, Informative)
Story also on Yahoo news [yahoo.com], and the Register [theregister.co.uk].
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Re:I've proven this... (Score:4, Insightful)
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Re:Lol, I am exactly the reverse (Score:5, Insightful)
Hearing loss is horrible, don't fuck with it.
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Re:I've proven this... (Score:5, Interesting)
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You probably have an equipment problem (Score:5, Interesting)
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Re:I've proven this... (Score:4, Funny)
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Re:I've proven this... (Score:3, Funny)
(Ok, not quite as funny as doing it in person, but I've not left my parent's basement for months now.)
Found this in the 1940s and it's TODAYS news? (Score:5, Informative)
To what extent and in what form should the news media re-teach readers basic life lessons (eat a balanced diet, exercise, drink in moderation, don't listen to loud music, etc.)?
How should the press segregate news so that the average reader does not get lowest common denomiator news (e.g., things aimed at those that don't know better or are 5 years old or younger)?
Begin Quote from: "The History of Audiology" http://www.asha.org/public/hearing/aud_history.ht
The History of Audiology
The profession of audiology had its origins in the 1920s when audiometers were first designed for measuring hearing. Interest in this profession surged in the 1940s when soldiers returned from World War II with noise induced hearing loss due to near-by gunfire or to prolonged and unprotected exposure to machinery noise. Others had psychogenic (non-organic) hearing loss as a result of severe emotional and mental stress. The Veterans Administration took a lead role in providing hearing testing and rehabilitation through hearing aids, auditory training, and speechreading (lipreading) programs.
Since the 1940s and 1950s, the study of hearing, hearing loss, and audiologic rehabilitation has escalated and expanded. New tests of hearing have been developed including evaluations of functions of the outer ear, middle ear, cochlea, acoustic nerve, and related brain areas. Techniques using physiologic measurements that were in the research stages 20-30 years ago are now routine.
Modern technology and computerization have dramatically influenced hearing aids. Hearing aids have changed from "boxes" in shirt pockets and "cords" to the ear to highly sophisticated "completely-in-the-ear canal" aids. Virtually any kind of hearing loss can be improved by a hearing aid. Cochlear implants are increasingly common and successful. Through cochlear implantation, a destroyed or damaged cochlea can be by-passed and the acoustic nerve can be stimulated directly.
Today, audiologists and the practice of audiology have widespread visibility. Audiology has a presence in public schools, health care centers, private practices, nursing homes, community agencies, the military, hospitals. colleges and universities, hearing aid dispensing centers, hearing and speech centers. They test hearing and listening ability; they fit hearing aids and assistive listening devices; they provide training and rehabilitation programs for individuals with hearing and listening disorders; they participate on health care and educational teams tp plan and provide the most appropriate services.
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Re:Found this in the 1940s and it's TODAYS news? (Score:5, Informative)
This is a common misconception. "In the canal" (CIC) and "in the ear" (ITE) are generally used to compensate for the kind of hearing loss that wasn't bad enough to be worth correcting in the past. Behind the ear (BTE) aids are used to compensate the kind of loss that used to be corrected by body-worn aids. Those of us with BTEs are usually severely to profoundly deaf.
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Re:Found this in the 1940s and it's TODAYS news? (Score:5, Informative)
Of course for those of you whose volume controls go all the way to 11, that should be decreased to 54% of full scale.
Seriously, am I the only person who thinks this advice completely insane? 60% converted on an arbitrary scale, converted to sound pressure with a device-dependent conversion that varies wildly? I hope that comment was misquoted or taken out of context.
With portable and headphone I'm currently using, 60% full scale would blow out my ears in seconds, if the headphones didn't first destroy themselves in a valiant attempt to save my ears. It's true I've got a very good pair of heaphones and a pretty high-ampltude device, but anything above 3-4% max is too loud for comfort. On the other hand, I've listened to equipment at which full scale with all the equalizer channels maximized isn't loud enough.
It seems to me the problem hasn't got anything to do with ear-buds or portables. Unfortunately, it's a lot more widespread and hard to deal with than that. From the article:
120 dB? That's completely insane. Anyone who's *able* to stick 120 dB in their ears without wincing and making a desperate grab for the volume switch has already got some pretty serious hearing damage, if you ask me.
But that's not too surprising, since everything in our society is screaming at us constantly. I'm continually amazed by the amount of volume people tolerate on the subway, in movie theaters, in concerts. I now carry earplugs with me everywhere and end up using them several times a day. That sucks, because it's impossible to find earplugs with a nice flat frequency response, so you end up with badly colored audio. Nothing pissed me off more than paying money to listen to live music and then to have no choice but to hear it through muddy earplugs. Why the hell anyone *wants* to hear a jazz concert in a little tiny club at earsplitting volume is another question. I can only assume it's because we've all burned out our hearing elsewhere.
