Earbuds Blast in Woman’s Ear Leaves Her Deaf for Life: How to Be Safe While Using Them
A tragedy has just unfolded where a woman became permanently deaf after malfunctioning earbuds blasted an extremely loud sound directly into her ear. Such tragedies remind people of the dangers that come with the use of these audio devices called earbuds, which have become integral to modern times. Earbuds are safe if used responsibly. However, sometimes at the least expected, or by unsafe listening habits, earbuds may cause severe injury to one’s hearing. What happened here and how to protect your hearing while using earbuds is found below.
Understanding the Incident
The woman in this unbelievable case was reported to be wearing her earbuds when, suddenly, they emitted a deafening sound causing irreparable damage to her inner ear. This is not a one-off incident, however; there have been reported cases where the malfunctioning earbuds or headphones break the recorded levels of sounding with dangerously high volume, and, in extreme cases, cause permanent loss of hearing.
In-ear earbuds may focus sound directly into the ear canal, often subjecting the inner ear to dangerous levels of sound if not kept under control. Software glitches or unexpected spikes in audio output can produce spikes of sound that the ear is not ready for.
Risks from Highly Amplified Listening
Health experts reveal that exposure to sounds above 85 decibels over long periods leads to hearing damage. Most smartphones and audio devices quickly exceed this level, as volume may even reach 100-120 dB, especially when using in-ear gadgets like earbuds. Prolonged exposure to high decibel levels or jarring loudness, like in this case, can lead to NIHL, tinnitus, or even deafness.
How to Be Safe When Wearing Earbuds
The risk calls for adopting safe listening habits that will help protect your hearing. Here’s what you should do
1. Dial Down the Volume
Keep your volume levels at 60% or lower: This becomes a good thumb rule in ensuring you are safely listening. Most smartphones and audio devices now feature volume limiters or warnings if you exceed safe levels with the sound. Don’t leave it as max volume: Listening to such volumes for hours increases your chances of permanent hearing damage.
2. Noise-Cancelling
Use noise-cancelling headphones: Sometimes, folks like to raise the volume because there is background noise. Noise-cancelling earbuds cut down on the need for such high volume because it allows you to avoid all that disturbance and enjoy a moderate range of volume.
3. Limit Use Time
Adopt the 60/60 rule: Listen only at no more than 60% volume for a maximum of 60 minutes before taking a break. Avoiding extended use of earbuds will allow your ears to rest and recover.
4. Choose Over-Ear Headphones
Go for over-ear headphones: Compared to in-ear buds, over-ear headphones commonly provide a more extensive soundstage and are not necessary to be inserted into the ear canal, thus making them much safer for you to use.
5. Do Not Listen in Hazardous Situations
Be vigilant of sudden increases in noise surges: Avoid using earbuds if an alarm might explosively pop into existence noisily-coming with a software bug or whenever alarms might spontaneously go off connected to devices known to harbor bugs. Alarms and crashes in the operating system and others can cause sudden loud noise surges that might blast the listener suddenly to deafness, as in the case of the woman who lost her hearing.
6. Select Earbuds with Minimal Noise Deviation
Make use of earbuds with sound limiters: Some have built-in volume limiters or warn you loudly when sound may be at its damaging levels. Get the safer ones.
7. Software Update for Devices
Update the firmware for your device: Sometimes earbuds malfunction due to software or firmware that has gotten outdated. Updating your smartphone or audio device with the latest software helps keep such instances from ever arising.
8. Safe Listening in Public
To be aware outdoors: Avoid using earbuds while walking on the street or any activity that necessitates one to pay attention to their environment. Besides them being unsafe for one’s hearing, it is unsafe for your life too.
What to Do If You Think That You Are Damaging Your Ears
Long hours of listening to sounds using earbuds might precipitate issues in the ears, for example, ringing in the ears (tinnitus), dull hearing, or pain. When one develops symptoms after listening to earbuds for some hours, he or she should stop using them immediately and visit an audiologist. The sooner such a condition is diagnosed, the lesser the damage caused, and sometimes some recoveries can occur.
The case of the woman who lost her hearing after a malfunctioning pair of earbuds is a sobering example. Earbuds can be convenient and entertaining, but their use needs to be bordered with immense responsibility and caution. This safety precaution will drastically minimize your risk of losing your hearing and enjoying music, podcasts, or even calls without causing any dents in your auditory health.
Be aware of the risks, listen with wisdom, and save those ears for life.
