In Kenya,
millions of people listen to music through their earphones or headphones for
more extended hours while walking, working, and eating or doing chores. Most
teenagers and youths do this because they consider it fashionable.
However
cool it may seem to have your earphones on, there are some risks that your ears
might get damaged. I was researching how earphones may damage your hearing, and
this is what I found.
First, I
came across a new term, decibels, defined by Google as 'a unit used to measure
the intensity of a sound or the power level of an electrical signal by
comparing it with a given level on a logarithmic scale.'
The
research done showed any sound above 85 decibels is capable of damaging your
hearing. This means that if you listen to loud music above 85 decibels for
longer hours, your chances for damaging your hearing are higher compared to
listening in low volume.
According
to Dr. Vikas, "Low pitched, soothing sounds like that of drums, acoustic
guitars, tabla and other instruments are not harmful. But high pitched
instruments of heavy metal can damage hearing within a short period of
time."
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Noises
above 110 decibels can strip away myelin sheath from the nerve cells, which
hinders the delivery of electrical signals from the ears to the brain. Damaging
your hearing can be permanent if it is done this way.
Damaging
your hearing can be a gradual process. After some time, you will experience
hearing loss, which will eventually lead to your hearing's permanent damage.
If you are
a fan of listening to music via earphones, you'd better do it in very low
volume and for a short time.