Adding a subwoofer to your audio track improves sound quality by balancing deep bass and low frequencies as a musicophile. But what if you experience ringing and buzzing in your ears after being exposed to loud sounds ?
Because subwoofers produce low-frequency sounds, which your ears are less sensitive to than high-frequency sounds, if they are too loud, they will damage your ears and cause a condition known as tinnitus.
This article will explain how a subwoofer can damage your ears and cause tinnitus and the effects of this disease on humans!
Can Subwoofers Cause Tinnitus in Ears?
Listening to loud music for a long time or attending concerts on a daily basis is now a part of many people’s daily routines. Still, many people are complaining about tingling sensations in their ears that last for about 2-3 hours.
Any external sound does not cause these sensations you experience them when you have tinnitus, and most people are unable to hear them. These are the results of repeated exposure to loud noises produced by subwoofers and speakers.
People who work in noisy environments, such as factory or construction workers, road crews, or even musicians, are at risk of developing tinnitus as a result of ongoing noise exposure, which damages tiny sensory hair cells in the inner ear that help transmit sound to the brain. This is referred to as noise-induced hearing loss.
Subwoofers are typically very powerful, with sound waves capable of exceeding 110 decibels, which is nearly as loud as a jet engine.
This indicates that if you are exposed to them for an extended period of time, they can damage the hair cells inside your ear, resulting in tinnitus or permanent hearing loss.
High-frequency transducing cells are more sensitive than low-frequency transducing cells and are damaged by low-frequency sounds. Cells with low frequencies are less influenced. So it’s the low sounds that make you deaf. It is very common in people who work in industrial areas or who are accustomed to wearing headphones the majority of the time.
Listening to heavy bass and low frequencies on a regular basis can be so damaging that you will eventually hear a strange noise in your ears with a beat like distortion.
To avoid hearing loss and the risk of tinnitus, it is critical to take a few precautions when using a subwoofer or headphones. Wearing ear protection can help prevent tinnitus, but the damage may already be done if you do not take the necessary precautions.
Is Bass Harmful To The Ears?
Yes, low frequency and bass sounds can aggravate hearing loss by damaging cochlear cells and membranes. Listening to loud noise for an extended period of time can overwork hair cells in the ear, causing them to die.
As previously stated, if a person has a hearing impairment, they are usually the last frequency range used. Any sound that is louder than 80 decibels has the potential to cause hearing loss over time. This is the case because lower-pitched sounds are more accessible to hear than higher-pitched sounds.
Tinnitus and hearing loss are caused by listening to music at high volumes. People are more likely to turn up the volume and expose themselves to dangerous sound levels if they are unaware of the grating effects of bass.
Keep in mind that the damaging process is gradual, beginning with tinnitus and progressing to chronic hearing loss. Because music is a luxury, listen to it at safe levels and you’ll be able to take pleasure in it for the rest of your life without causing harm to yourself.
How Long Does It Take For Ears To Heal After A Loud Noise?
When exposed to loud noises, our hair cells eventually recover and return back to their original and upright position. Your hearing can be fully restored if you take healthy measures for your tinnitus.
However, suppose you do not take preventive measures. In that case, your eardrum will be affected badly because it vibrates when sound waves hit it and further process the sound, but this loud noise will tear your eardrum, killing your hair cells, leaving you deaf for a while, or causing permanent hearing loss.
Loud noises with long-term exposure can also damage the nerves in the ear and the eardrum, resulting in symptoms such as hearing loss, tinnitus, nausea, malaise, and facial numbness. However, if some intervention is given to the damaged hair cells and eardrums, they can heal in a matter of weeks.
If the auditory nerve is damaged as a result of bass and low-frequency sounds, it cannot be repaired in any way. Auditory nerve damage usually necessitates hearing aids for the rest of one’s life to regain the hearing ability.
What Makes Tinnitus Go Away?
Tinnitus is simply the ringing and buzzing sounds you hear in your ears, and it can be relieved. However, it is dependent on the cause of your tinnitus; it could be due to a viral or bacterial infection, the side effects of a medication, or noise-induced tinnitus.
So, if your tinnitus is caused by ear damage from loud noises, it may be a long-term challenge for you. In this case, you can manage them using a variety of strategies, including wearing hearing aids, which will suppress the ringing and humming sounds in your ears.
Tinnitus does not usually go away on its own in the vast majority of cases. You should see an ENT doctor for a checkup so that he can determine the root cause of your tinnitus and find ways to treat it. If the cause is not treatable, such as noise-induced, the doctor will help you manage the symptoms.
What Causes Tinnitus To Worsen?
Tinnitus is usually caused by underlying conditions such as noise-induced hearing impairment, ear and sinus infections, hormonal changes in women, and thyroid disorders.
Loud noises can aggravate your tinnitus symptoms. There are numerous other factors that can aggravate your tinnitus, such as routine activities, traffic noise, or exposure to construction sites. Wear earplugs or another type of ear protection to prevent noise from exacerbating your tinnitus.
Many people use certain medicines for a variety of conditions. The use of these prescribed drugs causes ototoxicity, which means having tinnitus or hearing problems as a result of the side effects of these medications.
Here’s a list of meds that cause tinnitus: antibiotics, anti-inflammatory drugs, diuretics, and NSAIDs. If these medications are causing tinnitus, consult your doctor about an alternative.
Stress can be the major reason after subwoofers induced tinnitus, which can make ringing in your ears. Stress makes you overthink, causing ringing in the head and sensations in the ears. To deal with this, perform relaxation exercises and deep breathing.
Conclusion:
If you love your subwoofer and want to keep enjoying those deep bass notes. In that case, you just need to be careful how you use them without damaging your ears because exposure to subwoofers on louder volumes for long times can affect you, causing tinnitus.
This includes wearing ear protection, controlling the volume, and limiting the duration of exposure. This way, you can continue to listen to all of your favorite music without worrying about potential hearing damage.
