Using Headphones? You Could Be Harming Yourself

 The Hidden Danger Of Enjoying Your Music

Dr. Michael Dahlke of ENT Associates tells us that hearing loss from listening to very loud music through headphones, can be far worse in children than in adults. The scary part is that most children typically turn up the volume anyway. I know I did!

With the increasing use of smartphones and the ease of downloading their favorite songs, today’s young people are putting themselves at risk every time they listen to music! more so if they are using headphones or inner ear headphones.

Before you plug headphones into your iPod, think twice about it. You could be affecting your hearing for years to come. It all comes down to how loud you’re playing those tunes. And the younger you are the worse it can be.

“We have seen an increase in the incidents of hearing loss in younger people…teenagers and even younger,” says Dr. Michael Dahlke, of ENT Associates. “You have a smaller volume for that sound pressure and therefore it can be worse in children than in adults.”

On a weekly basis he sees a number of noise induced hearing loss. Tinnitus, or ringing in the ears caused by loud noises, can strike at a young age and haunt you forever….

More at SPECIAL REPORT: Think Twice Before You Plug in Headphones

Chronic loss of hearing is now more common than ever, and affects 10 million adults and 5.2 million children in the United States. There is no known cure for tinnitus (or ringing in the ears), the most common hearing loss disorder, and it is becoming ever more frequent in our society due to the rise of environmental noise….

More at The health risks of noise pollution – The Imperfect Parent

My advice would be to carefully check the output levels of any headphones you get for your chlidren. Make sure they are awar of the dangers of listening at high levels and see if there is a way to actually restrict the loudness settings. Many headphones these days have these settings.

After who wants a child to start suffering with tinnitus at a very young age when it can easily be avoided.