But, this is in danger of becoming a completely unrestrained rant, so I better quit.
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Re:Found this in the 1940s and it's TODAYS news? (Score:5, Informative)
Visit an audiologist and ask him to make you a pair of musician's earplugs [google.com]. They will be molded to the shape of your ear and they contain a filter with a flat frequency response. Be prepared to shell out $200 or so.
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Real Earplugs... (Score:5, Insightful)
First off, because they are custom molded to my ear, they don't put pressure on the ear canal in order to stay in place. Much more comfortable. The coolest thing is how they work though. When I first tried them on, I thought they weren't working very well. I could still hear everything just fine. It was rather odd. However, after wearing them a few times in high noise situations, I noticed something. When I left the noise...my ears weren't ringing. And that's the best part. I can hear everything and it sounds normal, and yet my ears are protected. Give 'em a try. Yes, they are expensive But they're protecting something you can't get back once you lose.
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Re:Found this in the 1940s and it's TODAYS news? (Score:5, Interesting)
If I remember correctly (sorry, on vacation, article is at home), it was actually 70%... but whatever. 60% is even safer, and would allow longer listening time.
That, unfortunately, is the best sort of generalization that one can make, due to the variations in output levels of portable electronics and headphones. There are, of course, some warning signs to heed. If you have ringing in your ears, or notice a temporary hearing loss after using your headphones... they are way too loud. Some good earphones do exist that have a fairly flat response, that attenuate sound from the outside. Shure and Etymotic Research both make in-the-ear type earphones with either custom-fit or foam-plugs that keep outside sounds out so that you can reduce the volume in your ear.
We're working (Dr. Fligor and I) on a follow-up with mp3 players. Should be done in a couple months. I'm sure it will hit
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Re:I've proven this... (Score:5, Funny)
It could be beneficial to make the mistake twice... at least your hearing would be balanced.
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Re:I've proven this... (Score:4, Interesting)
I always hold my phone to my right ear. My sense of hearing is noticeably desensitized in this ear. This has been obvious to me for a few years. I think any device that sends a signal to one ear more than another will create similar results. I don't consider in-earbuds any more damaging than any other speaker.
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Re:I've proven this... (Score:5, Insightful)
I have some real nice Princess Leia [koss.com] style headphones, and even though they totally surround the ear, I never set the volume so high that I can't hear someone speak to me with a normal tone of voice. Hearing loss runs in my family, so keeping a reasonable Volume setting is very important to me.
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Re:I've proven this... (Score:5, Funny)
Are you the guy that hums along to elevator music?
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A good volume (Score:5, Insightful)
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Re:I've proven this... (Score:5, Interesting)
I sort of go along that vein, using a distant cousin of the ear bud: in-ear monitors [etymotic.com]. These actually seal up the ear canal relatively completely, isolating the music from outside noise far better than ear buds (think ear plugs and headphones combined). And I never feel the need to turn my music's volume further than halfway.
So I don't suffer from over-loudness, but of course one consequence of this is that I am pretty much deaf to anything outside the headphones, so I can't hear people talking to me like you can. But IEMs or other similar noise-isolating/cancelling headphones are nigh necessity on the NYC subway, as far as I'm concerned. There's probably far more people suffering hearing loss on the subway here than anywhere else, as they crank to 11 to kill off the scream of the trains.
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Common sense hearing protection (Score:4, Insightful)
Another issue (which doesn't seem to have been brought up yet) is duration of exposure. I don't recall the exact figures (ask OSHA), but the idea is this: your ears can only do so much work in a given period of time. Loud noises work your ears more than soft ones, but sustained moderate-volume noises can work your ears as much if not more than loud noises. Once your ears pass their "working" threshold, you will start to damage them. Every time you leave a loud environment (like when the Who is in town) and you notice your ears ringing, you're noticing new permanent hearing damage.
As we age, our ears gradually sustain more permanent damage. Contrary to what many believe, there is currently no way to repair or reverse hearing damage, only ways to work with it. Hearing aids simply amplify noises we can no longer detect (thereby hastening further damage) and cochlear implants effectively replace the natural inner ear mechanism with an artificial one which while allowing the person to hear again probably doesn't sound as "right" as the original did.
In addition to loudness, other factors can contribute to hearing loss. Cigarrette smoke, alcohol, poor diet, poor sleeping habits, and CAFFEINE all increase a person's risk for hearing loss.
