157Responsible ListeningCaution! Avoid potential hearing loss.Damage to hearing occurs when a person is exposed to loudsounds over time. The risk of hearing loss increases assound is played louder and for longer durations. Prolongedexposure to loud sounds (including music) is the mostcommon cause of preventable hearing loss. Some scientificresearch suggests that using portable audio devices, such asportable music players and cell phones, at high volumesettings for long durations may lead to permanentnoise-induced hearing loss.This includes the use of headphones (including headsets,earbuds, and Bluetooth ® or other wireless devices).Exposure to very loud sound has also been associated insome studies with tinnitus (a ringing in the ear),hypersensitivity to sound, and distorted hearing. Individualsusceptibility to noise-induced hearing loss and potentialhearing problem varies. Additionally, the amount of soundproduced by a portable audio device varies depending on thenature of the sound, the device settings, and the headphonesthat are used. As a result, there is no single volume settingthat is appropriate for everyone or for every combination ofsound, settings, and equipment.You should follow some common sense recommendationswhen using any portable audio device:• Always turn the volume down before plugging the earphones intoan audio source.• Set the volume in a quiet environment and select the lowestvolume at which you can hear adequately.• Be aware that you can adapt to higher volume settings over time,not realizing that the higher volume may be harmful to yourhearing.• When using headphones, turn the volume down if you cannothear the people speaking near you or if the person sitting next toyou can hear what you are listening to.• Do not turn the volume up to block out noisy surroundings. If youchoose to listen to your portable device in a noisy environment,use noise-cancelling headphones to block out backgroundenvironmental noise. By blocking background environment noise,noise cancelling headphones should allow you to hear the musicat lower volumes than when using earbuds.
