2008 Woodie Awards
Use iPods Carefully to Avoid Damaging Hearing
Lisa Roberts
Issue date: 4/10/06 Section: Entertainment
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Lisa Roberts
The Orlando Sentinel (KRT)
In the age of the iPod, where the music never stops, how can users of personal stereos ensure their ears do not give out?
By turning down the volume, taking breaks from listening or using noise-canceling earphones, according to the American Speech-Language Hearing Association.
And as of last week, those who have Nano or video capable iPods can download software that limits the top volume of the units.
The electronic units usually are packaged with "ear buds" earphones that insert into the outer ear. Unfortunately, they often let in outside, or ambient, noise, making it harder to hear what is playing. That, in turn, may encourage the listener to pump the volume up.
Although the unregulated volume of Apple Computer Inc.'s iPods can reach morethan 115 decibels, 85 decibels is the "line of demarcation," says Pam Mason, the association's director of professional audiology practices. At that level, listeners can use the units continuously for eight solid hours.
For each increase of five decibels, users should cut listening time in half, Mason says. So, if you were listening at 90 decibels, "you would wear them for four hours." If you are listening at 120 decibels, you would tune in for only five to ten minutes before taking a solid break.
Taking a break from loud noises is very important, Mason says. "Our ears have natural resiliency built into them. After a loud concert, your ears are ringing and sounds are muffled. But in the morning, you do not have those symptoms. Those are temporary effects of excessive noise, and you do recover your hearing." But "continual exposure is going to lead to a permanent hearing loss."
Listeners, however, will be able to determine where eighty five decibels is on the volume dial. Mason uses a "three-foot rule" as a guide: If you are standing three feet from someone listening to a personal stereo and you can hear what is playing, the music is too loud. If you are listening to a music player and you can not hear someone three feet away speaking to you, lower the volume soon.
Using noise-canceling earphones and ear buds that electronically filter ambient noise can help keep volume lower, she says. "It's easier to self-regulate the volume when you have earphones that isolate what you want to hear from what you don't want to hear," she says. Such devices are available from a variety of manufacturers. Prices range from about fourty dollars to three hundred dollars.
In a recent survey for the association, both adults and teens reported hearing problems that could be linked to the increased use of personal stereos. The trend is particularly alarming in children, Mason says. "Even mild, minor hearing loss can have a devastating effect on academic achievement and social development."
The Orlando Sentinel (KRT)
In the age of the iPod, where the music never stops, how can users of personal stereos ensure their ears do not give out?
By turning down the volume, taking breaks from listening or using noise-canceling earphones, according to the American Speech-Language Hearing Association.
And as of last week, those who have Nano or video capable iPods can download software that limits the top volume of the units.
The electronic units usually are packaged with "ear buds" earphones that insert into the outer ear. Unfortunately, they often let in outside, or ambient, noise, making it harder to hear what is playing. That, in turn, may encourage the listener to pump the volume up.
Although the unregulated volume of Apple Computer Inc.'s iPods can reach morethan 115 decibels, 85 decibels is the "line of demarcation," says Pam Mason, the association's director of professional audiology practices. At that level, listeners can use the units continuously for eight solid hours.
For each increase of five decibels, users should cut listening time in half, Mason says. So, if you were listening at 90 decibels, "you would wear them for four hours." If you are listening at 120 decibels, you would tune in for only five to ten minutes before taking a solid break.
Taking a break from loud noises is very important, Mason says. "Our ears have natural resiliency built into them. After a loud concert, your ears are ringing and sounds are muffled. But in the morning, you do not have those symptoms. Those are temporary effects of excessive noise, and you do recover your hearing." But "continual exposure is going to lead to a permanent hearing loss."
Listeners, however, will be able to determine where eighty five decibels is on the volume dial. Mason uses a "three-foot rule" as a guide: If you are standing three feet from someone listening to a personal stereo and you can hear what is playing, the music is too loud. If you are listening to a music player and you can not hear someone three feet away speaking to you, lower the volume soon.
Using noise-canceling earphones and ear buds that electronically filter ambient noise can help keep volume lower, she says. "It's easier to self-regulate the volume when you have earphones that isolate what you want to hear from what you don't want to hear," she says. Such devices are available from a variety of manufacturers. Prices range from about fourty dollars to three hundred dollars.
In a recent survey for the association, both adults and teens reported hearing problems that could be linked to the increased use of personal stereos. The trend is particularly alarming in children, Mason says. "Even mild, minor hearing loss can have a devastating effect on academic achievement and social development."