Generation Deaf: Doctors Warn of Dangers of Ear Buds
Hearing loss began early for Josh Musto, triggered at first by a heavy metal concert and worsened by years of playing guitar in two bands. Listening to loud music constantly through ear buds may be to blame for a ringing in his ears.
"I've been a musician forever," said Musto, now 21 and a junior at the New School in New York City. "There's a lot of noise in my life."
Musto is not alone. Doctors warn that a steady onslaught of loud noise, particularly through ear buds, is damaging the hearing of a generation wired for sound although they may not realize it for years.
Earlier this year the World Health Organization warned that 1.1 billion young people are at risk of hearing loss because of personal audio devices, such as smartphones, and damaging levels of sound at entertainment venues like electronic dance music festivals, where noise levels can top 120 decibels for hours.
"Probably the largest cause [of hearing damage] is millennials using iPods and [smartphones]," says Dr. Sreekant Cherukuri, an ear, nose, and throat specialist from Munster, Indiana.
Hearing loss among today's teens is about 30 percent higher than in the 1980s and 1990s, Cherukuri estimates.
"You (once) had a Walkman with two AA batteries and headphone thongs that went over your ears," he told NBC News. "At high volume, the sound was so distorted and the battery life was poor. Nowadays, we have smart phones that are extremely complex computers with high-level fidelity."
Cherukuri tells young patients to stop wearing headphones especially earbuds, which place the sound closer to the ear drum, enhancing volume by as much as 9 decibels.
"It's very easy to achieve unknowingly," he said.
Source: http://www.nbcnews.com./health/health-news/generation-deaf-doctors-warn-dangers-ear-buds-n360041
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When I drive past a car that has it's windows rolled up ,and I can hear the music from that car, I can't figure out how they can stand the loud noise.....sigh
My son had a car that he built a system in. We knew he was coming home when he made the corner.
A HALF MILE AWAY!
He turned it on once downtown and shattered a bus station window.
He absolutely destroyed every window and door gasket in that car. The trunk rattled, the doors shook, heck even the hood vibrated.
He was upset when we insisted that he turn it down when he pulled into the driveway.
Personally I would have been happier if he used ear buds..
Technology has a number of collateral consequences.
"A double edged sword" !
I figure that with all the boom he has subjected his ears to he will be deaf by the time he's 50 or so.
With ear buds, he wouldn't have subjected us to it also...
You know consideration for your elders and such....
"Oh, it can't happen to me"
R W
I think the first thing my grandson does in the morning as he wakes is put his ear buds in and the last thing before he falls asleep he removes them.
One of the small pleasures I enjoy greatly when we visit is when grandma yanks one out when he does not respond to her - class grandma move
Good article
lol Petyt good psychology!!
I read the title of the article, and thought that people were sticking Bud, this one is for you, in their ears...It was shocking...
On a more serious note, many of our vet's, past and present, are suffering from ear damage, due to exploding shells/IED's.