It might not be news for many but prolonged exposure to loud music (or any ear-shattering noise, for that matter) is detrimental to our hearing. Live concerts as well as personal audio devices are known hazards, because their volume often exceeds the 85 decibel (dB) level considered safe for a few hours. Anything over 100 decibels maxes out after 15 minutes. Repeated noise exposure damages the tiny hair cells in our inner ears and leads to permanent hearing loss.
Are you or your teens at risk for damaging your hearing loss? If you pump up the volume, then the answer is yes. A new study from Children’s Hospital Boston and City University of New York finds that the majority of college students using MP3 players and iPods exceed the recommended sound limits while listening.
Another just-released national study shows that one in five teens has already lost some hearing, and the problem has increased substantially in recent years.
This finding is based on data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted by a branch of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The researchers analyzed data on 12-to-19-year-olds and compared hearing loss in nearly 3,000 kids from 1988 to 1994 to almost 1,800 kids over 2005 and 2006. The result? The prevalence of hearing loss increased from about 15 percent to 19.5 percent! Given such preponderance of evidence, experts are urging teenagers to turn down the volume on their digital music players. They warn that even a slight hearing loss can cause problems in school and require use of hearing aids in later life. Approximately 15 percent of Americans between the ages of 20 and 69—or 26 million people—have high frequency hearing loss that may have been caused by exposure to loud sounds.
These tips come from the “Listen to Your Buds,” campaign by the American Speech Language Hearing Association:
• Many personal music players don’t have volume control indicators. An easy way to set a safe listening level is to crank it up all the way, then back to halfway.
• Take “listening breaks” from loud music or other sources of loud noise to give ears a break.
If you are concerned you or your child may have hearing loss or be at risk for noise induced hearing loss it is wise to consult with an audiologist or other hearing professionals.
For further information contact Advanced Audiology (formerly Audiology Associates) at 661-253-EARS (3277).