September 24, 2005
Another warning about earbuds
Another important article warning about hearing damage from listening to music with portable devices and eardrums.
Play it loud, and you may pay for it. A warning to all about those earbuds. Digital devices reproduce music so cleanly, listeners are less likely to turn it down. From San Francisco Chronicle.
"Medical experts are beginning to worry that the shiny little devices that have taken the music world by storm could pose some risks for hearing loss down the road, if they aren't used properly.
"People don't look into the sun to see if it damages their eyes," says Dr. Robert Sweetow, director of audiology at UCSF. "It continually amazes me that people don't realize if you blast your ears, you're going to hurt your ears.
Although there is no scientific data yet to support the contention, audiologists like Sweetow are concerned that the portable music players make it far too easy to listen to music for longer periods of time at an excessive volume through the trademark "earbuds" manufactured by Apple and other companies.
With the earbuds -- earphones inserted into the ear that come as standard equipment on portable music players -- the sound is placed close to the eardrum, and the digital signal that delivers clean, clear sound at virtually any volume without distortion, personal listening devices can easily be played at unsafe levels.
"There are three factors involved," says audiologist Douglas L. Beck, director of professional relations for hearing aid manufacturers Oticon Inc. "One is individual susceptibility and, two, how loud and, three, how long. You can listen forever at reasonable loudness. If it's too loud, it doesn't matter how long. It's a matter of loudness. If you can hear headphones two or three feet away, it's probably too loud."
Related articles:
-- Headphones linked to hearing loss?
-- Mobiles could lead to hearing loss among college kids
-- Siemens phones may cause hearing damage
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