Electronic devices/ are changing the way/ people listen to music. But studies show/ the devices/ may be causing hearing loss/ in many people. Some experts say/ people may be playing them/ too loud/ and for too long.

Researchers/ from Zogby International/ did a study/ for the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. It involved three hundred high school students/ and one thousand adults. They were asked/ about their use of portable music devices. Some of the most popular/ are Apple Computer’s iPod, C.D. players and portable laptop computers.

Forty percent of students and adults said/ they set the sound levels, or volume, at high/ on their iPods. But students/ were two times more likely/ to play the music/ at a very loud volume. More than half of the students said/ they would probably not limit their listening time. And about a third said/ they were not likely/ to reduce the volume.

The study found/ that more than half of the students/ and less than forty percent of the adults/ had at least one kind of hearing loss. Some reported/ difficulty/ hearing parts of a discussion/ between two people. Others said/ they had to raise volume controls/ on a television or radio/ to hear it better. And, some experienced ringing/ in their ears/ or other noises.

Hearing experts say/ part of the problem/ is the listening equipment/ people are using. They say large earphones/ that cover the whole ear/ are probably safer/ than the smaller earbuds/ that come with most music players. Earbuds/ are thought to be less effective/ than earphones/ in blocking out foreign noises.

Hearing loss/ may not be apparent for years. But once it happens, it is permanent. About thirty million Americans/ have some hearing loss. One third of them/ lost their hearing/ as a result of loud noises.

Experts at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota say/ any sound/ above ninety decibels/ for long periods/ may cause some hearing loss. But most portable music players/ can produce sounds/ up to one hundred twenty decibels.

The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association/ is working with manufacturers and government officials/ on setting rules/ for use of portable music devices. The group says/ the best way/ to protect your hearing/ is to reduce the volume, limit listening time/ and using earphones/ that block out foreign noises.