I My IPod

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I ? My IPod
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• ?How often do you listen to your MP3 Player or
  IPod? ?
• Do you like to put on your headphones and crank
  up the volume on your favorite song?
• Can others hear your music before they see you?

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• If you answered yes to the last two questions,
  you may want to consider adjusting your IPod or
  MP3 player usage.

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• The usage of portable music players has become a
  part of our everyday lives. In fact, an estimated
  22 million Americans own an IPod.
• We often incorporate it into normal daily
  routines such as studying, exercising,
  commuting, and in our spare time

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• Listening to music can be an enjoyable
  experience that often helps us complete our daily
  tasks and routines. However, one must consider
  some of the risks that we are exposed to as we
  listen to our favorite tunes.
• .

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What is at risk?

• Adverse long-term effects could result from
  improper usage of headphones and excessive
  volume.
• The following items are compromised
• Hearing
• Safety

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• While portable music players are a source that
  hold our music, the main culprits that put music
  enthusiasts at risk are
• Headphones
• Volume

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So, what does this have to do with your music?

• To begin to understand the effects that loud
  music can have on our hearing, we must have an
  understanding of how our hearing works

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The Human Ear

• The ear is made up of three different sections
• Outer Ear
• Middle Ear
• Inner Ear

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How It All Works Basic Process of Human
Hearing

• When we are exposed to a noise the sound travels
  down the ear canal. When the sound waves hit the
  eardrum in the middle ear, the eardrum starts to
  vibrate.
• When the eardrum vibrates, it moves three tiny
  bones in your ear. These bones are called the
  hammer (or malleus), anvil (or incus), and
  stirrup (or stapes). They help sound move along
  on its journey into the inner ear.
• The vibrations then travel to the cochlea, which
  is filled with liquid and lined with cells that
  have thousands of tiny hairs on their surfaces.
  There are two types of hair cells the outer and
  inner cells.

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The process continues

• The sound vibrations make the tiny hairs move.
  The outer hair cells take the sound information,
  amplify it (make it louder), and tune it. The
  inner hair cells send the sound information to
  your hearing nerve, which then sends it to your
  brain, allowing you to hear

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Now that we understand how hearing works lets
discuss how loud music can impact it.

• While listening to music, the tiny hairs on the
  innermost part of the cochlea sway back and forth
  in fluid as the sound waves hit our eardrums.
• However, if the sound is too loud, these hairs
  sway too far and can get damaged. This results in
  damage to the hearing and could also lead to
  hearing loss.
• The hairs of the cochlea are responsible for
  sound clarity. Once these hairs are damaged they
  do not grow back.

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So whats the big deal ?

• Headphones are placed closely to our ears thus
  exposing us to the loud sounds that can damage
  our hearing.
• Additionally, many people use earbuds when
  listening to portable music players. Since
  earbuds are placed directly into the ear this
  further puts its user at risk for hearing damage.
  
• Furthermore, some audiologists warn that the use
  of earbuds could boost the sound signal by as
  much as six to nine decibels.

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What is a decibel?

• A decibel is a unit of measurement used to
  indicate how loud a sound is. Continuous
  exposure to sound above 80 decibels could be
  harmful.

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Relating to Everyday Life
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Consider this

• Keep in mind the decibel levels of common sounds
  found on the previous chart. Audiologists have
  known students to listen to music at 110 to 120
  decibels. Exposure to this level of sound is
  enough to cause hearing loss after only about 1
  hour and 15 minutes.
• Headphones usually allow us to listen to music
  at higher volume than loud speakers. Scientists
  have measured sound levels of MP3 players. At 70
  percent of volume they pump out 85 decibels.
  Pairing both of these could spell danger for a
  person who uses headphones to listen to a
  portable music device.

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• Now, consider the decibel level at which you
  listen to your music!

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You are not alone

• Audiologists estimate that 15 to 25 percent of
  MP3 player users listen at hazardous levels.
• In a 2001 study, researchers at the U.S. Centers
  for Disease Control and Prevention reported noise
  induced hearing loss in 12.5 of Americans
  between the ages of 6 and 19
• In previous research young adults between the
  ages of 18-24 were more likely than older adults
  to exceed safe listening limits.

