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by Answerbag Stuff on January 23rd, 2007

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Does listening to loud music cause hearing loss?

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Answers. 17 helpful answers below.

  • by DjJavy on January 23rd, 2007

    DjJavy

    Yes, I am living proof. In the 12 years I've been a DJ, I have noticed the volume on my headphones going up and up lol. My right ear is now half deaf and I hear ringing in it from time to time. I wish I would have protected my ears earlier ...sigh

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  • by audiogal on March 15th, 2007

    audiogal

    Our world is a noisy place. Every day we’re exposed to a variety of sounds, such as automobiles, music, machinery, television, and radio. Too much noise exposure may cause a temporary change in hearing or ringing in your ears (tinnitus). These problems usually go away in a few minutes or hours after leaving the noise source. However, repeated exposures to loud noise can lead to permanent hearing loss or tinnitus.

    Inside our ears are thousands of tiny hair cells that send hearing signals to the brain. Think of these hair cells as blades of grass. Walk on them a little, and they will recover. Walk on them a lot, and the damage is permanent. The hair cells will not grow back, and you can’t “reseed” your ear.

    The best way to prevent hearing loss is to eliminate or reduce noise levels. Warning signs of harmful noise levels are having to shout to be heard, ringing or buzzing in the ears, a sensation of fullness in the ears, or a reduction in the ability to understand conversation.

    Most cases of noise-induced hearing loss are caused by repeated exposure to moderate levels of noise over several years, not by a few cases of very loud noise. Plan ahead and wear hearing protection if you are going to be around harmful noise levels.

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  • by This Daley has a new bundle of joy on January 23rd, 2007

    This Daley has a new bundle of joy

    Exposing your auditory system to any loud sounds over a prolonged period of time can cause damage. Tinnitus (ringing or buzzing in the ear), loss of hearing, even ruptured ear drums. There is actually a reason why our mothers told us to turn it down! (Look at how many people have to wear earplugs or protective gear for their jobs!)

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  • by Perryman on January 23rd, 2007

    Perryman

    Yes, if the music is loud enough, then it can cause damage to the sensitive nerve cells of your inner ear can cause permanent loss of hearing.

    People vary in their response to loud sounds, it is true. But repeated exposure to sounds above 80 to 90 decibels can lead to gradual loss of hearing. Indeed, the higher the noise levels are, the less time you can spend daily in that environment before your hearing suffers damage.
    New Scientist magazine reports that many personal stereos sold have a maximum output of 113 decibels. Citing one study, it noted that “rock music played at full blast for one hour on personal compact disc players surpassed 100 decibels most of the time and reached peaks of around 127 decibels.” Even more serious is the effect of noise produced during live concerts.
    Often it is a matter of how we listen and not so much what we listen to. For example, if you use stereo headphones, you may want to set the volume at a level low enough for you to be able to hear sounds around you.
    If your car or home stereo is set loud enough to drown out ordinary conversation, this may well be a signal that it is also loud enough to damage your hearing. Experts caution that two to three hours of exposure to 90 decibels can damage your ears.

    Some facts taken from Awake! Magazine, May 22, 2002 issue.

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  • by FrankieJr on January 23rd, 2007

    FrankieJr

    Being partialy deaf from birth I have had numeruos warnings on how loud music can cause father deafness.

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  • by Prime wants the old AB back on December 15th, 2007

    Prime wants the old AB back

    CAN YOU TYPE LOUDER??? Seriously, Sakhalinskii is very right! I attended a Nazareth concert, was in the very front in the line of one of the speakers. Those couple of hours have caused my ears to ring ever since; but the show ROCKED! Still, if I'd known, I would have moved back a bit.

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  • by koldkanuck on December 15th, 2007

    koldkanuck

    WHAT?

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  • by anonymous on January 23rd, 2007

    anonymous

    It can eventually,...all loud noises can help you to lose your hearing.

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  • by Halskiisaklink on January 23rd, 2007

    Halskiisaklink

    In a sense. It can cause horrid tinnitus.

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  • by eric on February 2nd, 2009

    eric

    No. I don't know how much your ear rings cost.

