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SYRACUSE CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT HEALTH SERVICES
DEPARTMENT OF AUDIOLOGY

SAFE LISTENING AND PORTABLE MUSIC DEVICES

 

 

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FOR AGES 5-10 INTERACTIVE GAMES & INFO FOR STUDENTS, PARENTS & TEACHERS (LESSON PLANS & CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES FOR GRADES 3-8) (ENGLISH & SPANISH)

Let's Talk About iPods and Noise Induced Hearing Loss

Let’s talk about Noise Induced Hearing Loss. It’s the number one cause of hearing loss in our society today, affecting over 36 million Americans-- that figure is expected to grow by 52 percent over the next 25 years.

And here are the facts: A normal face-to-face conversation measures about 65 decibels. Exposure to sounds above 85 decibels (about the volume of an electric razor) for even 15 minutes or more can cause permanent hearing damage. Noise induced hearing loss is irreversible- but 100% preventable if you have the information needed to protect yourself and your loved ones.

Now, I want you to think about how you use your iPod or MP3 player:

  • Do you listen for more than an hour at a time?
  • Do you turn it up louder than the ambient noise around you?
  • Do you find yourself continually turning it up louder to enjoy the music?

The EAR Foundation is committed to providing education on hearing loss issues. Naturally, the risk of permanent hearing loss from excessive volume levels and prolonged use of MP3 players is an issue we feel compelled to address.

My family alone has six iPods and I can tell you from personal experience that it’s easy to use them inappropriately. If someone else can hear the music coming from your earbuds, you have it turned up way too loud. If you listen while you mow the grass, that’s great, but don’t try to pump the volume up louder than the lawnmower-- use noise-reducing earmuffs over your earbuds. (There are many styles available which are compatible with mp3 players.) If you’re listening for several hours a day, the constant barrage of the sound waves on the fragile cilia of the inner ear get smashed down. Sometimes they recover (that’s the Temporary Threshold), but many times they don’t (that’s Noise Induced Hearing Loss). So cut back a bit, and take breaks on a regular basis.

All I’m saying is: educate yourself, and protect yourself. Take a moment to learn about Noise Induced Hearing Loss and its devastating effects. Pay attention to your own listening habits, and monitor the habits of your loved ones. We love our iPods at my house, and I know we’ll be able to enjoy them for a long time because “Mommy” makes sure we enjoy them responsibly.

Trust me, it’s good advice.

 

About Guest Author Suzanne Wyatt:
Suzanne Wyatt is the Executive Director of The EAR Foundation, one of the nation's leading education and advocacy groups for the hearing and balance impaired.

Apple iPod -
SOUND & HEARING

How to Set Volume Limit on iPod


 


HEARING EDUCATION AND AWARENESS FOR ROCKERS

PREVENTION OF HEARING LOSS AND TINNITUS AMONG MUSICIANS AND FANS, ESPECIALLY TEENS

 

LISTENING: MAKING SENSE OF SOUND

USING ONES LISTENING TO EXPLORE NATURE,MAKE MUSIC,SOLVE PROBLEMS AND OTHER ONLINE ACTIVITIES AS WELL AS "PRACTICE IN THE WORLD."

THE CHILDREN'S HEARING INSTITUTE

INFORMATION ON IPOD USE AND PREVENTION METHODS

DANGEROUS DECIBELS

K-8 TEACHERS RESOURCE GUIDE. HANDS ON SCIENCE ACTIVITIES ABOUT HEARING & THE PHYSICS OF SOUND, AND PREVENTION OF NOISE-INDUCED HEARING LOSS.

NATIONAL HEARING CONSERVATION ASSOCIATION

RESOURCES FOR EDUCATORS AND CHILDREN
(AUDIO-SIMULATION OF TINNITUS)

"Five Ways to Save Your Ears"

  • 1. Wear earplugs: Coldplay and Dave Matthews Band wear ear protection. You should too. A pair of cheap foam earplugs will do the trick, but it's better to invest in higher-fidelity [earplugs] ... which reduce volume without cutting out too much high end.
  • 2. Turn it down: Don't crank up your portable music player too loud, especially to compensate for other noise around you. If you're on a subway, the ambient noise could be as high as 105 decibels. To hear your tunes, you might turn the music up to 110, a level that is safe only for thirty minutes.
  • 3. Get better headphones: Those that shut out external noise allow you to turn down the tunes. In-ear phones ... go deep into the ear canal to block pretty much all outside noise -- plus they sound great...
  • 4. Give your ears a rest: 'There's nothing wrong with going to a rock concert on Friday night,' says Marshall Chasin. 'Just don't mow your lawn on Saturday.' Your ears need about eighteen hours after exposure to sustained high volumes before they return to normal.
  • 5. Quit smoking: It doubles the risk of noise-induced hearing loss. 'After a loud show, the way you get better is through blood supply to your inner-ear nerve cells,' says Chicago audiologist Michael Santucci. 'If you do something cardiovascularly restrictive, like smoking, your blood supply won't be as good. You're being exposed to two toxins, the cardiovascular toxin and the noise toxin.

Source: The National Health Museum Online (http://www.accessexcellence.org/HHQ/qow/qow05/qow051219.html).

Questions or Comments?? Contact Louise Schultz, SCSD Audiologist, Hughes Room 205, 435-4210, lschultz@scsd.us

©2007 Louise Schultz, M.A., CCC-A