iPod/MP3 Players – Practice Safe Listening for Better Hearing

Ever find yourself turning up the volume of your iPod/MP3 player to drown out the sounds of traffic, construction, roommates or everyday sounds?

Most would answer yes. “So how loud is too loud?” you might wonder.

According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, prolonged exposure to noise levels above 85 decibels – which is equal to the sound level of heavy city traffic and slightly less severe than the sound level of a lawn mower - can cause gradual hearing loss.

There are two things to consider in preventing gradual hearing loss: how loud are you actually listening to your music; and for how long.

Not sure how loud you’ve been listening to your music? Next time you’re listening to your iPod in East Commons during lunchtime, try listening to your iPod or MP3 player at that same volume in the library. If it sounds like someone screaming in your year, then it’s too loud and time to turn down the volume.

While the majority of iPod/MP3 player owners wouldn’t listen to 10 straight hours of music, the time you spend listening to your iPod/MP3 player – on the way to class, during breaks, at the gym, or while studying in the library – can easily add up.

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