It might be "cool" to listen to music on an iPod or MP3 player, with ear buds plugged directly into the ears But Dean Garstecki, a Northwestern University audiologist, warns that these ear buds might increase the risk of hearing loss.



As solution to the problem, Garstecki recommends use of muff-type ear phones associated with older devices, as against the ear buds preferred by music fans today. He also suggests lowering of volume levels while listening to music. Another option is to use noise-cancelling headphones, which eliminate background noise unlike ear buds.