At the height of their music careers, Mark McGrath and Huey Lewis had number one hits, top-selling albums, and jam-packed live tours across America and the world. McGrath, lead singer of alternative rock group Sugar Ray, is the voice behind popular ‘90s songs “Every Morning” and “Someday,” while Lewis, who fronted the ‘80s band Huey Lewis and the News, sang such pop hits as “Hip to be Square,” “Do You Believe In Love,” and “The Power of Love.”
Today, both singers are going deaf, a consequence of being constantly exposed to loud music during their heyday as rock stars. “It’s years and years and years of being on the road and being two feet in front of cymbals and drums, (high) frequencies,” said McGrath to Daily Mail TV. Lewis, who was diagnosed with the inner ear disorder Meniere’s disease, told Vanity Fair “I can’t hear music. It’s hard enough to hear speech. But music is impossible. The music is cacophony for me and now my hearing fluctuates.”
But you don’t have to be in a rock band to lose your sense of hearing. Many of us are guilty of listening for hours to our favorite songs on full blast through ear buds plugged to our smart phones. Starting with a tolerable level, we slowly pump up the volume once our ears become desensitized by loudness. Before we know it, we’re experiencing temporary hearing loss, a condition that affects the quality of our hearing for a short period of time. Repeated, long-term exposure to blaring music can give us tinnitus, the annoying ringing in the ears. It can also damage part of our inner ear or cochlea (from hair cells that help your brain detect sounds, to the auditory nerve, which carries information about sounds to our brain), resulting in permanent hearing loss.
Once you lose your hearing, there’s no getting it back. Top hospital in the Philippines, Makati Medical Center (MakatiMed), through its ENT Center (Dr. Ariston G. Bautista Center), suggests ways to prevent noise-induced hearing loss while still enjoying your favorite tunes.
Lower the volume. “The best way to avoid noise-induced hearing loss is to decrease the volume of what you’re listening to,” Joseph Ray Richard R. Cedeño, MD, points out. How to know when loud is too loud? “If you’re listening to music on your ear buds or headphones and can’t hear what a person talking to you from arm’s length is saying, then that’s too loud,” he says.
Limit your listening time. “Instead of listening to loud music for hours on your ear buds, take breaks every 30 minutes to allow your ears to rest,” says Dr. Cedeño. “You can also observe the 60-60 rule: Don’t go over 60 percent of the maximum volume for any longer than 60 minutes.”
Invest in the right ear buds or headphones. “Noise-canceling earphones block out external sounds that interfere with your music,” says Dr. Cedeño. “With these type of earphones, you don’t have to increase the volume of your smart phone because your favorite songs will sound clearer.” Consider using over-the-ear headphones instead of in-ear or ear-plug-style models, too, says. “Over-the-ear headphones put distance between your inner ear and the speaker, sparing you from too-loud music,” Dr. Cedeño explains.
Care for your ears. On its own, the ear is a self-cleansing organ that produces wax to prevent dust and harmful particles from getting into its inner parts. Still, it helps to treat it with tender loving care. “Instead of cotton swabs, use a damp towel to gently clean excess wax around the canal,” says Dr. Cedeño. “Towel-dry your ears after showering or swimming, as too much moisture in the ears attracts bacteria, which could attack the ear canal. If water gets into your ears after a dip in the pool or beach, simply tilt your head to the side and tug at your ear lobe to let the water out.”
“Exercise is also a good way to keep our ears in shape,” he adds. “Cardiovascular workouts like running, walking, and cycling get the blood pumping to all parts of the body, including the ears, keeping them healthy and working well.”
For more information, please contact MakatiMed On-Call at +632.88888 999, email mmc@makatimed.net.ph, or visit www.makatimed.net.ph.
