Mp3 Players Can Accelerate Teen Hearing Loss: Audiologist Says Some Patients Have Hearing of the Elderly

3/10/2008

Davenport, IA, March 10, 2008 – Technology is creating a health threat that may go unnoticed until the damage is done. “I saw a 12 year old recently who had the hearing loss of many 60 year-olds,” says Molly Parker, Au.D., Audiologist with the ENT Professional Services, Davenport. “He was a marginal candidate for hearing aids from noise exposure and his hearing loss was entirely preventable. In general, we are seeing younger people with hearing problems long before we should.”

Loud music can set the mood and get the blood pumping, but it can also cause tinnitus, a condition marked by ringing in the ears. It affects millions of Americans. According to the American Tinnitus Association, a recent survey of college students by West Virginia University found that nearly 66 percent of the students surveyed experienced signs of tinnitus, but that of those exposed, 58 percent weren’t concerned about it.

Experts say the volume from your MP3 today will cause bits of damage in your ears over time. “Hearing loss is insidious because there is no pain associated with it and it occurs gradually over years,” warns Parker “By the time you notice hearing loss, it is too late to do anything about it. Noise exposure is cumulative and depending on how long and how loud the exposure was, you would notice the effects over a period of time, even if the noise occurred when you were a child.

Tinnitus becoming prevalent

“I am seeing more younger people with tinnitus than I did 10 years ago,” she adds.
Parker advises that when wearing earphones or ear buds, it is important to keep the level of sound at a reasonable level. What does that mean? “Excessive noise exposure can be caused by a single loud blast such as a gun blast, or longer exposure from a lower level sound. For example, music from an IPOD over several hours can be just as damaging as a single blast from a gun. The damage from noise exposure is cumulative over a lifetime,” she explains.

So how do you know whether you have had too much sound exposure? “The biggest warning is usually ringing in your ears (tinnitus),” says Parker. “Often the tinnitus goes away after a day or two, but eventually remains as more and more damage occurs. Tinnitus is a sign that the nerve endings in your inner ear have been damaged.”

Parker says that while the most common age she see for this problem are men and women in their 40’s (who are beginning to notice the effects of hearing loss) it’s the younger ages she worries about. “Unlike their parents, kids are not usually as sensitive to their hearing or their health. Parents need to be aware of the signs of damaging noise and discuss their concerns with an audiologist.”

Signs of Hearing Damage

  • Tinnitus (ringing in the ears)
  • Auditory fatigue (your ears feel tired)
  • Sensitivity to loud noises after exposure
  • Muffled or a feeling of pressure in the ears
  • Speech is not clear; conversation is heard but not understood.

Tips for Safe MP3 Use

  • Limit MP3 exposure to no more than 30 minutes if you are cranking up the volume. (Longer MP3 use is OK if the volume is kept to a reasonable level.)
  • Listen to your ears-they will warn you of over-exposure.
  • The MP3 is too loud if you can hear the words to the songs that your kids listen to. Turn the volume down or limit their exposure to 30 minutes.
  • If someone has to raise their voice so you can hear them, the volume is too loud.
  • If you already have hearing loss, you are at greater risk for more noise induced hearing loss; be more conservative about your noise exposure.

Source: ENT Professional Services, Davenport, Iowa

ENT Professional Services is a Davenport, Iowa based Otolaryngology medical practice specializing in the ear, nose and throat. ENT Professional Services is also a member of the Mississippi Valley Health Network (MVHN). MVHN is Davenport-based physician organization comprising of medical practices and physicians specializing in Anesthesia and Pain Management, Gastroenterology, General and Outpatient Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Neurosurgery, Orthopedics, Ophthalmology, Otolaryngology, Physical Therapy and Plastic Surgery.