How children and young people avoid hearing strain
If you listen to a lot of music, you should give your ears a break. (Image source: ERGO Group)
They wear in-ears on the way to school, sit by the lake with the music box and go to festivals: young people like to listen to loud music. Even the little ones can listen to their favorite radio plays via headphones. If the volume is above the recommended maximum values, this can lead to irreparable hearing damage in the long term. Solveig Haw, health expert at DKV, knows what children and young people should pay attention to when listening to music.
Health risk: loud music
The most common cause of hearing damage is excessive sound exposure. This doesn’t just mean the exploding New Year’s Eve cracker or the construction site in front of the door, but also music – regardless of the style. “Young people in particular underestimate the dangers of listening to loud music. They usually think that hearing damage only occurs with age,” says Solveig Haw, health expert at DKV. When listening to your favorite songs through headphones, at concerts or in clubs, high and harmful noise levels are not uncommon. “This can have serious consequences for hearing,” explains the health expert. “If the hair cells in the ear, which transmit the sound waves to our brain via the auditory nerve, are exposed to loud noises too often and for too long, they suffer irreparable damage.” The dangerous thing is that hearing loss first occurs in the high frequency ranges, which are outside normal conversation volume lay. Children and young people often do not notice this at first.
There is a risk of hearing damage above 85 decibels
A volume of 85 decibels or more can damage hearing. “An EU directive stipulates that smartphones and other mobile playback devices should not exceed 85 decibels, but even that is too much in the long run,” says Haw. The noise level in many clubs and at concerts is also significantly higher at over 110. Hearing damage not only means that those affected can no longer follow conversations optimally, but also complaints such as insomnia, pressure on the ears or ringing in the ears are not uncommon. “In rare cases, the hearing loss can lead to social isolation,” warns the DKV expert. “In addition, hearing damage suffered at a young age increases the risk of dementia or cardiovascular diseases in old age.” If parents notice signs of hearing loss in their offspring, a hearing test by a doctor makes sense. Because the sooner a hearing loss is noticed, the lower the health effects.
Listen to music with headphones for a maximum of 60 minutes
Prevention is important to prevent this from happening in the first place. Of course, listening to music per se is not harmful. However, Haw recommends the so-called 60/60 rule for adolescents. For listening to music with headphones, that means a maximum of 60 minutes at a time at 60 percent of the maximum volume. Children and young people should avoid in-ear headphones. “Due to the significantly shorter path of the sound waves from the source to the eardrum, the dampening effect of the air is greatly reduced,” explains the health expert. Some smartphones also give warnings when listening to loud music for too long. “Parents should also occasionally convince themselves of the volume level their children have set and talk to them about the health consequences,” adds the DKV expert.
A break for the ears
To prevent hearing damage, it is also advisable to use earplugs at concerts or in clubs. “The small aids are inexpensive and can reduce noise by up to 20 percent,” says health expert Haw. “Anyone who notices ringing in their ears such as beeping or a feeling of dullness should leave the room and give their ears a rest.” The same applies on the way home from the concert: instead of putting on headphones straight away, it’s better to reminisce about the most beautiful concert moments.
Number of keystrokes (including spaces): 3,875
You can find more advice topics at www.ergo.com/ratgeber You can find more information on health insurance at www.dkv.de
Provided the source is mentioned (source: ERGO Group), the image material provided may be used for reporting on the companies and brands of ERGO Group AG and in connection with our advice texts, free of charge and license-free.
Image source: ERGO Group
About the DKV
For more than 95 years, DKV has been a leading force in healthcare with its needs-based and innovative products. As a specialist, it offers comprehensive health and long-term care insurance coverage as well as health services to private and statutory insured persons. The organization of high-quality medical care is also one of the core competencies of DKV. In 2022, the company generated premium income of EUR 5.1 billion.
As a specialist in health insurance, DKV belongs to ERGO and thus to the parent company Munich Re, one of the world‘s largest reinsurers and risk carriers.
More at www.dkv.com
Disclaimer
This press release contains forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by the management of DKV Deutsche Krankenversicherung. Known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors can lead to the fact that the actual developments, in particular the results, the financial situation and the business of our company differ significantly from the forward-looking statements made here. The Company assumes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.
company contact
DKV German health insurance
Heike Linden
ERGO place 2
40477 Düsseldorf
0211 477-4094
Press contact
HARTZKOM PR and content marketing
Marion Angerer
Hansastraße 17
80686 München
089 998 461-18