By Debbe GeigerHealth.comAdjust font size:Whoever's rocking your iPod today, do yourself a favor and...

1. When modern life pumps up the volume, give your ears some
TLC
By Debbe Geiger
Health.com
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Whoever's rocking your iPod today, do yourself a favor and turn it down. Those tiny earbuds pump
music directly into the ear canal, making it easier to do permanent damage. Live music or sports,
power tools, and even hair dryers can spell trouble for your hearing, too.
But thankfully, the more you protect your hearing now, the less likely you'll be asking people to
repeat themselves later. Here's how you can do it.
Choose a better earbud
It's tempting to crank up the volume on a personal music player because the digital technology cuts
back on the usual distortion of loud music. A much healthier move, however, is to use noise-
canceling earbuds, which block out excess background noise so you can enjoy music at lower
volumes, says Andrew Resnick, Au.D., director of Audiology at New York's Columbia University
Medical Center Eastside. Consider multiple. Many installed pumps were not initially designed for
their current function. Very frequently, a line in a facility changes and a pump that once
providedcooling water to an injection molding machine is now asked to move oil from a rail car to a
tank. All too often, this is the cause of many problems for the pump and the company. Pumps
operate where the pump curve crosses the system curve. If you move a pump from one system to
another, this means that the system curve is different. This new system may cause the pump to
operate away from its best efficiency point, leading to shaft breakage and other component problems
that are merely symptoms of a mis-matched pump and system.easy changes which can be madeto a
classical
centrifugal or positive displacement pump. For pumps that have overhung impellers, changing to a
solid shaft is a straightforward refinement compared to the common sleeved shafts. Mechanical
seals can be upgraded with tungsten carbide faces, and elastomers should be replaced with Viton. In
addition, magnetic bearing protectors will be a vast improvement over the lip seals which nearly all
commercial pumps rely on to maintain clean bearing sump oil.
If the buds won't stay in your ears, Resnick says noise-canceling headphones are helpful, too.
Whatever you use, remember that if the person standing next to you can hear the music, it's too
loud. (Health.com: Sharpen your senses )
Savor a little silence
Nix the all-day soundtrack. Researchers at Harvard University-affiliated Children's Hospital Boston
who have studied personal music players say one hour a day at 60 percent of the maximum volume
is safe. More than an hour isn't. Even rock icon Pete Townshend of The Who, a band famous for

2. earth-shattering sound, is warning fans to listen less and lower the volume. He writes on his blog
that pump alarm years of listening to loud music through headphones has seriously damaged his
hearing.
Avoid gym din
Aerobics instructors like to pump up the volume to get people motivated, but a recent study found
that 80 percent of health clubs blare music exceeding 105 decibels (dB) in their classes. It's even
higher when the instructor belts her directions into a wireless microphone. If the club won't turn
down the music, move away from the speakers and wear $1 disposable foam earplugs you can buy at
most pharmacies, says lead study author and audiologist Ray Hull, Ph.D., a professor at Wichita
State University in Kansas.
Try hi-fi earplugs
Live concerts, loud action films at theaters, and sporting events such as a NASCAR race can send
you home with your ears ringing. Officially known as tinnitus, it's a sign of ear damage. Rock
concerts are notoriously noisy, and not just right in front of the amps. A recent University of
Minnesota study found that pop, rockabilly, and heavy-metal concerts can hurt your hearing no
matter where you sit.
If you attend these events often, Resnick recommends high-fidelity earplugs. They let you hear the
highs and lows while protecting your ears and allowing you to carry on a conversation. An
audiologist can create a custom set ($150 to $200) based on a mold of your ear and the type of music
you like best.
To find an expert near you, just go to the Web site for the American Academy of Audiology . A
cheaper option: standard high-fidelity earplugs ($10 to $15), available at most music stores and
manufacturers' sites. Just keep in mind that they won't last as long or fit as well as custom plugs.
Although both types are made of plastic, silicone, or vinyl, custom plugs can be used for several
years; the standard ones need replacing after several months.
Block out power-tool noise
If you're a DIYer whose idol is the Toolbelt Diva on the Discovery Home channel, you may need
earplugs to match your moxie. Lawn mowers, leaf blowers, chain saws, power drills, and the like can
spew noise at unhealthy volumes.
A government database on the Web lists sound output of power tools by both manufacturer and type;
go to http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/homepage.html and search for "noise solutions."
If your power tools are louder than 85 decibels, head to the drugstore for foam earplugs. (Earmuffs
block noise, too, and last longer than ear-plugs, but they can be bulky and uncomfortable.) Most
foam plugs flygt vortex impeller have a Noise Reduction Rating indicating how much sound they
block. A higher NRR is best for a loud environment, notes Andy Vermiglio, an audiologist at the
House Ear Institute, a nonprofit research group in Los Angeles, California. You can use foam
earplugs at a live show, of course, but Resnick points out that they will muddy the sound.
Massapequa, New York-based freelancer Debbe Geiger also writes frequently for Newsday.

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