When Does Music Become Harmful?

There are many health benefits to listening to and performing music. Music has been found to reduce stress, help people beat insomnia, increase creativity and even bring back moments of lucidity to dementia patients. However, like anything, music can have negative health effects if you use it incorrectly. Below are some of the instances where music can become harmful, and what you can do to encourage healthy music habits.

Hearing damage

Listening to music too loudly is something that many of us are guilty of. While blasting your favourite tune at full volume can be invigorating, you could be causing yourself premature hearing loss in the process. Prolonged exposure to sounds above 85 db can start to cause hearing damage - including hearing loss and tinnitus. If you often find that your ears ring after listening to loud music, this is a clear sign that the music is damaging your ear. Learn to turn down the music or wear earplugs in live music settings where the volume level is out of your control. If you think you are already starting to experience hearing loss, consider seeing an audiologist to arrange a hearing exam. Hearing aids can help restore some sounds that have been lost and even help mask tinnitus. 

Distraction from tasks

Music can sometimes be an unhealthy distraction. Many car accidents are caused by people listening to music too loudly, while many injuries involving pedestrians are caused by pedestrians crossing the road while wearing headphones and not hearing approaching vehicles. There is also evidence to suggest that some music can be distracting when studying or working - leading to poorer productivity. Instrumental music has been found to generally be less distracting than lyric-based music, but it can depend on the listener. 

Depression and anxiety

Music can get people through hard times, but it can also pull people further into grief or increase feelings of anxiety. Individual songs are often strongly linked with memories, and songs linked to negative experiences or songs that remind us of people we have lost can sometimes cause feelings of pain to resurface. It is important to choose the right type of music when trying to overcome depression or anxiety - finding new music that is not attached to painful memories could help. Some studies also recommend avoiding sad music when you are depressed, as it may only intensify feelings. 

Carpal tunnel syndrome

If you are a musician, you could be at risk of developing a repetitive strain injury such as carpal tunnel syndrome. Drummers, guitarists and pianists are most at risk because of the repetitive wrist and finger movements required to play these instruments. Once you start getting achy hands and tingly fingers, take a day or two’s break from playing if you can. This could prevent carpal tunnel syndrome developing. This RSI can be treated with physiotherapy and surgery if it has already developed.

Laryngitis

As for vocalists, a common health risk is damage to the vocal cords as a result of strain and overuse. This is known as laryngitis and affects many singers. Once you start experiencing a sore throat, it is often a good idea to give your voice a break for a couple days, as it could be the first sign of laryngitis. Continuing to sing could cause further damage, and then you’ll be forced to stop singing for a longer period while you recover. There are many treatments for laryngitis that you can explore.