by Liane Membis

Hearing Damage

With new, hot songs released every week, it’s hard to not surround yourself with music. But if you’re listening to your music too loudly, you could be damaging your ears.

How Hearing Works

Sounds travel through the air as sound waves. The outer ear catches them and sends them down the ear canal, which makes your eardrum vibrate. Three tiny bones in the middle ear -- the hammer, anvil and stirrup –  send these sounds to your inner ear, called the cochlea. Tiny hairs in the cochlea send nerve signals to your brain to activate the auditory nerve. And then you hear sound!

Now imagine: this reaction happens more than a million times a day!

What Damages Hearing

The louder the music and the longer you listen to it, the more damage you could do to your ears. This can be caused by headphones, car stereos, concerts and mobile phones. You know your music is too loud when:

• You can’t hear what people are saying around you
• You hear ringing noises after listening to music

That doesn’t mean you should give up what you love!

Protect Your Ears

Research shows that 25 percent of people listen to music at dangerous levels. Fortunately, there are several ways to prevent hearing damage or loss:

• 60/60 Rule: Don’t set your player’s volume above  60 percent its maximum level. So if your MP3 Player has a maximum level of 20, listen to it at 12 or below.
  
  
• At Concerts: When seeing a band, try to stay far away from loud speakers, which amplify music at a high intensity. Also, earplugs are a safe way to drown out the extra loud noise. If your ears are ringing more than 12 hours after a show, consider visiting a doctor.

• Plug Up: If you are using power tools (chainsaws, power drill), lawnmower or if you’re around loud construction, consider using earplugs.
  
  
• Turn Down: Turn down the volume on your mobile phone or telephone if the sound is too loud. You can also switch over to speaker phone so that sound is not directly hitting your eardrum at an intense rate.

Remember, you only have one pair of ears. Take care of them so you can always listen to your favorite tunes.