Author: In the media, you can find rather contradictory information on the topic of "harm of headphones to human health." Therefore, in this article, based on scientific data, we will understand in detail:
👑Safe earphones
Are headphones harmful to humans?
What is the effect of headphones on hearing? The first step is the WHO data:
- About 10% of earthlings suffer from deafness and hearing problems.
- About ⅓ of Americans with hearing problems "earned" them under the influence of not only industrial noise, but also loud music.
- According to WHO statistics, 71 million people in Europe suffer from hearing problems.
- Headphones: Is the impact on hearing dangerous? Noise level above 85 dB is unsafe. So, you can safely listen to music in the range of more than 100 dB, at most, 15 minutes.
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Has wireless headphones been proven to be harmful? Talk about the dangers of a headset began with the publication of the results of a study by an American scientist - "The effect of headphones on human hearing", a project by Robert Novak. Doctors began to diagnose young people with rapid hearing loss leading to complete deafness, which was previously only characteristic of older people. One of the reasons for this alarming phenomenon, Novak named regular listening to music with headphones at high volume.
With this statement of the scientist, sometimes conflicting publications in the media about the dangers of headphones began. However, until now, no one has established scientifically what exactly they lead to hearing loss. What's the harm of wireless headphones? Deafness is caused by constant listening to music at high volume - with a sound pressure of more than 100 dB. It is this effect that affects the hair cells of the basilar membrane, which causes irreversible problems with the hearing aid. This is the effect of headphones on human hearing.
Listening to music at a comfortable volume (with a sound pressure of no more than 70-90 dB) does not harm your hearing in any way. Moreover, certified headset manufacturers do not produce products exceeding this loudness limit.
What information about the dangers of headphones is fiction?
Let's continue to analyze the topic of the harm of headphones to human health and hearing. We have established that only constant listening to music with headphones at maximum volume (with an impact above 100 dB) can cause harm. Are the headphones safe? Let's dispel other myths associated with the harm of headphones:
- Constant listening to music with headphones leads to hearing loss. No, only periodic and prolonged exposure to sound pressure above 100 dB is harmful.
- People are deaf from using in-ear headphones... Do headphones damage your hearing? No, but earbuds increase the sound pressure in the ear by about 9-10 dB. Therefore, it is safer for health to use consignment notes.
- The use of in-ear headphones leads to the development of fungus in the external auditory canal... No, for the development of a fungal disease, a combination of factors is needed: the presence of fungal spores, microtrauma of the ear canal, poor blood circulation, reduced immunity.
- Regular use of headphones will result in early dementia... Are headphones harmful to your hearing? No, the sound from smartphones and players is no more harmful than the sound from another source - a person, a car, a waterfall. The only thing: the meaning, the mood of the music that you constantly listen to can affect your mental and emotional state.
- Listening to music every day leads to hearing loss... If you listen to music for less than 4 hours a day, it's safe. The myth is based on the fact that music in headphones has a higher sound pressure than speech, background noise: 70-90 dB versus 45-60 dB.
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How to use headphones safely?
If you have wired or wireless headphones, health risks can be minimized. Take a look at the recommendations from doctors and scientists:
- Do not use the headset on an airplane, subway or train: the background noise there is at a level of 90-100 dB - to drown it out, you will have to turn the music on at maximum volume.
- How to listen to headphones correctly? Do not set the volume to more than 70-80% of the possible.
- From time to time, check how acceptable the volume at which you listen to music is: if you can hear your voice behind it, then everything is fine.
- Wean yourself off the habit of falling asleep in your headset.
- How to properly listen to music on headphones? Do not use them for more than 4 hours a day.
- If you have to listen to music in noisy places, buy a headset with active noise canceling option.
- If, after removing the earbuds, you experience temporary hearing loss or ringing in your ears, this is a reason to change equipment or turn down the volume.
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What are the safest headphones?
Let's analyze the main types of headphones for safe use:
- Monitor, overhead: These are massive overlays attached to the head with a hoop. The safest headphones are the type preferred by professionals who have to spend a good portion of their day in a headset.
- Plug-in ("Droplets", "pills"). Medium level of safety - the sound goes to the eardrum, reflecting off its walls. You cannot achieve such a high level of sound insulation as with overhead headphones, which is why you have to increase the volume in noisy places. Droplets and overhead are the safest wireless headphones.
- Vacuum (“Earbuds”): a type that is inserted into the ear canal and completely isolates it from external noise. These are the most harmful headphones - the sound is purposefully “hammering” on the membrane. If the music is turned on at the maximum, it causes significant damage to the cells of the inner ear and the nervous system.
Now you know which headphones are the safest.
Are bluetooth headphones proven harmful? Scientists have found that a regular headset is much safer than bluetooth devices. What is the harm of bluetooth headphones? It was found that the latter generate electromagnetic waves, which, with prolonged exposure, have a negative effect on the brain. But the high level of noise is still more harmful: it damages the nerve fibers that transmit signals from the auditory organ to the brain.
Are headphones harmful to your hearing and brain? It all depends on the duration of use, the volume of the music.
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How to put on and wear headphones correctly?
Let's figure out how to put on headphones correctly - a small instruction:
- An earphone marked L is for the left ear, with an R mark for the right.
- How to wear the wireless earbud correctly? Pull your earlobe slightly downward and insert the earpiece. It shouldn't fall out, but you shouldn't push it deep into your ear either.
- A little guide: if it's a dome, push it a little deeper into the ear canal. If you did everything correctly, then the sounds from the outside world will be almost inaudible. When the headset falls out or puts too much pressure on the ear canal, try a different silicone pad from the kit.
- How do I wear my wireless headphones? If it is a "drop", make sure that its "stem" is parallel to the line of your jaw. On the "droplets" that do not stick well in the ear, special hook pads are sold.
How to wear headphones correctly - mini-guide:
- Take off the headset when cycling on the highway.
- How to wear the wireless earbud correctly? Turn off your music when crossing the street.
- In severe frost, it is better not to use headphones - plastic becomes very fragile at low temperatures.
- According to hygiene rules, the in-ear "inserts" can only be used by one person.
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