Hearing and Teens: Can Loud Music Damage my Ears?
Being a teenager may mean trying to sneak in bars for great gigs and music, hooking on their headphones all-day while cranking up the volume, and sometimes, watching the television in full volume for good impact. Of course, as parents, it would be hard not to tell them how damaging this ritual is to their eardrums. However, how sure are we that turning up the music can really damage our children’s hearing?
Apparently, according to experts, loud music may cause temporary and permanent hearing impairment, something that will surely devastate our kids who love using their phones for chatting and music.
Temporary Hearing Loss
If you ever feel the need to shout just to be heard, then there is a possibility that you are experiencing injured ear drums or malfunction in the hearing mechanism. This can occur due to constant exposure to loud music or noise for any period of time.
Temporary may sound a relief than permanent but it is still a condition where you will experience poor hearing, which may cause discomfort for you, the people around you and the people participating in the conversation. Although it will go away, usually once you have gone to sleep, it is still damaging that is why it is better to avoid too much loud noise or hitting up the volumes of your smartphones or CD players.
Tinnitus
This condition, although can be considered temporary, can lead to permanent hearing loss once an individual continuously listen to high volume music or loud noises. It is characterized by ringing in the ears or a feeling of full ears.
Permanent Hearing Loss
If you have been constantly and continuously exposed to loud noise or music for a very long time, then this can lead to permanent damage to your ears, making the hearing loss forever or you may become deaf. It will never return to its original state unless a surgery is conducted.
As music and concerts are a part of a teenager’s life, there are several ways to protect your ear from experiencing hearing loss. You can protect them by earing muffs like that of construction workers or factory workers. It can also be a good habit to tone down the volume of your music especially when using headphones.
It is also advisable not to constantly use headphones or at least give your ears a rest once in awhile. Taking good care of your ears will not only benefit your hearing but also your balance, eyesight and even total well-being. Remember, hearing is something you can never replace or revive back to its original state.
If you wonder if you or your kids need a hearing aid, make sure that you get a hearing aid prescription. We are ENT specialist offering hearing test & assessment, hearing aid prescription, and other professional hearing aid services.
Source:
HK Hearing & Speech Centre
Specialist of Hearing test & assessment,
and Hearing Aid Prescription