Long period of loud sustained music can cause hearing loss. The young adults and children who wear iPods and other headsets with the volume on high for sustained periods of time are at great risk of hearing loss. Overtime, they may lose the ability to clearly understand speech. Sound waves enter the ear canal as sound waves and cause the eardrum to vibrate. These vibrations cause the tiny bones within the middle ear to produce physical energy.

The physical energy is converted to chemical energy as the tiny hairs in the inner ear move at various intervals and frequencies to produce electrical energy. In turn, this energy moves along the 8th cranial nerve to the auditory processing center in the brain. This electrical energy is interpreted by the brain. As babies and toddlers grow, their ability to match sounds and attach meaning to it grows by leaps and bounds. The intensity of sound is measured by decibels (db) and the frequency by hertz (hz).

An audiogram is a visual representation of a person's range of hearing. Normal hearing is between 0-25db. Conversational speech is compromised at 40db. Long periods of sustained loud music can damage the ability of the hairs in the inner ear to bend with various frequencies and intensity. It is very important to protect the hearing of your children by unplugging them from their sound units and lowering the volume.