It may seem obvious, but many people listen to music at very high volumes without worrying about their hearing health. However, experts emphasize that listening to music at very high volumes can harm hearing in the long term.
According to Regain Hearing, a clinic specializing in reversing hearing loss, a sudden loud sound in the range of 150 decibels can already burst the human eardrum, but this can vary from person to person.
Some headphones can already produce a maximum volume of 110 decibels. For comparison, firearms produce sounds of 140 decibels. Therefore, it is important to keep in mind that hearing can be significantly damaged by continuous exposure to loud music.
The normal volume of a conversation, which is around 70 decibels, is safe, according to experts. However, sounds above 85 decibels already raise a red flag. If exposure is prolonged, a person may experience significant hearing loss.
To protect your hearing, you can:
- Limit your headphone listening time to 60 minutes per day
- Take 15-minute breaks from high sound levels;
- Use noise-cancelling headphones to reduce ambient noise;
- Listen to music at 60% of your headphone’s maximum volume;
- Keep the volume 10 to 20 decibels below your headphone’s average sound level;
- Use a sound meter or app on your phone to measure the decibel level of your headphones.
Photo and video: Unsplash. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
