The increased volume with the ear buds is harmful to your hearing.  The closer proximity to the eardrum and higher sound pressure levels in the ear canal make it dangerous to your hearing.  Sound isolating ear buds with universal-fit soft tips are a good alternative to the standard ear buds.  They can be purchased from companies such as Etymotic Research and provide good quality sound at lower volume.

Be cautious of cheaper earphones because the sound quality is not as good and they must be turned up to hear the bass.  This can cause more hearing loss and ringing in the ears associated with noise damage!  Noise canceling headphones allow you to enjoy music at safer, lower levels because they reduce background noise interference.   As a result, you are less likely to increase the volume to reach your "preferred listening level".    

Recommendations:  univeral-fit sound isolating ear buds or noise canceling headphones to allow the safe enjoyment of music at lower levels with good quality full sound!

Request a referral to an audiologist for a hearing evaluation if you have any of the above-named conditions.  Find out if your hearing is deteriorating, or why you have recently developed dizziness or tinnitus – and prevent progressive hearing loss associated with these medical conditions.  Insist on a hearing exam with your annual physical exam when monitoring your health.  Protect your hearing along with your health!     

Disposable earplugs are an easy and inexpensive method to protect your ears. These may be used in any noisy environment or with power tools at home. These simple foam earplugs are compressed and inserted into the ear canal and can be reused for a limited number of times. However, they are difficult to insert correctly which may result in less protection than desired. The foam earplugs should be compressed into a tiny cylinder and inserted deeply so that they are not visible protruding from the ear canal.

The most common problem with use of the foam earplugs is shallow insertion – where they are seen sticking out of the ear – resulting in poor protection from noise. These earplugs often cause distortion and a “plugged up” sensation – which results in the user pulling them out slightly to relieve this sensation. Beware: this slight removal provides a “slit leak” which nullifies the protection desired as the sound pressure enters the ear through the leak causing damage to the delicate hair cells in the inner ear.

A music-induced hearing loss occurs when the music levels reach hazardous sound pressure levels from exposure under earphones, performing on stage and in practice rooms.  This type of hearing loss is particularly detrimental for musicians and vocalists because they have higher demands placed upon their hearing.  Musicians do more than simply hear and understand speech.  They need to match pitch and volume over a broad range – including tuning of instruments and ensemble playing. 

Music-induced hearing loss is often not noticeable at first.  At first a "temporary" hearing loss may occur after a particularly loud or lengthy performance – with a dull, muffled sensation, or ear fullness.  This is often accompanied by ringing and/or buzzing in the ears.  Typically, the ear "recovers" after 24 – 48 hours with the perception that it has returned to "normal".  However, the damage has already occurred within the inner ear from the shearing of the delicate hair cells.  When this happens repeatedly, the gradual loss of the hair cells that transmit sound to the brain develops into a permanent, high frequency hearing loss. The musician then has difficulty matching pitch and volume due to the distortion in the inner ear.   This is comparable to overamplifying a speaker – with the resultant damage and distortion in sound.

There’s really two issues:  the annoyance factor of high noise levels and the barrier to social communication.  Noise is the second most common complaint of diners (second only to poor service).  For the hard-of-hearing, noise overpowers and adds distortion to conversation.  Hearing-impaired diners are looking for a quieter option when dining out, so that they may enjoy the social aspect of eating out. I am compiling a list of favorable restaurants for the hard-of-hearing.  Let me know what local restaurants you hear better in – and post comments about a positive restaurant hearing experience.  (Let the food critics rate the food – we will rate the noisy intrusion!)  Spread the word and tell your friends so that we can develop a source of restaurants for (relatively) quiet dining when we want to eat out for pleasure – or to celebrate an occasion with friends and family!