Hearing loss is more common than ever before, especially in teenagers. It is universally accepted that long term exposure to loud noises can severely impair the hearing function. These days, however, a lot of teenagers are unintentionally damaging their hearing just by listening to an mp3 player or iPod through earphones. Researchers now believe that growing popularity of these portable players that attach directly to the ears will only make things worse.
The number of people who use mp3 players has been rising at a rapid rate, and so has been the amount of time people spend listening to their music with ear buds. The EU's Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks (SCENIHR) estimates that 5 to 10 percent of personal music player users risk permanent hearing loss if they listen for more than an hour a day at high volume settings for at least five years.
Sounds with levels below 70 decibels (dB) -- such as ringing telephone, everyday conversation and noise in restaurant -- pose no known risk of hearing loss, irrespective of the amount of time you spend listening to it. Anything louder than 85 decibels -- such as motorcycle, workshop tools, lawm mower -- will eventually lead to hearing loss. But most headphones these days easily reach 87 dB and some even touch 100 dB. Listening to this level of noise being pumped into your ears for 8 hours a day can pose a significant risk of hearing loss.
In addition to the intensity of sound, the increased battery life and storage capacity also encourage users to listen for longer periods of time than did the older portable devices.
According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 15% of teens had hearing problems in the year 1988. This number surged to 19.5% in the year 2006. Researchers attributed this surge to rise of usage of iPods and mp3 players.
What are the Symptoms of Noise Induced Hearing Loss?
The symptoms of noise induced hearing loss are quite peculiar:
- Ringing or buzzing in the ears.
- Slight muffling of sounds.
- Difficulty in understanding speech, especially when the background-noise level goes up and you have to focus on what someone is saying.
To test your hearing, set the volume of a radio talk show to a level where you can barely hear the words. Now put on loud music. After listening to loud music, turn on the radio to the same setting. Can you still hear and understand the words? If not, you're experiencing a form of short term hearing loss called temporary threshold shift. When this happens too many times, the damage can become permanent. So, if you experience the same after listening to loud music, it is a sign that you need to be more cautious with your volume levels to avoid further damage.
How can You Prevent the Hearing Damage?
There are various ways in which you can prevent the hearing damage:
- Listen to these mp3 players for no more than about an hour a day and at levels below 60 percent of the maximum volume.
- Use noise cancellations headphones because they eliminate background noises, so you don't have to crank up the volume so high.
- Try not to listen to music when you are in an environment with loud noises like, while traveling in a train/bus or on a busy street.
- Take 10 to 15 minute break every hour when using earphones for longer periods. This will provide the ears with valuable recovery time, and hence, help reduce the risk of hearing impairment in the long term.
- Use headphones that outside the ear canal instead of earbud headphones. Earbud headphones are placed directly in the ear and can boost the sound signal by as much as six to nine decibels (equivalent to difference in intensity between the sound made by a vacuum cleaner and the sound of a motorcycle engine).
- You should test hearing periodically from a certified person.
In a battle against earphones, knowing the levels one is listening to music at, and for how long, is extremely important.
