Remove those earphones, and put away that iPod for just a moment. In fact, you might want to keep it off for a little while. In an era when everyone walks around listening to their own personal soundtracks, few people think about the negative effects that constant exposure to loud noise can have on hearing. Frequent exposure to loud noise, like that iPod blasting music in your ears, can cause irreversible damage to a person`s hearing. Most people don`t think that they have to worry about music players causing harm because they don`t believe that manufacturers would make harmful products. One thing is certainóthe manufacturers of your favorite music players aren`t going to openly tell you about the dangers their products pose. Most music players in the USA are not regulated to be set at certain maximum loudness levels,î said Dr. Devon Weist, a clinical assistant professor of audiology in the Department of Communicative Disorders at the University of Florida. This means that the listener must ensure that he or she does not crank the volume up to a dangerous level. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) sets the standards for maximum permissive noise exposures, and the most common criterion is no more than 8 hours of exposure to 90 decibels (dB). in general, the more time a person spends around loud sounds, the more likely they will develop hearing loss,î Weist said. Common noise levels range from a whisper, which is approximately 30 dB, to a jet engine, which is approximately 120 dB. Weist said the key is to just be smart about how loud you have your music player. The general rule of thumb is that your personal music player should not be heard by someone sitting next to you. If so, it is too loud,î Weist said. Weist said that all kinds of music are the same. In other words, it doesn`t matter if your listening to hard rock, hip-hop or classical musical types of music can be equally harmful if they are turned up too loud. Some students think that they don`t have to worry about hearing loss until they`re older. Weist said that is not necessarily true. "Anyone is susceptible to noise-induced hearing loss if they don`t take the correct precautions," Weist said. Peter Hankla, a 19-year-old junior majoring in civil engineering at the University of Florida, said that he listens to music through earphones at least two to three hours per day. He often turns the volume up when surrounding noise drowns out his music. "I usually listen to it at a higher volume anyway," Hankla said. "I like to be able to hear my music." Hankla said he prefers the in-the-ear style of earphones, often called earbuds, to the over-the-ear variety. He said that earbuds are easier to carry around because they are much smaller. Road noise plays a big part in how loud Hankla listens to music in his car. "I always bring my iPod with me in the car," Hankla said. "I probably play it a little too loudly because of road noise." Jonathan Stanley, a sophomore accounting major at the University of Florida, said he uses earphones for 10 hours per week at most. He mainly uses earphones to listen to online lectures. "I actually haven`t listened to my iPod in a while," Stanley said. When the surrounding noise is at a low level, Stanley said he usually listens to music and lectures at a fairly low volume. "If I`m on the bus, I`ll turn it up,î Stanley said. ìOr if people are talking." Stanley said he tries to listen to music at a moderate volume while he is driving, as well. Unless Ludacris comes on,î Stanley said. Then I`ll turn it up." Students can easily prevent hearing loss if they simply follow a few precautions while listening to music. Dr. Devon Weist said it`s really just a matter of good judgment. "Just be smart about your hearing because once you lose it you can`t get it back!" | 
