Today's portable music players offer convenience, quality and ease of use, allowing us to carry even thousands of tunes with us everywhere we go. But are they also causing problems you're your hearing?
Should this be of concern? Undoubtedly, yes: a British study found in 2008 that an astounding 58 per cent of 16 to 30 year-olds are completely unaware of any risk to their hearing from using MP3 players and other audio products that attach directly to the ears.
Sound is a series of vibrations carried through the air (or other medium) that can be perceived by the ears, specifically, in the cochlea where tiny hairs vibrate, sending signals to the brain that are interpreted as sounds. Unfortunately, these can also be damaged with excess sound.
The amount or intensity of sound is usually measured in decibels. If there is an increase of 10 decibels, that means the sound/noise is 10 times louder; increase it 20 decibels and you have sound 100 times louder. For example, normal conversation usually takes place at 60 to 70 decibels, but shouting comes in around 80 decibels. A gas lawnmower is about 10 times louder yet at 90 decibels. A rock concert will come in around 115 decibels, and a jet engine at takeoff from 100 metres will rock your ears at 130 decibels.
But what about that MP3 player permanently attached to some people's ears? Most of these are played at 60-120 decibels. There are implications to this amount of sound.
Too much sound, that is, very loud and especially long-lasting loud sound, will lead to hearing loss. Workplaces usually aim for a maximum of 80 decibels over an eight-hour shift. Increase that to 95 decibels as with a loud MP3 player and the daily maximum is reached in only 15 minutes.
Listening to loud music, or any sound for that matter, for long periods of time can damage the cochlea. In serious cases, there is no recovery and permanent hearing loss results. Another problem can be tinnitus, or a persistent ringing in the ears.
You may have hearing damage if you cannot follow a conversation in an environment where there is a lot of background sound, say in a lunchroom. Perhaps people seem to be mumbling instead of speaking clearly, or there is a ringing or buzzing when all should be quiet? These are all signs of hearing loss - see your doctor to arrange a hearing test.
Hearing loss can have many effects on the quality of life, work and leisure. Everyday activities like a phone call, watching television and a group conversation all become more difficult. It is of particular concern for younger children as hearing loss can mean problems with speech and language development and later problems with socialization and learning.
There are things we can do to reduce the risk of long-term damage to hearing. Consider turning down the player to 60 to 70 per cent of capacity, and taking at least five minute 'silence' breaks every hour to allow your ears to recover. How about using over the ear headphones instead of ear-buds? These will let you play music at lower levels since they block out the external noises around you.
Your MP3 player provides a wealth of entertainment opportunities, but make sure it does not also take them away.
Dr. Paul Martiquet is the Medical Health Officer for the Sea to Sky.
