Be careful about blasting music in your ears

Baby boomers love music, and technically savvy boomers, like younger generations, are using the latest gadgets to hear the tunes they love.

But watch out. A recent study found that one in five teenagers had lost some hearing. Most of the hearing loss was "slight," defined as inability to hear at 16 to 24 decibels – or sounds such as a whisper or rustling leaves, according to a Miami Herald article.

While the researchers didn't single out iPods or any other device for blame, they found a significant increase in high-frequency hearing loss, which they said may indicate that noise caused the problems, the article reports. And they cited a 2010 Australian study that linked use of personal listening devices with a 70 percent increased risk of hearing loss in children.

The findings have implications for baby boomers who are big users of iPods. Since boomers are older and may have already experienced some hearing loss, care is needed to prevent further damage.

Half of the U.S.'s 76 million boomers are experiencing some degree of hearing loss, another study showed.

See my posts "Hearing Loss a Serious Health Issue for Boomers" and "Baby Boomers Need to Monitor Their Use of iPods, Other Ear Devices to Protect Hearing" for more information on baby boomers and hearing loss.

Copyright 2010, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Comments

[hearing loss]

This is very informative. Abusing our ears with loud music can be really bad.