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Does it make sense to retreat into your own world, or should you not use noise-cancelling headphones too often?
Laura Tenret24. January 2024, 06:26
A reader found noise-cancelling headphones in her Christmas present and is wondering whether they are actually bad for your ears. “Basically, you hear less background noise, but you need more opposing sound waves to compensate for the noise, right?” She remembers that white noise in babies (a soothing sound similar to the sound in the womb, editor’s note). .) can also be bad for your ears and would like to know if you should be careful about using too much noise cancellation on your headphones. “And does it matter if you’re in a noisy or quiet environment?”
Counterwave
With noise-cancelling headphones you can dampen disturbing ambient noises. Practical in busy places or when traveling on a train or plane. To understand how they work, Dennis Kox, otolaryngologist at the Vijf Meren Kliniek at Spaarne Gasthuis in Haarlem, explains how sound waves work. “These are collected by the eardrum and travel through the ossicles into the cochlea and through the auditory nerve into your brain. “Noise-cancelling headphones register sound waves on the headphones and pull these sound waves downwards with a counterwave so that they are neutralized before they reach the ear.”
He compares it to a wave you make in the bathtub. “The water then rises up and to the side. However, if you make a countermovement, the swelling of this wave stops and the water does not splash against the edge. This also happens with headphones like this: the sound doesn’t reach the eardrum.”
No additional noise
According to Kox, there is often a misconception that noise is being added. “The sound is actually muffled. The only thing that bothers people when wearing such headphones is that they are extremely quiet. Then, for example, they suddenly hear a tinnitus that may have always been there but was not noticeable before.” The white noise that the reader is referring to is a normal sound. “It’s a bit like the air conditioning in the house, also a continuous sound. A noise comes over it. You can use white noise if you suffer from tinnitus or noise in the house, but the question is: should you provide extra sound to babies? White noise is not the same as noise cancellation.”
The more sophisticated the noise-cancelling headphones are, the faster the noises are neutralized. The sound must be continuous in order for the headphones to neutralize it, for example the constant hum of an aircraft engine during a flight. “Short, quick noises can make braking difficult. Therefore, noise canceling headphones are not safe when you go to a concert. In this case, wear earplugs.”
Great in the Bieb
The noise-cancelling technology hardly damages the ears, which is why, according to Kox, the headphones can also be used when studying in the library, for example: “They help you concentrate and the surroundings disturb you less.” And play it a role if you are not in a quiet library but in the noise? “You always have to be careful with noise. Continuous sound is suppressed, but if you are in a noisy environment, some sound will still come through. And what’s also important: Don’t turn up the music on your headphones too loudly or listen for too long to avoid hearing damage.”
Also read:
Earplugs for loud music fly over the counter: “No more taboo”
Hearing care professionals are seeing a significant increase in demand for earplugs that protect against loud music. Experts believe that the maximum noise level should be reduced.
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