\t\t\t\tAccording to a British study, 39 percent of 18 to 24 year olds listen to music for at least an hour a day at up to 105 decibels. At this level your ears can only\u00a0tolerate\u00a0the sounds for 25 minutes a week without risking damage. It has been estimated that with this permanent overtaxing there is a danger of becoming deaf within about five years.<\/p>\n
When you are exposed to frequent and loud noises, such as MP3 players you risk the possiblity of damaging sensory hair cells in the cochlea. These tiny sensory hairs give electric impulses to the hearing center in the brain, which are perceived as sound.\u00a0For years now the costs resulting from overly loud noise exposure have been increasing. Whereas most hearing damage used to be caused by frequenting discos, today it is increasingly attributed to MP3 players. However, we do not understand the precise picture yet, as exact data on user behavior and loudness selection are not known.<\/p>\n
What is certain, however, is that in the past six years, health insurance company expenses for hearing devices for children and young people has risen by 30 percent. According to the estimate of the Federal Center for Health Education, approximately one quarter of all 16 to 24 year olds suffer from hearing damage.<\/p>\n
As the worrying trend continues to persist an audiologist has even predicted that one third of young people today will need a hearing instruments by the time they turn 50.<\/p>\n