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Let's see if you think this in twenty years, when you need a hearing aid. Headphone use, at any volume, is positively correlated with hearing loss. Hearing dama

Let's see if you think this in twenty years, when you need a hearing aid. Headphone use, at any volume, is positively correlated with hearing loss. Hearing damage is cumulative, and the vast majority of hearing loss isn't caused by exposure to very short, very loud sounds, it's caused by exposure to sounds that are just a little bit too loud, 8 hours a day, 5 days a week. And, almost by definition, if the music is loud enough to drown out ambient noise in an open-plan office, it's loud enough to damage your hearing if you're exposing yourself to it 8 hours a day. I mean, the only way it wouldn't be is if your office were as quiet as a tomb (or a recording studio), and if that were the case you wouldn't need headphones in the first place. I work in an open plan office. I don't wear headphones. Yes, it's annoying. Yes, it's distracting. Yes, it's better than losing my hearing.

PhantomGremlin 12y ago
Why not try earplugs? $15 for a year's supply. They are "disposable" but each can easily last for a week or two. http://www.homedepot.com/p/3M-Tekk-Protection-Multi-Color-Disposable-Earplugs-80-Pack-92800-80025T/202691611 http://www.homedepot.com/p/3M-Tekk-Protection-Multi-Color-Di... I use the 3M brand and can recommend them.
- nordsieck 12y ago
  I can't stand foam earplugs, but I am an avid user of silicone earplugs. I especially like these guys: http://www.earplugstore.com/ultrafit25.html http://www.earplugstore.com/ultrafit25.html When I'm feeling like I really need quiet I'll throw on a pair of ear muffs on top of that. The only caveat is that you need to be comfortable with silence: the ear plugs will really cut down on background noise (e.g. AC and TV).
- quanticle 12y ago
  I don't find earplugs comfortable, but you got me thinking and I might buy a set of hearing protection earmuffs (http://www.amazon.com/3M-Peltor-Ultimate-Hearing-Protector/dp/B000PW98WO/ref=sr_1_5?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1407354895&sr=1-5&keywords=hearing+protection http://www.amazon.com/3M-Peltor-Ultimate-Hearing-Protector/d...). As a bonus, I think having a set of bright blue earmuffs on would more of a visible "do not disturb" symbol than earplugs. Thanks for the idea. :)
com2kid 12y ago
Closed back headphones, or just good canal phones, cut out a huge amount of noise. They are basically ear muffs that are also headphones. You can get a good 10db attenuation from just closed back headphones alone.
- zeroonetwothree 12y ago
  Yeah, often I just wear headphones w/o any music playing. It not only cuts down on noise but also on people bugging me.
Nursie 12y ago
Closed back, active noise reduction. I've been listening to headphones all day, most days at work for 15 or so years. No hearing problems. Well, none that can be put down to headphone use, last time I got tested apparently they found conductive hearing loss in my left ear and asked if I'd had a head injury o_O
Semaphor 12y ago
> And, almost by definition, if the music is loud enough to drown out ambient noise in an open-plan office, it's loud enough to damage your hearing if you're exposing yourself to it 8 hours a day. In my experience the levels you need to drown everything out (to a manageable level and with closed headphones) is way lower for white/brown noise than it is for music.
prof_hobart 12y ago
I'm only a single sample, it's true. But I've been using headphones in one form or other pretty much daily for over 30 years and I've not yet noticed any deterioration (I have relatively poor hearing due to childhood disease, but that was before I started using headphones, and it's not got noticeably worse in the past 30+ years). Also, noise cancelling headphones can allow you to listen to music at quieter than the office's ambient volume.

PhantomGremlin 12y ago

Why not try earplugs? $15 for a year's supply. They are "disposable" but each can easily last for a week or two. http://www.homedepot.com/p/3M-Tekk-Protection-Multi-Color-Disposable-Earplugs-80-Pack-92800-80025T/202691611 http://www.homedepot.com/p/3M-Tekk-Protection-Multi-Color-Di... I use the 3M brand and can recommend them.

nordsieck 12y ago
I can't stand foam earplugs, but I am an avid user of silicone earplugs. I especially like these guys: http://www.earplugstore.com/ultrafit25.html http://www.earplugstore.com/ultrafit25.html When I'm feeling like I really need quiet I'll throw on a pair of ear muffs on top of that. The only caveat is that you need to be comfortable with silence: the ear plugs will really cut down on background noise (e.g. AC and TV).
quanticle 12y ago
I don't find earplugs comfortable, but you got me thinking and I might buy a set of hearing protection earmuffs (http://www.amazon.com/3M-Peltor-Ultimate-Hearing-Protector/dp/B000PW98WO/ref=sr_1_5?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1407354895&sr=1-5&keywords=hearing+protection http://www.amazon.com/3M-Peltor-Ultimate-Hearing-Protector/d...). As a bonus, I think having a set of bright blue earmuffs on would more of a visible "do not disturb" symbol than earplugs. Thanks for the idea. :)

com2kid 12y ago

Closed back headphones, or just good canal phones, cut out a huge amount of noise. They are basically ear muffs that are also headphones. You can get a good 10db attenuation from just closed back headphones alone.

zeroonetwothree 12y ago
Yeah, often I just wear headphones w/o any music playing. It not only cuts down on noise but also on people bugging me.

Nursie 12y ago

Closed back, active noise reduction. I've been listening to headphones all day, most days at work for 15 or so years. No hearing problems. Well, none that can be put down to headphone use, last time I got tested apparently they found conductive hearing loss in my left ear and asked if I'd had a head injury o_O

Semaphor 12y ago

> And, almost by definition, if the music is loud enough to drown out ambient noise in an open-plan office, it's loud enough to damage your hearing if you're exposing yourself to it 8 hours a day. In my experience the levels you need to drown everything out (to a manageable level and with closed headphones) is way lower for white/brown noise than it is for music.

prof_hobart 12y ago

I'm only a single sample, it's true. But I've been using headphones in one form or other pretty much daily for over 30 years and I've not yet noticed any deterioration (I have relatively poor hearing due to childhood disease, but that was before I started using headphones, and it's not got noticeably worse in the past 30+ years). Also, noise cancelling headphones can allow you to listen to music at quieter than the office's ambient volume.