Loud noises are a regular part of everyday life for many people. Car horns, construction sounds, music played at high volumes and other noises intrude on your thoughts and ring your ears, making it difficult to concentrate, listen to podcasts, and carry out your daily routine.
These loud noises also pose a risk to your hearing. After so many weeks or months of exposure, you could find it more difficult to hear conversations, music, or other sounds around you.
Causes of Hearing Damage
Before choosing the best headphones for daily use, you must understand the most common causes of hearing damage.
The Physiology of Hearing Damage
The physiology of hearing damage typically involves an injury to the cochlea in your inner ear. The cochlea is a structure that is filled with minute hair cells.
These cells convert vibrations into electrical signals that your brain then interprets as different kinds of sounds. When loud noises injure these cells, they become significantly damaged or die. They do not regenerate, causing permanent hearing loss.
Likewise, your middle ear contains tiny bones. Exposure to loud noise damages them and disrupts sound transmission.
You can additionally develop a condition called sensorineural hearing loss, which occurs because of an injury to the auditory nerve. Given the delicate structure of these cells and bones inside your ear, you must protect them from loud noises by using noise-canceling headphones.
What Causes the Hurt of Your Hearing?
Brief exposure to loud noises more than likely will not damage your hearing. Repeated or frequent exposure to it puts you at a high risk of damaging the structures inside your ear and causing suffering permanent hearing loss.
In fact, if you have ever experienced ringing in your ears or muffled hearing after attending a loud event, that ringing or muffling is a sign of temporary hearing loss. Repeated occurrences of temporary hearing loss can eventually lead to a permanent loss of hearing.
For a better understanding, sounds at or above 85 decibels (dB) can cause permanent hearing loss after eight hours of exposure to them. Similarly, noises at 100 dB can cause hearing damage within 15 minutes of exposure.
When the noises reach 120 dB or higher, hearing damage can occur almost instantly. Noises at this level include music at a rock concert or a fireworks display.
The Benefits of Noise-Canceling Headphones for Hearing Protection
Noise-canceling headphones can drastically help you protect your hearing. Before you select the best pair, first learn about what they are and how they work. Additionally, discover what kinds of noise-canceling headphones you can choose from and what benefits they offer.
How Noise-Canceling Headphones Work
As their name implies, noise-canceling headphones work by canceling out most or all of the background noises around you. They come in two primary styles: Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) and Passive Noise Cancellation.
Active Noise Cancellation, or ANC, is the more advanced option for noise-canceling headphones. They typically include wireless and open earbuds. These headphones come with built-in microphones that detect ambient noise.
They then generate opposing anti-noise sound waves to oppose and cancel out the ambient noise around you. These types of headphones work well to block out noises like air conditioning humming and airplane engines.
ANC headphones significantly reduce low-frequency noises. However, even while wearing them, you may still hear sudden or loud-pitched sounds like car horns or someone shouting.
The other type of noise-canceling headphones is built to block out passive noises. Passive noise-cancellation headphones come with thick padding or tightly sealed ear cups.
These features block out external noises. They work similarly to earplugs. Many people find it helpful to combine both ANC and passive-noise-canceling headphones to effectively block out all sounds and distractions.
Types of Noise-Canceling Headphones & Their Benefits
You have scores of options available to you when you shop for noise-canceling headphones. Reputable brands offer dozens of different styles that all prove effective in protecting your hearing and blocking out most or all of the noises around you.
Wireless earbuds come with their own portable charging case, allowing you to take them with you to work or school and wear them effortlessly while in public.
Like wireless earbuds, over-ear buds are comfortable to wear and portable. If you prefer not to wear earbuds because of your comfort preferences, you can wear passive-noise-canceling earphones with foam or lined cups that are more comfortable to wear and block out many background noises.
Numerous benefits come from using noise-canceling headphones. Primarily, they protect your hearing and minimize the risk of permanent hearing loss.
However, they also make it easier for you to focus on tasks like reading, listening to a lecture or podcast, or attending a virtual business meeting. They block out noises that would otherwise distract you.
Limitations and Misconceptions
Despite their name, noise-canceling headphones do have some limitations when it comes to blocking out background noises. Learn about these misconceptions to help you understand what your new headphones will be capable of and how you should use them effectively.
Noise-Canceling Headphones Don’t Eliminate All Noise
While they block out most background noises, they may not block out all of them, depending on the environment you are in. For example, if you are at a music event or fireworks display, you may still hear high-pitched or extremely loud noises.
Loud Noises Through ANC Headphones Can Still Cause Hearing Damage
Further, even while wearing your ANC headphones, you could still suffer hearing damage and hearing loss. High-pitched and extremely loud noises that reach your ears even with the headphones on can still damage the structures in your middle ears.
To protect your hearing, limit your exposure to such noises if possible. You may even find it helpful to combine both ANC and passive-noise-canceling headphones. For example, wear earbuds and then cover them with headphones that have foam or lined cups to block out most or all loud noises.
”Listening Fatigue” with Prolonged ANC Use
While ANC headphones are designed to block out ambient noise, they can cause some side effects about which you should be aware. Primarily, you might experience “listening fatigue” while using them.
Listening fatigue is the discomfort or exhaustion you may feel after wearing headphones for extended periods. This discomfort can come from factors like:
- Pressure on your ears
- Distorted sound perception
- Fit and seal issues
- Prolonged wearing
- Sensitivity to the headphone’s materials
To reduce listening fatigue, limit the amount of time you wear your ANC headphones, adjust the headphone settings, and make sure you choose headphones that are comfortable for you to wear.
Tips to Protect One’s Hearing
Protecting your hearing is vital to your overall physical and mental health. Use these tips to minimize damage to your inner ear and the risk of permanent hearing loss.
Lower the Volume
Keep your radio and TV speakers or headphones at a moderate volume. Use the 60/60 rule, which involves using no more than 60% volume for no longer than 60 minutes at a time.
Use Noise-Canceling Headphones
Use ANC or passive-noise-canceling headphones to protect your ears and lower the need to turn up the volume in noisy environments.
Wear Ear Protection
If you work or encounter noisy environments like concerts, fireworks displays, sporting events, or places with loud machinery, use ear protection to guard against hearing loss. Follow OSHA guidelines that stipulate how and when you should wear ear protection in the workplace.
Take Listening Breaks
Rest your ears after extended exposure to loud noises. Avoid loud recreational activities like fireworks, music festivals, and motorized sports that often include dangerously high noise levels.
Additional Hearing Protection Tips
Other tips to protect your hearing involve avoiding the use of cotton swabs, which can puncture your eardrum and cause significant hearing damage. Likewise, know about medications like ototoxic drugs that can damage your hearing. Make sure you visit your primary care doctor at least once a year to have your hearing professionally checked.
Repeated or prolonged exposure to loud noises puts your hearing at risk of permanent damage. Noise-canceling headphones help protect your hearing and allow you to block out ambient background noises.
