Headphones linked to hearing loss
posted in - Dobbs, - General |Yes, you heard me correctly. That cool iPod that is stuck to your ears 24/7 can lead to noise-induced hearing loss. CNN reports that a random examination of young people have shown a loss in the ability to hear higher frequencies, evidenced at times by mild ear-ringing or trouble following conversations in noisy situations. More people in their 30s and 40s — many of them among the first Walkman users — has been shown to suffer from more pronounced tinnitus, an internal ringing or even the sound of whooshing or buzzing in the ears. It takes multiple exposures and years to develop, so by the time you find out it is often too late. Nowadays this has been made worse by portable music players with long-lasting rechargeable batteries, which means people are listening for longer periods of time, and music these days is certainly louder and noisier than before!
So how much is too much? A study published by researchers at Boston Children’s Hospital determined that listening to a portable music player with headphones at 60 percent of its potential volume for one hour a day is relatively safe. Experts also recommend protecting hearing in other ways — standing away from loud speakers, for instance, and using hearing protection when using machinery at work, home or for recreation.
Even professional musicians are aware of the dangers of excessive noise, and the need to provide adequate hearing protection for musicians and music fans. A punk rock musician Kathy Peck together with a San Francisco physician Flash Gordon M.D. started an organisation called Hearing Education and Awareness for Rockers (HEAR) to promote hearing protection. Kathy suffered hearing damage due to repeated exposure to excessive noise which cut short her music career.
Related links:
How to keep your hearing (Newsweek cover story)
KCBS Cover Story: iPods and Hearing Loss (mp3 format)
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September 17th, 2005 at 9:14 am
Gotta get the CHiQ to read this.
September 17th, 2005 at 2:35 pm
Read yes. Listen no. This is why I will absolutely refuse to get on the Podcast bandwagon. Don’t want to contribute to more deafness out there
P.S. Nice Gravatar YP
September 17th, 2005 at 8:00 pm
[...] Saw this post at the MMR. CNN reports that a random examination of young people have shown a loss in the ability to hear higher frequencies, evidenced at times by mild ear-ringing or trouble following conversations in noisy situations. More people in their 30s and 40s — many of them among the first Walkman users — has been shown to suffer from more pronounced tinnitus, an internal ringing or even the sound of whooshing or buzzing in the ears. It takes multiple exposures and years to develop, so by the time you find out it is often too late. Nowadays this has been made worse by portable music players with long-lasting rechargeable batteries, which means people are listening for longer periods of time, and music these days is certainly louder and noisier than before! [...]
September 18th, 2005 at 7:54 am
Headphones linked to hearing loss
Now, with almost everyone having an earphone sticking to their ears 24/7… Please read this news.
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