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iPods and Hearing Loss |
Another subject that is being talked about quite a bit in the news these days concerns iPods! In fact, Jim Downing was recently interviewed on one of our local TV stations regarding this.
Youth and iPods
Believe me, we are seeing younger and younger individuals in our office because of hearing loss concerns.
The problem with iPods is that people listen to their favorite music with earbuds inserted into their ear canals, taking the sound that much closer to their eardrums. Sustained noise at high decibels, even over a relatively short amount of time will result in hearing loss.
As you know, most teens enjoy listening to their favorite music — LOUD — and tend to do so for long periods of time. Listening for short periods of time, at a moderate setting — say, 65dB — is fine. If you have kids or grandkids using iPods, you may want to do some more research and present them with some facts. They may not listen, but it's worth a try.
Generic earbuds and length of time
The growing concern regarding hearing loss among younger people and music lovers is largely due to the growing use of iPods that bring the music or "noise" (whichever, in your opinion it may be) closer to the eardrum.
The problem with iPods is that users often wear generic earbuds in their ears, which do not block out background noise. This causes the user to turn up the volume even more in order to be able to hear the music more clearly. That, coupled with the fact that iPod users tend to listen to their music in this fashion for long periods of time without giving their ears a rest, makes for a hearing disaster.
Cause of permanent hearing damage and solutions
Listening to any sound at 85dB and above for a prolonged period of time is going to do permanent — yes, permanent — damage. Normal speech is around 65 dB. We recommend two things: try to refrain from listening to an iPod for more than 15 minutes at a time and keep the volume under 85 dB by obtaining special earbuds that seat better in the ear, blocking out the background noise. This is so that the volume doesn't have to be turned up louder to compensate.
Westone and other manufacturers make these special earbuds. Also, Apple is now providing updated software for the latest model iPods. This software allows the user to set a maximum volume level. This is welcome news! Now, consumers have a means to protect their hearing when using this device.
I'm sure there will be more changes to iPod technology in relation to hearing protection.
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| (Article 0106, originally published in installments January, April and May 2006) |
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