Tinnitus: An Unfortunate IPod Feature
Tinnitus: An Unfortunate IPod Feature
Tinnitus, characterized by a persistent buzzing in the ears, is an irritating and insidious sign of serious damage. This hearing damage can come from a seemingly innocuous source: your iPod’s earbuds. The earbuds of your iPod (or any other mp3 player) fit neatly inside your ear. This brings your inner ear into very close proximity with your music. Tinnitus can develop when the ear is exposed to loud sounds or frequent sounds. Listening too long or too loudly to your favorite tunes can cause this dreaded ringing. Although the solution—simply turning down the volume—seems simple enough, there is one thing to keep in mind. Even if the volume on your iPod does not seem too loud to you, it might still be. If you listen to your iPod in noisy situations, e.g. on the Subway, in a crowded area, on an airplane, your music is trying to mask that ambient noise. To cut out the background sounds, you may have your music up too loudly. To prevent hearing damage and tinnitus, monitor your mp3 player usage. Take frequent breaks from listening. Try to keep your volume at or below a medium level. If you absolutely must use your iPod to escape from loud environments, consider purchasing noise-canceling headphones. The cost will be minimal compared to the potential price of damaging your hearing.
