As we now know, the most common cause of tinnitus is exposure to loud sound which damages the ears. This may occur over an extended period of time or after just one particular experience with excessive noise. However, previously excessive noise exposure was a hazard of a few particular jobs, nowadays anyone with a pair of headphones/earphones and a mp3/cd player can become affected by sounds which are too loud for the ear.  Although earphone and headphone makers design the items not to damage the physical structure of the ear, they are restricted from controlling the level of sound output, which is often the culprit in emerging tinnitus. Some manufacturers of portable music devices have attempted to introduce safety circuitry that limited output volume or warned the user when dangerous volume was being used, but the concept has been rejected by most of the buying public, which favors the personal choice of high volume. Koss introduced the “Safelite” line of cassette players in 1983 with such a warning light. The line was discontinued two years later for lack of interest

Most commonly tinnitus appears after prolonged and extreme overuse – such as listening to music for 5-8 hours a day at the loudest settings, although for some just a single blast of noise is enough to damage the ear, causing hearing loss and tinnitus symptoms.  It is suggested that if earphones are used the time exposed to sound should be limited to 1 hour a day to protect hearing.

Doctors do suggest using headphones instead of earphones when possible as most earphones do not block out background noise, often pompting the user to turn up the volume. Those earphones that insert into the ear cannal can be even worse. “Insert earphones can boost the signal by as much as six to nine decibels. That’s about the difference between the sound of a vacuum cleaner and a motorcycle” – Dean Garstecki

 Doctors also suggest that if you expect to visit an area where you will be exposed to prolonged loud sounds, like a concert or a construction site, you should equip yourself accordingly. The best way to do this is with use of earplugs and ear-muffs. There is a wide variety of these available on the market, offering different levels of protection which will block out excessive noise and prevent hearing loss. Protect your ears today so they may serve you well tomorrow.