Turn 'em down
and turn 'em off. That's the advice of Dean
Garstecki, a Northwestern University audiologist and professor,
when it comes to using those ever-present earbuds favored
by iPod and MP3 music listeners everywhere.
In the 1980s, audiologists began
cautioning lovers of loud music about hearing loss that
could potentially result from use of their Walkman or
portable compact disc (CD) players when those devices
were on the cutting edge of music listening. With iPods
the hot holiday gift for music lovers of all ages, Garstecki
is encouraging safer use of the popular music listening
devices.
"We're seeing the kind
of hearing loss in younger people typically found in aging
adults. Unfortunately, the earbuds preferred by music
listeners are even more likely to cause hearing loss than
the muff-type earphones that were associated with the
older devices," Garstecki said.
Not only are earbuds placed directly
into the ear, they can boost the sound signal by as much
as six to nine decibels. "That's the difference
in intensity between the sound made by a vacuum cleaner
and the sound of a motorcycle engine," said Garstecki,
professor and chair in the Roxelyn and Richard Pepper
Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders.
In addition to the more intense
sound signal, today's music listening devices --
with their longer battery life and their capacity to hold
and conveniently play lots of music -- also encourage
users to listen for longer periods of time than did the
older portable devices. That, too, increases the potential
for hearing damage, according to Garstecki.
"I have an audiologist friend
at Witchita State University who actually pulls off earphones
of students he sees and, in the interest of science, asks
if he can measure the output of the signal going into
their heads," said Garstecki. He found that often
students were listening at 110 to 120 decibels.
"That's a sound level
that's equivalent to the measures that are made
at rock concerts," said Garstecki, chairman of Northwestern's
communication sciences and disorders department. "And
it's enough to cause hearing loss after only about
an hour and 15 minutes."
The solution, according to Garstecki,
is the 60 percent/60 minute rule. He and other hearing
specialists recommend using the MP3 devices, including
iPods, for no more than about an hour a day and at levels
below 60 percent of maximum volume. "If music listeners
are willing to turn the volume down further still and
use different headphones, they can increase the amount
of time that they can safely listen," Garstecki
added.
To avoid sustaining permanent hearing
loss in the middle ranges --the range required to hear
conversation in a noisy restaurant, for example -- Garstecki
recommends the use of older style, larger headphones that
rest over the ear opening.
Another option is the use of noise-canceling
headphones. "Unlike earbuds, noise-canceling headphones
quiet or eliminate background noise. That means listeners
don't feel the need to crank up the volume so high
as to damage their hearing," Garstecki said.
"The problem is noise-canceling
headphones are more costly and more visible than the tiny
earbuds. For image-conscious teenagers and adults, they
may be a hard sell."
