New earbud-risk study

More than half of teenagers surveyed report at least one symptom of hearing loss, reports Larry Magid at CBSNEWS.com. Citing findings just released by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), Larry added, "High school students, according to the survey, "are more likely than adults to say they have experienced three of the four symptoms of hearing loss." These are turning up the volume on their television or radio (28% of students vs. 26% of adults); saying "what?" or "huh?" during normal conversation (29% students, 21% adults); and tinnitus or ringing in the ears (17% students, 12% adults). Less than half the high school students (49%) say they have experienced none of these symptoms, compared to 63% of adults." The survey also found that 1) "less than half of the parents were willing to place limits on the amount of time their children used these devices," and 2) adults tend to use earbuds for longer durations than teens, while teens tend to crank up the volume. Both duration and volume can involve risks, experts say. One audiologist gave Larry a simple tip: If there are people talking around you and you can't hear what they're saying, your volume's too high. Larry's article explains. Listen to his podcast for the view from ASHA's chief scientist, Dr. Brenda Lonsbury-Martin.