Tune in, tune up, tune out.
You may want to take your music to the next level, but think twice before you do. It can be risky business if you listen too loudly for too long with your MP3 player.
Personal music players have been on the scene for several years now, and research has indicated frequent use of these devices can lead to noise-induced hearing loss. MP3 players’ sound levels reach decibels as high as 120, which is equivalent to a jackhammer in action or a live rock concert. The danger of hearing loss comes into play when listening at a high decibel rate for long periods of time.
What is a safe level for MP3 listening?
- Less than 60% of peak volume for no more than 60 minutes a day is considered safe listening by the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD).
What can you do to help prevent your own hearing loss?
On an MP3 player that has a 10-notch scale, keep the setting at 6 or below. The experts say if someone three feet away can hear your music, you need to turn it down; the music is too loud. You can also invest in headphones that block peripheral noise, and you will naturally turn the volume down.
Remember noise-induced hearing loss is preventable. If you are now tuning the music up you could be tuning your hearing out in years to come.
Download the "How loud is too loud?" poster today.
For more information on this and other noise pollution issues, visit these web sites:
www.noisyplanet.nidcd.nih.gov/info/howloud.htm
www.nidcd.nih.gov/
www.nonoise.org
www.quiet.org