December 19, 2005 Hello! Portable music players (such as iPod®) are in the ears of many teens, and many more will likely have them when this holiday season comes to an end. "The surge in sales
of iPods and other portable music players in recent years could
mean many more people will develop hearing loss, experts fear. If
the volume through headphones is too high, there is a real risk
of permanent damage to hearing, they say. Sydney's National Acoustic
Laboratories found a quarter of personal music system users in a
random sample listened to music at dangerous volumes. ... A recent
study by the Royal National Institute for Even though EU iPods are limited to 105 decibels, there are those who are concerned. Extended use can cause damage -- even with the limits. Then there are those who "hack through" the safety feature in order to eliminate the limits and make the personal music players as loud as those in the United States. In the US, volumes (and concerns) are turned up even more. "Normal conversation
registers about 60 decibels, a barking dog up to 70, while the subway
is around 85 decibels -- all in the safe zone. But the rock band
at 120 decibels and your personal stereo system at up to 130 decibels
could cause hearing loss if you listen too long." At 130 decibels, the rock band in a person's ear could be louder than the rock band at a concert. While most people don't spend hours at concerts or night clubs every day, they may spend hours with their headphones on and the volume cranked up. As for those who do spend hours at concerts and/ or clubs on a regular basis (like musicians), there is a concern in their community, as well. While experienced musicians who have suffered the effects of noise-induced hearing loss are trying to educate newer musicians, they are also trying to educate their fans. Recently, in "Rolling Stone"... "Hearing loss is one
of the dirty secrets of the music business, and everyone involved
-- from musicians onstage to fans who crank MP3s through headphones
-- is at risk. 'We turn it up without realizing that we're doing
damage,' says Brian Fligor, an audiologist at Boston Children's
Hospital. 'Noise-induced hearing loss develops so slowly and insidiously
that we don't know it's happened until it's too late.' ... For the
iPod generation, the trouble could be worse. Twenty-two million
American adults own an iPod or other digital-music player, and studies
show that sustained listening, even at moderate volume, can cause
serious harm." If a digital-music player can cause damage "even at moderate volume," then how can a person tell what is too loud, and what is safe? And how much harm is it really doing? Aren't ears designed to hear things? How could sounds damage them? "Noise-induced hearing
loss has always been an issue with people who use headphones, said
Julie Rhoades, an audiologist at Penn State's Hershey Medical Center.
'In general, if someone else can hear what you [are listening to],
it is too loud,' she said. ... 'It scares me when I walk across
campus, and there's a student walking 10 feet in front of me listening
to music, and I can hear and feel the sound coming out of the headphones,'
said Uhring. 'I know what damage is being done.' The damage takes
place in the inner ear, where the loud noises destroy the frequency-sensitive
hair cells inside the cochlea, Uhring said. The hair cells, which
convert vibrations of sound waves into electrical impulses for the
brain to understand, are arranged from high frequency to low. This
is why high frequency hearing usually is the first to be affected
by noise-induced hearing loss, she added. ... High frequency hearing
is used to distinguish sounds from background noise, said Uhring.
... [W]ithout higher frequency hearing, it is difficult to understand
speech." Anyone who enjoys their
music enough to turn up the volume is not going to want to lose
the ability to hear their favorite music, and not many people are
going to say that they don't want to be able to understand what
other people are saying. In order to be able to enjoy the music
now, and for years to come, those in the music industry recommend: Some changes can be made without a trip to the store (quit smoking, rest your ears, and turn down the volume), others may require some research and a few extra dollars. While it may be hard to justify the extra money, many of the filters for headphones (that remove outside noise and allow people to turn down the volume) actually are a way of improving the sound quality of the music that is heard -- and they cost much less than a hearing aid. Quality earplugs will also filter out noise "extras" and allow the wearer to better hear the music at a concert or club. It may be odd to think of a musician wearing earplugs, but consider that there are many varieties of ear protection -- and the members of the top bands are not likely to be wearing the same type that one can get for two dollars at the local drug store. While those do have their place (and they do offer some protection), there are many more from which to chose for those who are serious about their music -- and their hearing. "Good quality earplugs
don't block your hearing, they filter the sound so you can enjoy
it more. To use the proper term, good earplugs attenuate the
sound you hear, which means they act like a volume control in your
ear. Questions of the Week: Please email me with any ideas or suggestions. I look forward to reading what you have to say. Cindy |
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