If you’ve ever been to a fitness class, you know that the volume can get loud. The noise from the music, the trainer’s microphone and the clattering of workout equipment can reach high volumes, and often the gym’s high ceilings and hard floors and walls make the noise echo and seem even louder. While this might contribute to the energy of a good workout, it may also reach dangerous noise levels that can cause hearing loss.
How Loud Noise Causes Hearing Loss
Imagine the destructive force of a hurricane. It can blow away trees and flatten buildings. This is the kind of power that sound waves generated by dangerously loud noises have on the structures in your inner ear (albeit on a much smaller scale). In your inner ear is an organ called the cochlea, which is critical to the hearing process, and it is home to thousands of tiny, delicate sensory cells. When those massive sound waves enter the cochlea with the force of a hurricane, those sensory cells may become flattened or broken. When this happens, it’s known as noise-induced hearing loss, or NIHL.
Other Hearing Risks at the Gym
Exposure to loud noise is the biggest risk to your hearing at the gym. High-energy classes tend to feature loud music and an enthusiastic, shouting trainer in a room with poor acoustics. Smashing weights can echo around the gym. Or perhaps you opt to wear headphones while you work out, but crank the volume up too loud. All of these can significantly harm your hearing. However, exposure to loud noise isn’t the only thing you need to watch out for. Also consider:
- Straining while exercising causes pressure in the brain and ears, which are highly sensitive to changes in pressure. You may experience muffled hearing or ringing ears, which are common symptoms of a temporary threshold shift.
- Holding your breath while exercising can worsen the effects of mounting pressure in the skull and ears discussed above. If the internal pressure becomes too high, it can cause a small tear in the membrane between the inner and middle ears, called a fistula.
- Clenching your jaw can cause a jaw disorder known as TMJ, named for the shortened form of temporomandibular joint, which connects your jaw to your skull. Disorders with this joint have long been associated with tinnitus.
- Swimming is a great workout, but getting water stuck in your ears can lead to an ear infection, especially if the water isn’t cleaned well. Ear infections can cause lasting damage to the ear and lead to hearing loss.
Hearing Protection for Exercise
Here are some tips and tricks to get the most out of your workout while still protecting your hearing.
- Use hearing protection. Earplugs are widely available and can significantly dampen the volume of the noise around you. Earplugs can also protect your ears from water while swimming.
- Don’t strain or hold your breath while exercising. Not only does straining risk injury to the muscles you’re trying to work, but it can also lead to hearing loss, as discussed above.
- Turn the volume down when you’re listening to music with your headphones. Generally, try to keep the volume at no more than 60% of maximum when listening to any kind of audio with headphones.
- Try to position yourself as far away as you can from sound sources, like speakers.
If you ever notice any changes in your hearing, whether it’s from a workout class or something else, you should consult a hearing health specialist. Contact The House Institute today to learn more or schedule an appointment.