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Putting It Into Perspective

• The risk of hearing damage from listening to loud
  music on headphones is high.
• Exposure to loud noise for any duration of time
  can result in temporary and/or permanent hearing
  loss.
• If the noise around you is so loud that you have
  to shout to be heard, there is a chance that your
  ear can be injured.

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• While hearing damage from excessive noise
  exposure is not always permanent be aware, over
  time permanent hearing loss can occur.
• Hearing damage can be gradual, cumulative and
  without obvious warning signs. However, signs of
  exposure to excessive sound include ringing in
  the ears, hissing, clicking, or buzzing sounds.
  These sounds are also common of tinnitus. While
  in many cases the tinnitus ringing may not be
  serious it could be quite annoying to hear
  constant ringing in your ears.
• Combining normal hearing depreciation that occurs
  with age, exposure to high volume on headphones
  could accelerate hearing loss.

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What can you do now?

• Limit earphone listening to an hour per day at a
  reasonable setting no greater than six on a ten
  notch scale, using 60 of its potential volume.
• Remember to turn down the volume when wearing
  headphones. If someone can hear the music from
  your earphones from several feet away, it is more
  than likely too loud!
• Give your ears a rest once in a while. Challenge
  yourself to go one day without using your
  headphones.
• If you experience constant ringing or swishing
  sounds in your ears or are concerned about your
  hearing visit your physician.
• Use noise cancellation headphones, but with
  caution.

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Noise Cancellation Headphones

• Noise cancellation headphones reduce unwanted
  outside noise (crying baby, chatty neighbor,
  heavy traffic, etc.)
• We often turn up our headphones to drown out the
  sounds around us. With noise cancellation
  headphones you are able to enjoy your music while
  not having to turn up the volume excessively.
  This allows you to listen to your music at lower
  decibel levels therefore you can listen to your
  music longer than with regular headphones or
  earbuds.
• These headphones also provide better clarity and
  sound quality. Additionally they tend to be more
  comfortable on the ears.

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If Noise Cancellation Headphones are so great,
why caution its use?
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It is important to be aware of your surroundings

• If you are walking alone you should consider
  removing your headphones or turning the volume
  low so that you can hear. You dont want to be a
  target for a crime!
• You should also consider removing your headphones
  or turning the volume low if you are walking in a
  heavy traffic area or one that may contain heavy
  machinery. This is important so that you hear
  sirens, horns, or anything meant to warn you.

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I ? ME

• MP3 players and IPods are helpful and enjoyable
  to listen to. However, it is important to always
  keep safety first.
• While we may love our portable music device, we
  should love ourselves even more and use them
  responsibly to reduce risks to our health.

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Quiz Your Knowledge

• Approximately how many Americans own an IPod?
• What areas are compromised by improper usage of
  headphones and excessive volume?
• The main culprits that put music enthusiasts at
  risk are_______ and ________.
• The ear is made up of __________different
  sections.
• If sound is too loud what can happen to the tiny
  hairs in the cochlea?
• What is a decibel?
• Continuous exposure to sound above ____decibels
  could be harmful.
• In previous research young adults between the
  ages of _______were more likely than older adults
  to exceed safe listening limits.
• What are noise cancellation headphones?
• How can loud volume on headphones compromise your
  personal safety?

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Answers

• an estimated 22 million Americans own an IPod.
• Hearing and safety
• Headphones and volume
• The ear is made up of three different sections.
• If sound is too loud what these hairs sway too
  far and can get damaged.
• A decibel is a unit of measurement used to
  indicate how loud a sound is.
• Continuous exposure to sound above 80 decibels
  could be harmful
• In previous research young adults between the
  ages of 18-24 were more likely than older adults
  to exceed safe listening limits.
• Noise cancellation headphones reduce unwanted
  outside noise (crying baby, chatty neighbor,
  heavy traffic, etc.)
• See slide 24.

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For More information check out these websites!

• Better Hearing.org
• http//www.betterhearing.org
• American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
• http//www.asha.org
• Howard Hughes Medical Institute
• http//www.hhmi.org/senses/
• Hear It.org
• http//www.hearit.org
• Hearing Test
• http//www.audiorelief.co.uk/en/tinnitus_test.html
  
• Test Your Hearing
• http//www.egopont.com