New York subway could be damaging to ears: Study

I could not resist reading this and thinking of me going deaf within a few years. For most of the past four years, I have used the subway system on an almost daily basis for extended periods of time. No trip on the train has lasted for less than 15 minutes. And I was planning on buying an iPod, too.

So, the info in this article, and study, is really eye-opening. Or maybe ear-opening.

Excerpt below:

"As little as 30 minutes a day exposed to the high decibel levels of New York's subway system could result in hearing loss -- and wearing an iPod can increase the risk, according to a new U.S. study.

Researchers from the Mailman School of Public Health at the city's Columbia University found that exposure to the noise levels of the New York transit system can exceed recommended guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

So how can the four million or so commuters who use the New York subway system lessen the risks to their hearing?

Rudy Gershon (professor of sociomedical sciences and lead author of the study) suggested standing at the front of the station platform rather than the back or middle as the study found the noise levels were lighter at the front.

"But the best way is to use hearing protection and the cheapest way is to use these little ear plugs that you can buy in pharmacy for about $1 or $2," she said."