Turning up the volume when your song comes on the radio is a natural instinct. It’s like having your very own concert in your living room (or car). But, if you listen to Adelle’s “Hello” at the loudest volume for long periods of time, you just might be asking “Can you hear me?” instead of singing it.
Audiologists at Specsavers Opticians and Hearing Centre in the U.K. found that an increasing number of young adults are requesting hearing test after reporting a ringing or buzzing noise in the ear, a common symptom of tinnitus.
READ: Ringing In The Ears: Is It Serious?
Tinnitus is a form of temporary hearing loss that causes a ringing sensation in the ear.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), roughly 1.1 billion teenagers and young adults are at risk of hearing loss due to the unsafe use of personal audio devices. Dangerous noise levels, above 82 decibels, are often experienced with the use of smartphones and regularly visiting loud venues like nightclubs, concerts and sporting events.
Dangerous noise levels can also occur in the workplace, like factories and call centers. WHO warns than suffering from hearing loss may negatively affect employment and educational settings.
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“Once you lose your hearing, it won’t come back. Taking simple preventive actions will allow people to continue to enjoy themselves without putting their hearing at risk,” said Dr. Etienne Krug, the WHO director of the Department of Management of Noncommunicable Diseases, Disability, Violence and Injury Prevention.
Early warning signs of hearing loss can be subtle and gradual. These include:
Some preventative actions include wearing ear plugs in noisy settings to dilute the sound. It isn’t the most favorable method of prevention for those who enjoy loud music. But, music artists like Jazzie B, a British DJ who suffers from tinnitus, highly recommend wearing ear plugs. “Earplugs should be a part of everyone’s essential Saturday night entertainment,” Jazzie B told Action on Hearing Loss.
READ: Oh, So That’s How You Clean Ears!
Other preventative methods include scheduling a hearing screening or evaluation with an audiologist, using noise-canceling headphones or phone apps to gauge safe volume levels. Some Android devices give a warning when you attempt to increase the volume:
“Raise the volume above safe level? Listening at high volume for long periods may damage your hearing.”
You can also take short listening breaks when visiting a noisy venue. WHO recommends listening to audio no louder than 85 decibels (comparable to the volume of city traffic) for eight hours or 100 decibels (comparable to the sound of a power saw) for 15 minutes.
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