Here’s What Dr. Fligor Uncovered in an Important Study
Music brings tremendous joy, but unsafe listening habits can lead to hearing loss. In fact, over a billion young people are vulnerable to irreversible hearing loss from unsafe listening habits, making it important to heed sound advice on volume limits and related precautions.
Our own Dr. Brian Fligor, audiologist-in-chief and president here at Tobias & Battite Hearing Wellness, analyzed portable CD player volume levels and hearing risks in a 2004-released study — “Output Levels of Commercially Available Portable Compact Disc Players and the Potential Risk to Hearing” — aimed to offer helpful guidelines. The recommendations remain relevant today.
In the report, published in the American Auditory Society’s Ear and Hearing journal, Dr. Fligor and coauthor Clarke Cox , Ph.D., sought to “measure the sound levels generated by the headphones of commercially available portable compact disc players and provide hearing healthcare providers with safety guidelines based on a theoretical noise dose model.”
In analyzing the various output levels among different volume settings, players, and headphones, doctors Fligor and Cox made some interesting discoveries. Output levels were inconsistent across devices and headphone styles. However, the team found that “the smaller the headphone, the higher the sound level for a given volume control setting.”
After considering factors such as the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health’s recommendations (and its limitations), the investigators concluded that “reasonable guidelines would include a recommendation to limit headphone use to 1 hr or less per day if using supra-aural style headphones at a gain control setting of 60% of maximum.”
What does it all mean for safe listening practices? No matter how wonderful the tunes, turning them up at full volume directly into the ears is never a good idea. With the report’s recommended guidelines, it’s easy to enjoy music while also protecting and preserving one of your most important senses: hearing.
Are you or a loved one regularly exposed to loud sounds at home, work, or play? Has it been a while since your last hearing checkup? We recommend regular hearing evaluations for the whole family and offer personalized appointments tailored to your specific needs. Book your visit with our expert team today!