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Swiss hearing aid maker Phonak expects to cash in on people who use MP3 Players. CEO Valentin Chapero said, ""Due to the noise exposure, especially among the young, we are witnessing the creation of a hearing loss bubble in years to come"

What? I wonder if the next generation of iPod's will feature a built in hearing aid? The people at Phonak really are projecting increased growth because of MP3 players. The same concerns about hearing loss were around when Sony's Walkman was introduced decades ago.

There can be little doubt that listening to your music too loudly over time will impact your hearing. The problem is most people will not notice the hearing loss until it has progressed beyond repair.

Pam Mason MEd, Director, Audiology Professional Practices Unit, ASHA the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association said, "After you've worn your MP3 player all day long or a considerable amount during the day you may find that your hearing sounds muffled when you take them off in the evening or that you have ringing in the ear, which is called tinnitus. These are two early warning signs that you may have exposed your hearing to excessively loud noise."

Will politicians push to regulate the volume of MP3 players? Will people pay attention and turn down the volume? What about litigation against the makers of MP3 players?

The phrase "Can you hear me now?" may take on a whole new meaning instead of referring to a wireless phone commercial.

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Mike is a staff writer for WebProNews. Visit WebProNews for the latest ebusiness news.