16 Sep Tip 67- Can You Hear Me Now?

I’ve never been one to crank up the music; loud music has always rubbed me the wrong way. While that was a bit nerdy as a teen, I’m sure grateful for it now! While many of my friends now respond to questions by saying, “Huh?” I still have most of my hearing.

I wish I could say the same for the new generation of American teens. Almost 13% of kids have now been diagnosed with hearing loss. The culprit? Researchers say it’s the MP3 player.

Teens play their music louder than any other group in this study, and boys cranked it up more than the girls. In general, the study found that 80% of MP3 listeners played their music too loud. Most people keep their volume above 100 decibels. Researchers say that it’s about as loud as standing next to a gas lawn mower, and more than 5 minutes of listening at this level can cause permanent hearing loss.

There are two issues, volume and length of listening time. As for volume, researchers suggest that 85 decibels or less is a safe level for listening. The challenge is determining that level. It should be about the same level as a busy city street. If it’s as loud as a lawn mower, turn it down!

Length of listening time is another issue. Back in the “olden” days, we used batteries to power our Walkman. The batteries would die in a few hours, so we were limited with how much time we listened.

Today, you can listen for up to 20 hours before you have to recharge. The longer you listen to loud music, the higher the risk of permanent damage.

Today’s tip: Buy noise canceling headphones, this can help to reduce hearing loss. Also, limit your time and loudness while listening….