Did you know that listening to your IPOD or MP3 at high volume, for more than an hour a day, can lead to hearing loss?

What is NIHL?
Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) occurs when a person is exposed to repetitive loud noises over a period of time. We do know that prolonged noise exposure to sounds over 85 decibels can cause hearing loss. Here are some decibel measures:

• 70 decibels: Normal conversation
• 85 decibels: Heavy city traffic
• 95 decibels: Motorcycle
• 105 decibels: Personal stereo system at high
• 105 decibels: Aerobics studio stereo volume at health club (!)
• 110 decibels: Rock concert /100 watt car stereo

How can you prevent NIHL?
Listening to a personal stereo system at over 60 percent maximal volume over one hour a day can permanently damage hearing. Using noise-canceling ear buds, listening at 50% maximal volume, and limiting the amount of time using headphones can prevent it.

It is estimated that 30 million adults have hearing loss in the United States, and over 1/3 of those have noise-induced hearing loss. The National Institutes of Health has a questionnaire that we think is valuable for our patients in screening for hearing loss:

• Do you have difficulty hearing over the phone?
• Do you have a problem hearing two or more people talking at the same time?
• Do you tend to turn the TV volume up too high?
• Do you strain to understand conversation?
• Do you have trouble hearing in a noisy background?
• Do you ask people to repeat themselves?
• Do other people seem to mumble?
• Do you misunderstand what others say and respond inappropriately?
• Do you have trouble understanding the speech of women and children?
• Do people get annoyed because you misunderstand what they say?

If you answered yes to three or more of these questions, then you may want to talk to your doctor about getting your hearing tested.

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