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Do hearing aids damage ears? Is the helping hurting in the long run?
Hearing Loss | Last Active: Jul 26, 2019 | Replies (38)Comment receiving replies
Bob: Thanks for the good question! I have also wondered this myself. I have a 60dB drop at voice frequencies. Every morning I do a one hour cardio workout...biking,walking,etc. I do not wear my hearing aids during this time but put on wireless headphones. I am mindful not to play it too loud as to not damage my ears any further, but I have taken them off at what I consider a very low level and hand them to my wife...she winces with a painful look on her face...way too loud for her! So even if does not seem too loud to me am I still damaging what's left of my hearing? My mornings are typically quiet at home. Do I need to wear them when I am by myself? Is it important that I hear the ice machine on the refrigerator cycle? I know that most audis will tell you it is better to wear them all the time to get the most benefit. Just food for thought. Enjoy this blog!
Replies to "Bob: Thanks for the good question! I have also wondered this myself. I have a 60dB..."
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I don't wear earbuds for that reason.
Do yourself a favor, get a Sound Pressure Level Meter, they are pretty inexpensive. I got a few at Radio Shack when they were still in business, I imagine Amazon and other outlets might have some for sale.
Set it on "A" weighting and slow response. A weighting approximates the range of frequencies a well functioning hear can hear, and slow response is more averaging as it eliminates short peaks and valleys.
Play music or TV with the meter on and get used to what 85db sounds like both with your aids in and out. Once you can judge that you can better guess whether you are listening too loud with your earbuds.
Of course I'm not a doctor nor am I giving medical advice, so take this as just friendly non-pro advice. It could be wrong.
Bob