耳机是否会损伤听力？
文摘
健康
2023-05-10 12:12
北京
美国《纽约时报》网站于2023年4月16日发表题为《耳塞式耳机是否会损伤我的听力？》的文章。以下观点不代表任何译者立场，现将全文翻译如下：Are Earbuds Damaging My Hearing?![]()
And if so, are they more harmful than other headphone styles?Published Aug. 16, 2022 Updated Aug. 23, 2022Q: I wear earbuds to sleep, during Zoom calls and while working out. Are they damaging my hearing? And if so, how does the damage compare with other headphone styles?问：我睡觉、网络会议、健身都戴耳机，这样会不会损伤我的听力？如果有损伤，各种款式耳机的损伤有何不同？Whether you’re taking phone calls, participating in Zoom meetings, listening to music or watching TikToks — headphones are likely a daily part of your life. But what kind of damage are they doing? And do earbuds, which may sit closer to the inner ear than other headphone styles, harm your hearing more?无论是接电话、网络会议、听音乐还是刷抖音，耳机可能已经成为你日常生活的一部分，但这到底会带来哪些损害？以及，与其他款式的耳机相比，或许更靠近内耳的耳塞式耳机会更损伤听力吗？The idea that earbuds are more damaging to hearing than other headphone types is just false, said Cory Portnuff, an audiologist at the University of Colorado Hospital. “The misconception stems from the thought that, because an earbud sits farther into your ear, it would do more damage than something that sits farther away.”科罗拉多大学附属医院的听力专家科里·波特纳夫博士表示，耳塞式耳机并不比其他耳机对听力损伤更大。“之所以会有这种误解，是因为大家觉得耳塞更深入耳中，所以感觉它会比距离内耳更远的耳机造成更大的损伤。”It makes sense that we would think earbuds are worse for our hearing since they send audio straight into the ear canal, he said, whereas other headphone styles that sit over or on the ear deliver sound from a greater distance. “However, what actually matters is the volume at your eardrum, not where it comes from.”他说，我们觉得耳塞式耳机对听力损害更大似乎有道理，因为它们直接将声音送入耳道，而那些挂在耳朵上、或者放置于耳朵外侧的耳机则从更远的距离传递声音。“然而，真正重要的是到达鼓膜处的音量，而不是它的来源。”If you’re trying to prevent hearing damage while using headphones, “there’s an easy rule of thumb,” Dr. Portnuff said. “It’s called 80 for 90 — you can safely listen at 80 percent of the max volume for a total of 90 minutes a day.” If you listen at a quieter level, you get more time, if you listen at a louder level, you get less time. If you’re listening at 60 percent of the maximum volume or lower, generally, “you can safely listen all day every day,” he added.波特纳夫博士指出，如果你想预防使用耳机的时候听力受损，“有个简单八九法则”，也就是“音量80分贝连续使用不超过90分钟。”如果音量较低，那么可使用的时间更长；如果音量较高，那么可使用的时间更少。他补充道，一般来说，如果你把音量调到最大值的60%或者更低，那么每天听一整天都是安全的。The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that, on average, the volume levels of personal listening devices max out at between 105 and 110 decibels. At 80 percent of the highest volume, which is about 85 decibels, the noise would be on par with that of a gas-powered lawn mower or the sound of city traffic from inside of a car. The C.D.C. notes that to prevent noise-induced hearing loss, you should avoid prolonged exposures to ambient sounds above 70 decibels (like that of a washing machine or dishwasher). But environmental noise that is 60 decibels or lower (like from a normal conversation or the hum of an air conditioner) typically won’t cause hearing damage.疾控中心表示，个人听音设备发出的最高音量平均在105到110分贝之间。最高音量的80%下，约为85分贝，这与汽油割草机或坐在车内听到的城市噪声相当。疾控中心指出，为了避免噪音引起的听力损失，你应避免长时间接触70分贝以上的环境噪音（例如洗衣机或洗碗机的噪音）。但通常60分贝以下的环境噪音（例如正常谈话或空调的嗡嗡声）不会对听力造成损害。Dr. Daniel Fink, an internist and board chair of The Quiet Coalition, a nonprofit dedicated to reducing the effects of noise on health, was less permissive in his recommendations. “There is no such thing as a safe headphone,” he said, especially when so many people have to crank up the volume to compensate for loud environments around them.致力于减少噪音对健康影响的非营利组织安静联盟的董事会主席、内科医生丹尼尔·芬克博士的建议更加严格。他说：“没有安全的耳机”，尤其是周围环境嘈杂，许多人不得不调高耳机音量。If you’re using headphones somewhere that is very noisy and “you can hear the music or understand the words being said, you’ve probably turned up the volume high enough to overcome ambient noise,” Dr. Fink said. “And that means listening volume has to be above probably 80 decibels, and you’re giving yourself enough sound pressure, enough decibels to damage your hearing.”芬克博士说：“如果你在非常嘈杂的地方使用耳机，而且还能听到音乐或者听懂里面的话，你可能为了压过环境噪音把音量调得太高了。这意味着音量必须高于80分贝，这种声压和分贝足以损伤听力。”To combat background noise without amping up sound levels, Dr. Portnuff and Dr. Fink recommended choosing headphones that block out background noise. Earbuds that fit snugly and snuff out external sounds, over-ear headphones that seal around your ear, and any listening device with noise canceling technology are all good options.因此，为了不提高音量的同时对抗环境噪音，波特纳夫博士和芬克博士建议选择能够阻隔环境噪音的耳机，比如贴紧耳道隔绝外部声音的耳塞式耳机、环绕密封耳朵的头戴式耳机，或者使用降噪技术的任何听音设备。The best thing to do is to be mindful of the noise around you, Dr. Portnuff said, and how it’s affecting the sound reaching your ears. Some smartphones or smart headphones will alert you if your volume is above recommended listening levels.波特纳夫博士说，最好的办法是留心周围噪音，以及噪音对耳朵接收到的声音的影响。有些智能手机或智能耳机会在音量超出推荐水平时发出警报。Loud noises can prematurely and irreversibly damage your hearing — overexposures could cause a 30-year-old to have the hearing of a 60-year-old, Dr. Portnuff said. Hearing loss is usually gradual, too, meaning people often don’t notice it until it’s too late. Understanding the best ways to protect your hearing is important, he said, so you don’t have those regrets down the line.波特纳夫博士指出，过度暴露于高分贝声音可能会造成听力发生过早且不可逆转的损伤，导致30岁时听力相当于60岁。听力损失通常是渐进过程，因此人们一旦发现听力出现问题已经晚了。所以他说，了解保护听力的最佳方法非常重要，这样你就不会事后后悔。It’s also critical to preserve hearing, Dr. Fink said, because hearing loss can sometimes create a positive feedback loop of more harm. When people cannot hear something, they tend to boost the volume — but that, in turn, can lead to even more damage.芬克博士说，保护听力至关重要，因为听力损失有时会形成恶性循环。人们无法听到某些声音时通常会调高音量，但这反过来又可能会导致更多的损伤。So remember that volume, above all else, matters. “Listen at the lowest level possible that allows you to hear the content that you want to listen to,” Dr. Fink said. “If it sounds loud, it’s too loud.”所以，请记住，首先要考虑音量问题。芬克博士指出：“要尽可能在自己能听到的水平上把音量降到最低。如果听起来很响，那就太响了。”