I started playing the drums when I was 10 years old, and I didn't wear earplugs regularly until my early twenties when I was studying audio engineering at Berklee College of Music. I suffer from tinitus (cronic ringing of the ears) and I've found that in addition to a good diet and plenty of water, the best way to reduce the ringing is to avoid caffeine, consume alcohol only moderately, and avoid smoky environments. I've also found that if I know I'm going to be in a loud environment (like a concert, seminar, party, etc), I can protect my ears by maintaining a softer environment for the rest of the day - ie, not listening to loud music, wearing earplugs when I'm walking down a city street or on the subway or in the car, etc.
I think everyone who has concerns about their hearing could benifit from this.
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Grab a pair of "nosebuds." ;-) (Score:5, Funny)
Those that say it's necessary in some situations (on a bus/train/etc) should really reconsider where and how they listen to music. Truly, the most enjoyable and healthy way to listen to music is with a quality stereo system in your living room, but if you must take your tunes to go, may I suggest this: use a pair of earbuds in your nose.
No, seriously. Place each earbud in your nostrils, close your lips but leave your jaw open. Then plug your ears and enjoy -- just remember to breathe every once in a while. Not only does this produce a really cool voice-in-your-head effect, you can crank your player to the max, and cut out the background noise without fear of hearing loss because it's resonating in your sinuses and mouth instead of your ear canals.
The downside: it diminishes the stereo effect some and people tend to look at you funny -- a small price to pay.
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Re:Grab a pair of "nosebuds." ;-) (Score:4, Funny)
I just crossed from office-geek into "don't stare and walk away slowly" dude.
Ah hell, maybe I'll get me some crazy eyes and complete the package.
Thanks!
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We're turning into a nation of deaf people (Score:5, Insightful)
There's evidence of a general decline in hearing sensitivity in movie theatres and airplanes. The intensity of airplane overhead speaker volume has recently become almost painful to my ears, and it seems to be consistent across different airlines. Movie theatres as well have cranked up the volume. I find myself covering my ears during the previews, which tend to have intense, compressed action with a lot of music and narrative to pump up the adrenaline. Generally when the main feature begins the sound volume settles down a bit but it can still be worrisomely loud.
I am worried that we in the U.S. are becoming a nation of half-deaf electronic addicts, cranking our headsets and PA systems ever louder to compensate, perhaps unknowingly, for our diminishing sensitivity to sound.
I only hope that ENT doctors and researchers continue to find ways to repair the ear's mechanisms and perhaps develop nerve repair techniques or we're gonna have a huge population of elderly deaf people 50 years from now (with commensurate increase in volume of PA systems etc.).
Re:when it's too loud you are too old (Score:5, Insightful)
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Re:We're turning into a nation of deaf people (Score:5, Funny)
You're fairly sure it's louder because they're making it louder?
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Re:We're turning into a nation of deaf people (Score:5, Informative)
b) It's used in radio, highly produced music (like most pop music), and anything even remotely related to advertising, to allow a sound to carry more energy within a constrained peak amplitude range.
c) It's used in mass market movies, especially action movies, to provide more impact. Dramatic movies, serious movies, and indie stuff tend not to use it since it doesn't suit their needs - just like music, where classical, jazz, and most independent artists use compression as a tool for good, not evil (compression isn't inherently bad... if the producer knows how to use it.)
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Re:We're turning into a nation of deaf people (Score:4, Insightful)
What hacks me off these days, is the sudden increase in perceived volume when an advert or similar break occurs during a television show... it's so blatant, yet they keep denying there's anything happening. I have to turn the volume down quite some way, and then remember to turn it back up when the program continues...
in fact, lately, I've started using the Mute during the breaks... which means those advertisers have shot themselves in the foot as I'm not hearing the message.
yes, I know, I could get a "tivo" type machine or even build my own, but I watch telly so infrequently these days it's not worth the bother. I get any shows I'm really interested in off the intarweb... and if I'm really impressed, I go and buy the DVDs
But what really really gets my Goat is those bl00dy anti-priracy messages on the DVDs I can't get round... I'm not the one whose pirating the bloody thing, I've actually gone out and bought it, so why the heck am I being forced to watch an anti-piracy message???
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Re:Why trailers don't make your ears bleed anymore (Score:4, Interesting)
The second thing you refer to is the loudness of trailers. Please do not mistake that with the level of the THX trailer. The THX trailer is a very precisely-engineered bit of audio that allows easy verification of the audio calibration of a surround listening environment. While people used to complain about the amplitude of the THX logo sound, the fact that the theatre vibrates at the end of the sound (at the "The Audience is Listening" portion) means that the theatre's sound system is in alignment.
