If you listen to music on earbuds while you exercise, commute to work, or sit at your desk, the volume might affect your hearing in several ways. It’s imperative to learn what you can do to protect this essential member of the five senses. Depending on your hearing loss symptoms or routine exposure level, you may want to visit an audiologist to ensure your ears are healthy.

What Can Loud Music Do To My Hearing?

How Loud Noise Harms the Ears

The typical human ear features about 16,000 hair cells. These cells are located within the cochlea, or inner ear, and send noise detection signals to the brain. Loud noise from a music concert or an event overworks these cells, causing damage. The more you listen to loud music, the more these hairs undergo stress and eventually cell death, resulting in hearing loss.

Loud music or other blaring noise also affects hearing levels by damaging the outer and middle ears as well as the auditory nerve. The outer ear processes sound waves, sending them to the ear canal and eardrum, which vibrates as it delivers sounds to the tiny bones in the middle ear. These bones increase the noise level before sending the vibrations to their final destination: the inner ear. The auditory nerve sends electrical signals from the inner ear to the brain for interpretation, such as the sound of a bird singing or a cat meowing. Damage to this nerve causes hearing loss, as do factors affecting the outer and middle ears such as infections, earwax buildup, tumors, and ruptured eardrums.

When You Should See An Audiologist

While age and heredity play natural roles in gradual hearing loss, loud music and other booming sounds from occupational and recreational noises expedite the process. If you regularly listen to music in earbuds or experience loud music/noise for any other reason, schedule a hearing test with an audiologist even if you are not experiencing hearing loss symptoms. Schedule a test immediately if you have sudden hearing loss, especially in one ear.

Other hearing loss symptoms calling for a visit to the audiologist include muffled speech and other sounds you used to hear clearly, difficulty understanding words, asking others to speak loudly regularly, and constantly turning up the volume on assorted devices.
 

If a hearing test is right for you, make an appointment with Richard W. Foust, Au.D. in DuBois, PA. The renowned audiologist and his team combine cutting-edge techniques with over 35 years of experience to provide the customized solutions patients need. All hearing aids come with a 30-day trial period so you can find what is best for you. Call (814) 371-1085 to schedule your appointment or learn more about services and additional locations online.