Hearing HealthCare Centers

You can lead a horse to water…

Warning labels are everywhere. There is practically nothing you can purchase that does one have some kind of warning label on it. From cigarettes that can cause lung disease or cancer to hair dryers that warn not get the device wet unless you want to be electrocuted. We see these labels all the time and we make the choice to use the products or not.

There has long been speculation that personal music devices like MP3 player and iPods already has and will continue to contribute to noise induced hearing loss. Just like smoking a cigarettes every day can lead to serious health problems, listening to loud music for long periods of time can contribute to a hearing loss. Almost all personal listening devices sold today have a warning label informing the user that continued exposure over time can damage their hearing and includes education on safe listening habits.

Recently, the US Court of Appeals upheld a 2008 ruling that Apple is not responsible for the hearing loss the 2 plaintiffs suffered from listening to their iPods too loud because Apple warns users of the hazards of listening to music too loud. Everyday, thousands of people are choosing to listen to their music much too loud despite receiving warnings when they purchased their personal listening devices.

We are exposed to loud sounds everyday when we mow the lawn, go to concerts, shoot firearms, vacuum, and set off fireworks without proper hearing protection. Many times, people are too young to care about the hearing education materials included with iPods and MP3 players and by the time hearing becomes an issue; the damage has already been done. People are going to choose to do what they want to no matter how many warnings they get and they must be prepared to deal with the consequences of those choices.