The third topic you mention is trailer loudness, specifically in relation to the Trailer Loudness Standard [thx.com]. The Trailer Loudness Standard was created by the Trailer Audio Standards Association [thx.com], which took on the task of standardizing the way trailers are mixed.
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ummm (Score:3, Funny)
In short, (Score:5, Funny)
well... (Score:3, Insightful)
Common sense (Score:5, Insightful)
The new in-ear ones or the old? (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:The new in-ear ones or the old? (Score:5, Informative)
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the phones? (Score:5, Informative)
Is it the design of the headphones, or the design of the headphones combined with people listening to their music at higher levels than usual?
" In a study published last year in the journal Ear and Hearing, researchers at Harvard Medical School looked at a variety of headphones and found that, on average, the smaller they were, the higher their output levels at any given volume-control setting. And other studies have shown that because the tiny phones inserted into the ears are not as efficient at blocking outside sounds as the cushioned headsets, users tend to crank up the volume to compensate."
So the problem isn't a technological one, but a psychological one. I'm guessing the in-ear phones like the ones made by Etymotic [etymotic.com] wouldn't be subject to this phenomenon.
IF YOU KEEP TURNING IT UP...IT WILL BE LOUD! (Score:3, Insightful)
Yes, if you keep making things louder and louder, eventually you're going to experience hearing loss. Additionally, in my personal experience, listening to something in only one ear (like a cell phone, or a single-side headset) it will be much louder if the other ear isn't blocked (y'know, by sticking a finger in it), or listening to the same stuff.
I disagree with the blanket statements like "earbud heaphones cause hearing loss", though. I've been using a pair of Etymotic ER6i headphones (yes, they're earbuds), but the work on the concept of isolation from other outside noises. Think of a foam earplug with a decent heaphone in the center. Using those, I find I'm actually enjoying the quiet, and tend to play my music at a much *lower* volume than I would with more open headphones.
News at 11 (Score:3, Interesting)
Seriously, do we need to be told that loud noise can lead to hearing loss? Are we so dumb that they need to dredge up a story that first ran with the invention of the Walkman?
For those with Tinnitus (Score:5, Interesting)
As a note, hearing damage is [generally] permanent (Score:5, Insightful)
Flying the other day, the guy sitting two seats across from me had his iPod turned up so loud that I could hear the drum rolls clearly, despite having 27dB drop earplugs in. For comparison's sake, when I listened (without the earplugs) to music for a little while when I worked on some code, I used a pair of Sony cheapie headphones. Held six inches from me, I couldn't hear the music above the noise of the airplane (again, without the earplugs).
The use of loud audio sources, both with portable audio devices and cell phones (I can often hear the sending side of a cell phone conversation from 15 feet away) is going to cause significant damage to the hearing of the "with it" generation.
For those curious why people are so intent on damaging their hearing, I'll give two facts:
1. People associate louder sound as being more impressive.
2. (partially related to 1) People perceive louder sound differently than softer sound. Our hearing system changes its frequency response based on how loud the source is, refered to as the Fletcher-Munson Curve(s) [webervst.com].
The bottom line? Be aware of how loud you're listening to audio sources and protect yourself. Tinnitus is horrible (ringing in the ears), but it's also common to suffer damage in the 3-6 KHz range, where much of the understandability of speech is, leading to the situation of being able to hear but not make out what someone is saying. Turn down your cell phone and personal audio device, as well as your car stereo. If you're curious just how loud the audio in you life is, an SPL meter can easily be aquired at your local Rat Shack or online source. You might be surprised.
"Tinnitus is horrible..." (Score:5, Informative)
The ringing is so loud that I can't hear quiet sounds and certain frequencies. It can be extremely annoying [anarchive.org] too, just ask William Shatner.
Some of the jokes about this are pretty funny, but take a moment and take this stuff seriously, there is no cure for permanent hearing loss or tinnitus, and there may not be in your lifetime. Use high volume in moderation, wear ear plugs to concerts, and always use hearing protection around potentially damaging high volume noises in industry and sport.
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The solution to this problem is clear! (Score:5, Funny)
Obviously, we need more muff-type devices! I mean really, what problem couldn't be solved by making things more muff-like?
Recommendation (Score:5, Funny)
Unfortunately, this recommendation is likely to fall on deaf ears.
Re:Slashdot writeup missed the point (Score:5, Insightful)
You can listen to the Beatles loudly. You can listen to Queen loudly. You can listen to anything loudly, and people do. It's not just the top 40 crap that's on those MP3 players, you know.
I really don't see the point you're trying to make with that statement.
