IPods, MP3 Players and Hearing Loss

Recent reports in the media and in the medical community have tied the use of MP3 players such as the Apple IPod to hearing loss.

Studies have shown that just eight hours of exposure to sounds at 85 decibels can cause hearing loss. Volume on many MP3 players can be turned up to well in excess of 100 decibels.

Audiologists also have warned that to avoid permanent damage, listening to the IPods and similar players should be limited to about one hour a day. Unfortunately for the hearing of teenagers, MP3 players can hold thousands of songs and some have a battery life of 12 hours. Young people, especially, are spending much of their waking hours listening to the players.

Those who listen to their Ipods to drown out the noise of public transportation, such as in the New York subway or on a bus are particularly at risk, since the volume must be at extraordinarly high levels. The noise of a busy street can reach 90 decibels, so the players must produce their music at higher volume levels.

While some players -- especially in Europe -- have reduced the volume at which they can be used, this does not resolve the problem of length of exposure. One study reported that 39% of 18 to 24-year-olds listen to their MP3 players and Ipods for more than an hour each day, with 13% listening for two hours or more.

Experts warn that Ipod and MP3 player users should limit the amount of time that they are exposed to less than an hour before taking an extended break.

Loud noises cause hearing loss by damaging the sensitive hairs that line the inner ear. These hairs pick up sound vibrations and transmit them to nerves which send signals to the brain. These hairs, once damaged, cannot be repaired and do not grow back.

The first warning signs of damage often is a ringing in the ear, although there may be no signs at all.