Loud music from MP3 players making fans deaf

United Kingdom, October 13: Music is one of the great pleasures of life and we all know listening to loud music a lot is bad for ears. But a latest study found that listening to loud music through earphones for as little as one hour a day over a five-year period can cause permanent ear damage.

The new study conducted by the team of nine experts from Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks (SCENIHR) in the European Union (EU) found that 1 in 10 people with personal MP3 or CD players, who listen to music at high volume put themselves at risk of permanent hearing loss.

The scientists reported that approximately 10 million Europeans, who listen to loud music daily on iPods or personal player, including children and teenagers, are at an increased risk of developing permanent loss of hearing. As many as 50 to 100 million people in 27 EU countries are estimated to use personal music players on a daily basis.

The report said, "Regularly listening to personal music players at high-volume settings when young often has no immediate effect on hearing but is likely to result in hearing loss later in life."

They added that it could lead to tinnitus, a condition that involves hearing a ringing sound inside the ear, which is associated with permanent damage, as though the link hasn’t been proved yet.

"Some authors stress that if young people continue to listen to music for long periods of time and at high volume levels during several years, they run the risk of developing hearing loss by the time they reach their mid-twenties" the report said.

It added that among young people, there are many reports of temporary or persistent tinnitus induced by loud music, but very few studies have focused on the relationship between the use of personal music players and tinnitus.

The European commission has asked the medical community to look into whether technical improvements could minimize hearing damage. The study was conducted by the independent committees on demand of European Commission due to concerns over widespread use of music players among youngsters.

The report concluded that between 5 to 10% of the music lovers, as much as 2.5 to 10 million people, could be at risk.

According to the EU safety standards, the level of noise from personal music players has been restricted to 100 decibels but still there is increasing concern about excessive exposure to music at high volumes. Music lovers who expose themselves at high volumes (more than 89 decibels) for more than an hour a day each week risk permanent hearing loss after 5 years. A peak of 130 decibels is like listening to a chainsaw without any ear protection.

Meglena Kuneva, EU’s Consumer Affairs Commissioner, said, "I am concerned that so many young people in particular, who are frequent users of personal music players and mobile phones at high acoustic levels, may be unknowingly damaging their hearing irrevocably."

Approximately 28 million people in the United States currently have some degree of hearing loss, according to the National Institute on Deafness, and as baby boomers age, the number is expected to climb to as high as 78 million by 2030.

How loud is loud?

Rocket launching - 180 dB (decibels)
Car horn/propeller aircraft/ air-raid siren – 130 dB (Can damage hearing after 7.5 minutes exposure per day.)
Amplified loud music – 110 to 130 dB (Can damage hearing after 3.75 – 30 minutes exposure per day.)
Helicopter/Motorized/power mower – 105 dB (Can damage hearing after
1 hour exposure per day.)
Military jet/ Air raid siren / Shotgun / Hydraulic press (3 m away) – 130 dB (Can damage hearing after 3.75 minutes exposure per day.)

No doubt we love to listen to music, but just limit the time you listen to it at loud levels as our ears are very sensitive and once hearing is damaged, it can't be repaired.