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  • by DeeDee on December 27th, 2008

    DeeDee

    Yes, it does. I have always listened to music my whole life. But in 1992, that all changed! I bought two cassette tapes of my favorite band, and listened to them on my walkman. I loved listening to those tapes, even though I KNEW it would probably lead to hearing loss. I didn't think it would lead to ringing in the ears. In 1994, the ringing in my ears started. It did go away, but after about 2 weeks, it came back again and has stayed that way ever since!!
    I have to play my radio every night, to help me go to sleep. It has to be loud enough to "drown out" the ringing. Too loud, and I'm just making the problem worse.
    I've been married since 2000, and I think that the ringing is worse than when it started in 1994. I was really stupid to listen to music that long and not think that it would affect my ears the way that it did.
    I wish that I could somehow reverse the affects of it, but it's not going away anytime soon!
    I have to deal with this night and day! I hear it all the time. I have it my left ear, sometimes in my right.
    We only have 1 set of ears to last us our entire life! We only have 1 set of eyes to last us our entire life!
    How many of us don't think about it that way?
    As I said, my ringing is constant, and it NEVER goes away!!!
    I don't listen to music through headphones anymore. When I do listen to it, it's playing out loud. So, basically, everyone could and can hear it.
    I said at the beginning that listening to music can lead to hearing loss. Well, I haven't noticed hearing loss as much as I've noticed ringing in the ears. They say that ringing in the ears is a sign of hearing loss.
    But, I can only hope and pray that this will eventually go away. I can't imagine a world with no sound. I long to hear the birds singing in the trees in the spring. I long to listen to the wind as it sweeps through the trees. I long to hear my cat purring and wanting me to pick her up and hold her and pet her. I long to hear my children's laughter as they talk and play!!
    As I've said, I still have hearing, I can hear the ringing though, too. So, I guess as long as I can still hear then everything is not a total loss. If I could do it all over again, I WOULD NOT listen to loud music, like what I have done.
    Right now, as I'm typing this, I can hear the ringing. My husband sometimes, from time to time has ringing in his ears. But his comes and goes, while mine is constant. I sleep on my right side, and the ringing is in my left ear. So, I guess that's good. Please if anyone knows of some possible way to make the ringing dissipate just a little bit, or alot, please let me know. I'm all ears, no pun intended!

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  • by CuppyCake is actually missing Ohio... on December 27th, 2007

    CuppyCake is actually missing Ohio...

    Oh yes. I was in band and suffer from ringing ears and my dad has been a dj all his life and had a hard time hearing out of one ear.

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  • by Bearwendt on January 23rd, 2009

    Bearwendt

    There is a good explination at this link:
    http://kidshealth.org/kid/talk/qa/rock_music.html

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  • by mechazilla on February 2nd, 2009

    mechazilla

    I'm an audio engineer, which means my ears are my most important money making tool. I couldn't find my notes from school, so I may be off on this. I know for sure that you can listen to 85dB for 8 hrs. I believe the tolerance after this is 90dB for 4 hrs and 95 dB for two hrs, but these latter numbers maybe wrong. After this, you began to suffer ear fatigue. Higher volumes denote shorter times. When mixing a loud live show, you will gradually increase the high frequencies, as these are the first to go in the hearing of the band and audience, when fatigued. When these start "cutting out" in you, along with tinnitus, it's time to give your ears a break. Also, ear buds are really bad for you. Since sound is created by receiving sound pressure waves, and ear buds are crammed in your ear,at high levels, there's nowhere for that pressure to escape. It's air molecules slamming directly into your eardrums. Even DJ headphones that trap the pressure in aren't as bad because they're not directly in the ear.

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  • by Pixie - jeg er elsket on February 2nd, 2009

    Pixie - jeg er elsket

    This was on MANswers, it was proved at about 200 decibels, the sound can cause hearing loss.

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  • by john pennington on February 2nd, 2009

    john pennington

    Loud siren on a police car, a gunfight and loud rock and roll music have taken a toll on my hearing.

    I know wear hearing aids and have lost at least 50% of hearing in both ears.

    I wore headphones as a drummer in a rock and roll band for many years.

    I was in a 32 minute gunfight in the police department and the cars siren....all eventually did me in.

    Hearing aids are a drag.

    Take care of your hearing. it only happens once in your life.

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  • by Little Prince on February 9th, 2011

    Little Prince

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