Ear Docs' Warning Rings Loud and Clear: Turn Down the iPod!

MP3 players and iPods line the pockets of millions of people across the world. People listen to their music while walking, waiting, and for enjoyment. Although people do not listen to music loud, the time they spend with the player has increased over the years. A new study from the European Union cautions people who listen to personal music players for too long, at too high a volume settings, may do serious damage to hearing. “The music coming form those small, white ear buds is part of a larger problem,” experts claim. Hearing loss is permanent, cumulative, and—because it’s painless—hard to detect, according to the researchers. Signs that you are listening to music at too high a volume include stuffy ears and ringing. However, there are steps that the users of MP3 players can take to limit potential hearing problems. If you are listening to the music on your headphones, make sure you can hear someone else talking to you at a normal volume level. Researchers at Northwestern University advocate the "60/60 rule," which means MP3 players should be used at no more than 60 percent of the maximum volume and for no longer than about 60 minutes per day. Although those headphones may not seem to be too loud for you, remember that you cannot feel your sensory cells dying in the tiny hairs in the inner ear, but they are.
By Stephen T. Watson
The Buffalo News
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/Ear-Docs-Warning-Rings-Loud-and-Clear-Turn-Down-the-iPod-65042.html
Michael Saleeb