These Lifestyle Habits Quietly Damage Your Hearing

Okay, so here’s something hardly anyone thinks about until it becomes a problem. Modern life is loud. Sure, maybe this is obvious for some people, and no, while it might not be something like “neighbours in the next apartment are renovating” sort of loud, it’s still loud. Basically, background noises are like a roar. Sure, it’s great if you’ve gotten to the point where you can tune it out, but it doesn’t take away the fact that the noise is still affecting you. Now, a lot of people just assume that your age affects your hearing. Sure, to a degree, but it’s literally also up to your lifestyle habits, and just your surroundings in general. 

Well, what’s exactly the problem here, though? What sort of lifestyle habits could be causing trouble?

Earbuds are Basically Tiny Speakers 

Yeah, that’s true, but what does that have to do with you, though? Well, it’s really going to depend. But yeah, it’s wild how casually people use earbuds. Nowadays, most people use them, so if you never use them, you can skip to the next part. But anyways, people use them to listen to music while working, while cleaning, while commuting, while scrolling, while doing absolutely nothing at all. It’s just this automatic part of life now. 

Just keep in mind that those tiny speakers sit so close to the eardrum that even moderate volume can become damaging when it goes on for hours every day. And of course, when there’s background noise, the instinct is to turn it up. Then up again. Then up one more time because the bus is loud or the gym’s blasting something (music obviously, but it’s still so loud). Do you related to any of this? And yeah, that’s where the problems start building, because volume plus constant use is the quickest route to tired, strained ears.

Gyms and Social Settings are Super Loud

So the gym was briefly mentioned for a second just above. People love to listen to music at the gym. Oh, and sometimes the gym is blasting music too, there’s that. Oh, and weights clanging is loud, plus treadmills, plus people talking. If there’s classes going on, that’s only going to get louder.  It’s a lot. Oh, and nightlife isn’t any easier, plus, bars are louder, usually, restaurants are louder too. 

Every event now seems to compete on volume. It’s honestly not too uncommon to need tinnitus treatment after being in a social setting (like a concert), because when it comes to super loud events, people without proper hearing protection tend to get tinnitus. Sometimes it’s only for a couple of days, but of course it can go on for a lot longer. 

Games and Work

Just looping in video games (well, anything leisurely), as well as working, since it usually involves a computer. But yeah, basically anyone glued to headsets all day is in another whole category of risk. For the most part, the older you are, the more at risk you are, too.  It’s that combination of long sessions, unpredictable volume spikes, and wearing something directly over the ears for hours. 

But yeah, even if it feels fine in the moment, it’s the gradual strain that wears the ears down.