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Can You Hear Me? Hold the phone – long-term use of a cell phone may cause inner ear damage and can lead to high frequency hearing loss. Here’s what you need to know 
Listen up: A new study says long-term use of cell phones may cause inner ear damage, although some experts warn that you shouldn’t believe everything you hear. According to the study, people who use their mobile phones more than 60 minutes a day could be at risk for high frequency hearing loss. Furthermore, 100 people who had used cell phones for more than twelve months suffered increases in the degree of hearing loss. The study, presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Foundation, Alexandria, Va., characterizes high frequency hearing loss by the inability to hear consonants like f, s, t and z, even though vowels can still be heard. This can prevent people from understanding what is being said. But don’t hang up your mobile phone yet – other auditory experts say that more research is needed. “When you ask if people should change their behavior based on this study, I don’t think they should,” says Dr. Robert Feehs, Englewood, Colo., a neurotologist and member of the American Academy of Otolaryngology who deals with hearing loss. “What they did in their study is that they looked specifically at electromagnetic waves generated by the cell phone,” Feehs says. “They’re making recommendations based on electromagnetic findings and not on volume findings, which I think is a little odd.” “The jury is still out on this issue,” says audiologist Sharon Beamer, associate director of audiology professional practices with the American Speech Language Hearing Association in Rockville, Md. “It would be nice to sort out what is actually the effect of the electromagnetic waves and the noise level.” However, many experts do agree with the study’s authors on one point: Fullness or ear warmth may be an early warning sign of inner ear damage and hearing loss. “The issue that they raised in the study is that the ear that is close to the phone is the one in danger,” Beamer says. “If individuals are concerned, one of the things that they would want to do is use hands-free systems where the phone is not actually by the ear or they could use a speaker phone where the phone is not near them. They could also switch the phone from ear to ear.” Another way to protect your hearing, experts say, is to pay more attention to the volume of the world around you. “I think we could do a lot better job of protecting our hearing,” Beamer says. “Anything over 85 decibels is hazardous.” Activities that may rise above 85 decibels may include going to video arcades, movies, sporting events, mowing the lawn and even exercising at your health club. And what about MP3 players and iPods? “The iPod itself used at safe levels isn’t harmful,” Feehs says. “Typically, I say that if someone around you hears your music, then it’s too loud. But that’s not a scientific measurement. The hard part with iPod use is that you are often by yourself and nobody’s around to give you the feedback.” Experts like Beamer and Feehs agree that further research into cell phone use on the effects of hearing is a worthwhile pursuit. “I think that studies like this give us pause and brings to the forefront the potential dangers of cell phone use,” Beamer says. “Until someone shows or proves an ill effect from cell phones, people aren’t going to quit using them given the convenience they provide,” Feehs says. |
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