2008 Woodie Awards
Earbuds can cause longterm damage
DeShanee Miner
Senior Staff Reporter
Issue date: 10/6/08 Section: Arts & Culture
They have been seen in the ears of many students on campus: little white circles connected to long white cords, leading to musical devices.
Almost like a new age uniform, earbuds have been spotted anywhere and at anytime.
These smaller headphones have become standard with most popular listening devices, but noise-induced hearing loss is a primary concern when using them.
NIHL occurs when the hair cells in the inner ear are damaged. This type of hearing loss is permanent and cannot be fixed.
"Chronic use and high decibels will cause hearing loss over time," said Dr. Ivan Davis, director of Student Health Services. "The hearing loss won't show up immediately, but it will 15 to 20 years later."
Several students commendedearbuds' smaller, more convenient style.
"They are smaller and feel better," said Demetris Burnett, a freshman biology major from Memphis.
The earbuds are placed inside the listeners' ears as opposed to around the outside of it, like traditional headphones.
"The closeness to the ear doesn't matter," Davis said. "The problem is the volume. The sound is concentrated to the eardrums and isn't absorbing the sounds around it."
Some still prefer earbuds to traditional headphones and say they provide a more personal listening experience.
"I keep my music low enough to hear things around me," Burnett said.
Because of longer battery life on MP3 players and iPods, listeners can play music, anywhere from 15 minutes to four hours.
This means that listeners could be placing themselves at a higher risk for hearing loss, due to prolonged exposure.
"I would advise using the bigger earphones," said Elizabeth Frazier, a nurse in Student Health Services. "That way, they aren't so close to the ear drum."
Despite the irreversible nature of the damage, this type of hearing loss is 100 percent preventable.
According to the Occupational Safety & Health Administration Division of the U.S. Department of Labor, a "safe" decibel level for a half an hour is about 110dBA.
That's equivalent to listening through earbuds at 90 percent volume for 30 minutes.
For eight hours, the decibel level should be kept at about 90dBA. This is the same as listening to the actual music at 70 percent of the volume limit.
The overall solution to frequent users: limit the amount of time the earbuds or any listening device is attached near the ears.
Almost like a new age uniform, earbuds have been spotted anywhere and at anytime.
These smaller headphones have become standard with most popular listening devices, but noise-induced hearing loss is a primary concern when using them.
NIHL occurs when the hair cells in the inner ear are damaged. This type of hearing loss is permanent and cannot be fixed.
"Chronic use and high decibels will cause hearing loss over time," said Dr. Ivan Davis, director of Student Health Services. "The hearing loss won't show up immediately, but it will 15 to 20 years later."
Several students commendedearbuds' smaller, more convenient style.
"They are smaller and feel better," said Demetris Burnett, a freshman biology major from Memphis.
The earbuds are placed inside the listeners' ears as opposed to around the outside of it, like traditional headphones.
"The closeness to the ear doesn't matter," Davis said. "The problem is the volume. The sound is concentrated to the eardrums and isn't absorbing the sounds around it."
Some still prefer earbuds to traditional headphones and say they provide a more personal listening experience.
"I keep my music low enough to hear things around me," Burnett said.
Because of longer battery life on MP3 players and iPods, listeners can play music, anywhere from 15 minutes to four hours.
This means that listeners could be placing themselves at a higher risk for hearing loss, due to prolonged exposure.
"I would advise using the bigger earphones," said Elizabeth Frazier, a nurse in Student Health Services. "That way, they aren't so close to the ear drum."
Despite the irreversible nature of the damage, this type of hearing loss is 100 percent preventable.
According to the Occupational Safety & Health Administration Division of the U.S. Department of Labor, a "safe" decibel level for a half an hour is about 110dBA.
That's equivalent to listening through earbuds at 90 percent volume for 30 minutes.
For eight hours, the decibel level should be kept at about 90dBA. This is the same as listening to the actual music at 70 percent of the volume limit.
The overall solution to frequent users: limit the amount of time the earbuds or any listening device is attached near the ears.
Be the first to comment on this story