The Dangers of iPods & MP3 Players

People of all ages use iPods and MP3 players for listening to music, the news, and even to audio books. These are fabulous, small gadgets that are easy to transport and use just about anywhere. I use my MP3 player all the time: while commuting on the bus, running on the treadmill, sitting at my desk at work. However, there are some risks to using these devices that everyone should be aware of. With a bit of caution and common sense, you should easily be able to avoid these dangers.

If you wear a pacemaker, the next time you see your teenage granddaughter, make sure she puts her iPod away before giving her a hug. For some people who have cardiac pacemaker implants, iPods and some MP3 players can cause skipped heartbeats. You could be at risk even from a foot and a half away from the device.

Evidence of this problem between pacemakers and iPods comes from a Michigan Statue University study. Definitely ask your doctor about any interferences you should be cautious of if you have a pacemaker or wear an ICD (implantable cardioverter defibrillator).You can find more information on this report by visiting www.hrsonline.org. Doctors will even warn against those with pacemakers and ICDs to avoid wearing magnetic jewelry (many necklaces have magnetic clasps) because the magnetic fields are what can cause the problems.

For Those Who Like It Loud

If you listen to the music at a high volume, you can suffer from hearing loss because you wear the device tucked into your ear canal. Hearing loss isn’t only related to the volume of what you listen to, but also the duration. MP3 players and iPods are designed to hold countless songs, and provide long amounts of continuous listening time. No matter your age, you have to keep the risk of potential hearing loss in mind while listening to these devices.

In fact, many of these gadgets will begin to have built in time limits that won’t let you listen to music past a certain decibel after a set amount of time.

Wearing Them in the Car

It might sound crazy, but I know people who wear and listen to these things while driving. First of all, there is potential danger if you are focusing on switching between songs while driving. This can be as distracting as trying to text message while operating a vehicle. It just isn’t safe. Second, if you like it loud, then you probably won’t be able to hear the traffic around you. Not only will this affect the safety and reactions of your driving, but can create problems if you aren’t able to hear approaching emergency sirens. Seriously, your car is not the appropriate place to listen to these devices. Use your car stereo.