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Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Is losing your hearing worth the price?

This is an old problem, just in a new form.

In the 60s when we were all at the Avalon Ballroom or the Fillmore West it was those guys holding on for dear life to the man sized speakers and rockin' out to the Airplane or Country Joe that have paid a big price as far as hearing loss goes.

It is tough though to tell a teenager to keep the handy dandy little player on low to save hearing.
Turn it down: German doctors warn on MP3 players Tue Jan 20, 2009
BERLIN (AFP) – MP3 players are leading to more and more hearing problems in young people, with damage to the inner ear now registered in one in five 16 to 20-year-olds, German doctors warned on Tuesday.

Hearing problems usually associated with old age are now being noticed in people as young as 20, the German association of ear, nose and throat specialists (HNO) said.

Under European Union rules, the maximum volume for portable audio devices is 100 decibels, but the HNO warned this is too loud. In workplaces, employees are required to wear ear protectors when noise levels are 85 decibels, they said.

The association called on makers of the devices to behave more "responsibly" and clearly inform their customers of the health dangers of listening to music too loudly.

Copyright © 2009 Agence France Presse. All rights reserved

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