Deafness Claims News
The Dangers Of Loud Music
People believe that listening to music at a higher volume makes it sound better, more intense and enjoyable! However there are risks attached that you may be unaware of. You like the song, you turn it up! We're probably all guilty of it, listening to music loudly, blissfully unaware of how deafening it actually is as you have become used to the level of noise with the gradual increases of volume.
When a person listens to loud music for a significant amount of time they run the risk of damaging their hearing! Loud sounds are responsible for damaging sensitive hair cells within the inner ear. These hair cells are used by the brain to interpret sound. If the hairs are repeatedly exposed to loud noise, they may be permanently damaged resulting in loss of hearing. Listening to loud music can also cause temporary tinnitus, causing ringing, humming, buzzing or a whistling sound in the ears or head. This condition can become permanent in extreme cases.
It is worth mentioning that some people are affected more by noise than others, some of us are born with tougher ears and can withstand louder sounds. If you listen to loud music through headphones the likelihood of hearing damage is intensified. The problem is set to worsen with MP3 players like the ipod increasing in popularity, they have a battery life of twenty hours, a vast improvement compared to the once revolutionary walkman which needed AA batteries to power it, lasting on average for just a few hours. The increased battery life is giving people more opportunity to damage their ears.
Studies suggest that a person can listen to music through headphones on a typical MP3 player such as an iPod for 4.6 hours a day at 70% volume without causing any damage to their hearing. If a person chose to listen to their music at 100% volume for just 5 minutes they would be likely to suffer from damaged hearing, a scary statistic considering it is such a short period of time.
It is likely to be a number of years until we can evaluate the full extent of the effects new music technology on our hearing. However what we do know now is enough to spread awareness and hopefully make youths who are generally the main culprits realise the effects of 'enjoying their music'.
Our expert Deafness Solicitor - Rhonwen Barraclough says:
‘It is easy to underestimate the impact of hearing loss and/or tinnitus as it tends only to manifest itself in later years with the onset of age related hearing loss. However, these are permanent and irreversible conditions which can be frustrating to cope with. Small steps taken now could prevent hearing loss and tinnitus developing prematurely. Many of our clients wish they had been given the opportunity to protect their hearing at a much earlier stage and saved themselves the frustration of being unable to join in conversations and the inability to enjoy music. Whilst they have been able to benefit from claiming for digital hearing aids, these are no substitute for normal hearing.’