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Re:Slashdot writeup missed the point (Score:5, Funny)
He's trying to prove that music elitists can find some way to insert a jab at popular music in any conversation, regardless of the relevance.
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Re:Slashdot writeup missed the point (Score:5, Interesting)
Why would any different style of speaker be any more or less likely to cause hearing damage vs another? Surely the only thing that really matters is the volume at which the sound hits your eardrum.
Earbuds may be closer to the eardrum, but the sound that comes out of them is far less loud than that of a speaker (for comparison, plug your earbuds in and listen to them from the same distance that you'd listen to speakers from. clearly they're FAR more quiet). Therefore they make up for the closer distance to your eardrum by being less noisy. As a result, you should be just as likely to get hearing damage from speakers as from earbuds, assuming you listen to both at the same perceived volume.
All that the article seems to indicate is "In a study published last year in the journal Ear and Hearing, researchers at Harvard Medical School looked at a variety of headphones and found that, on average, the smaller they were, the higher their output levels at any given volume-control setting.". So basically smaller earphones are more sensitive. Duh? Basically all they're saying is that you dont have to turn the volume knob up as high for small buds vs big headphones.
At any given volume, earbuds aren't any more likely to cause hearing damage than headphones or speakers.. it's just that it seems people are too dumb to realise that they have to turn the volume knob down when they change to different brands/styles of headphones.
The research doesn't show that earbuds cause hearing damage, it shows that excessive listening to music at excessive volumes causes hearing damage. It just so happens that portable music players gives the option for many people to listen to music for large amounts of time, and that most portable music players come with earbud style headphones. This is not causation.
In the end, the best way to prevent hearing damage is probably "in-ear phones" or "canalphones". See etymotic [etymotic.com], shure [shurestore.com], sony [reviewcentre.com], sharp [audiocubes.com]. They are just earphones that go deep inside the earcanal and use a material (usually silicone or foam) to make a seal with the earcanal to prevent any external noise from "leaking" in. Thus, you dont have to turn up the volume to allow you to hear your music over cars, computer fans, tvs, etc... Thus, your music is at a lower volume and your hearing is happier
For proof, btw, I personally got hearing damage when i moved away from canalphones and instead bought some full-sized headphones. They were both very bright in sound (lots of shharp trebble) and open (lots of sound leaking in, meaning i turned it up more). That combo did more damage than earphones ever have
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Re:Substitutes? (Score:3, Insightful)
If you are a music producer (Score:5, Informative)
If I were to do a test like that with my rather nice high-end consumer/low-end pro gear, I would conclude that my hearing was rather above the norm in the 1-2khz range, dipped around 100Hz, but went back up at 60Hz. If I were to repeat that with my rear speakers, Id' get different results.
However the real answer is, of course, my speakers are not flat and my room acoustics suck. The 1-2khz rise is mostly a property of the speakers, but is also partly room based, the 100Hz dip is almost entirely room based, and doesn't happen in other locations in the room. Indeed in a few locations the bass is almost crushing.
In case you are wondering, no I'm not basing this off my ears, I'm basing it off my calibration microphone.
Consumer gear is made to sound good, not be flat. Even exceedingly high end headphones don't have a flat response, it doesn't sound good. Using it to test hearing is rather worthless.
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Re:DIY hearing test - NOT ACCURATE (Score:5, Informative)
I am an audiologist.
This is a completely inaccurate and fully misleading "test"
1) It is very dependent on your setup.
2) Equivalent Loudness is not an accurate measure of hearing ability for too many reasons to name here. Suffice it to say that "thresholds" are how we audiologists measure it.
3) THE "DIAGNOSES" ARE WRONG. Completely. None of them are remotely correct. High-frequency hearing loss almost never indicates a wax buildup or middle ear dysfunction. Mid-frequency (2-5kHz) loss is NOT middle ear dysfunction. Low-frequency (250-500) loss does not indicate noise-induced hearing loss. THEY ARE ALL WRONG, DISREGARD THEM COMPLETELY. Diagnoses can only be given by an audiologist or an ENT physician. And not one of these are anywhere near correct.
4) Hearing loss above 10kHz is natural and doesn't mean anything. Further, persons with normal hearing need a much higher output level at 15kHz than at 500Hz to even detect sound.
The best way to test your hearing? Visit an audiologist. They can help you.
If you want a MUCH more accurate hearing screening, you can visit Freehearingtest.com [freehearingtest.com]. It's a screening... not very accurate, but much more so than this. And easy to do as well.
I suggest visiting wikipedia [wikipedia.org] to learn more about hearing loss. Also, the American Academy of Audiology [audiology.org].
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