Hearing loss risk for digital music players

Listening to loud music on a digital music player should be limited to 90 minutes a day to avoid damage to hearing, and listening at top volume for more than five minutes risks permanent damage, scientists have warned.

An American study has concluded that people who listen to music through earphones at 80 per cent of volume capacity should do so for less than 90 minutes a day. “If a person exceeds that on one particular day and happens not to use their headphones for the rest of the week, they’re at no higher risk,” said the study’s author, Brian Fligor. “I’m talking about someone who’s exceeding 80 per cent for 90 minutes day after day, month after month, for years.”

The study of 100 students also found no problems for people who listened to music at 10 to 50 per cent of maximum volume for long periods. However, it found people who listened at top volume for more than five minutes might damage their hearing.

The scientists found no differences in sound levels between brands of digital music players or between the genres of music tested, which included rock, R&B, country and dance.

Dr Fligor, an audiologist at the Children’s Hospital of Boston and Harvard Medical School, said hearing loss could take 10 years to show up. “I worry about the teenager who’s going to be 23, 24, 25 years old and has a measurable noise-induced hearing loss, and now has another 60-something years to live with his hearing, which is only going to get worse.”

Source: SMH

Related Links: Apple iPod

Brought to you by CyberShack.com.au

Comments

Leave the first comment

Search

1. This free-form text field uses standard Google search syntax. For example:
Google Pixel will find all posts with Google or Pixel
“Google Pixel” will only find posts with the exact phrase Google Pixel.
“Google Pixel” -Apple will find the same posts, but exclude those mentioning Apple.
“Google Pixel” +Samsung will only find results which contain the phrase Google Pixel and the word Samsung.

2. You can limit to specific categories and combine them with a free form text search. e.g. Select the Phones category and enter "Google Pixel 9" into the text search (for reviews on the Pixel 9 series)

3. You can perform a brand search only, or a combination of brand, categories and free form text.

4. The default is all posts in the past two years. You can also select a specific date range, or all posts since 2006.

Name