Alawsuit (Alpert v. Motorola, et al, 06-cv-5586)—brought by defense firm Segal McCambridge Singer & Mahoney—was filed in Federal Court in Chicago, and alleged that Motorola’s Bluetooth headsets can cause hearing loss.“The complaint claims that exposure to sounds emitted from the headsets, even for time periods as short as a few minutes, can cause serious and permanent hearing loss,” Fish wrote.

More specifically, the lawsuit brought two main complaints:

• That the headsets sold do not come with sufficient warnings regarding the potential for hearing loss
• That the headsets include controls letting users set the volume to levels exceeding 85 decibels

This lawsuit raises some important questions about personal responsibility, and to what extent companies should be held responsible for the potential uses consumers may put their products to. It’s also hardly the first time this topic has come up.

In addition, iPods “can produce sounds of more than 115 decibels, a volume that can damage the hearing of a person exposed to the sound for more than 28 seconds per day,” an AP report at the time noted.

Studies have shown listening to music on MP3 players can lead to hearing loss. But the question remains whether the responsibility to prevent hearing damage lies with manufacturers or consumers.

Perhaps, if the lawsuit against Motorola goes forward, consumers will end up safer. Or maybe we’ll just have one more warning label to read.

The small study is being presented Wednesday at a meeting of the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck and Surgery Foundation in Washington, D.C. It suggests that long term cellphone use, particularly using the phone primarily on one ear, may cause inner ear damage.

The study comes at a time when even young children are carrying cellphones and using them for everything from gossip sessions to listening to music with the built-in MP3 players.

Dr. Naresh Panda from Chandigarh, India studied 100 young cellphone users and 50 people who had never used a cellphone. He found no significant difference of hearing abnormalities between those who regularly used the phones and those who didn’t. But those who used the phone for more than 60 minutes a day for over four years had noticeable losses in high frequency hearing.

The hearing loss was greatest in the dominant ear – the ear usually used for their cellphone conversations.

Panda admits he uses a cellphone himself but says he tries to keep it to a minimum.

“We should educate the public to only use them when necessary,” he told CTV News.

Panda suspects microwave emissions from the phone may be damaging tissue in the ear.

“These microwaves may do harm because of the proximity to the ear,” he says.

The problem with hearing loss is that it’s slow and gradual and people may not hear the difference until it’s serious. Panda says there appear to be warning signals that a cellphone is damaging hearing:

• Feeling warmth in the ear after a cell conversation
• A sense of fullness in the ear
• Or a ringing in the ear

Panda found that who experienced any of the above symptoms during cellphone use seemed to have more hearing loss than those who had no complaints.

He says follow-up studies are needed to see if the hearing changes noticed in the study are reversible after making changes to cellphone habits.

Toronto-based audiologist Marshall Chasin says listening to sounds at 85 decibels or higher, over many years, can cause some hearing loss. That is the reason any phone use can be potentially more damaging than face-to-face conversations, even though the conversations don’t sound any louder than face-to-face.

“Listening to a cellphone for 60 minutes or longer can potentially be damaging,” believes Chasin. “The reason I say that is we know the loudness coming out of a cellphone is about 85 decibels. If you listen to that long enough, over a week, over a year, or 10, it can cause hearing loss.”

Whether it’s the magnetic emissions that are damaging the ear, as Panda speculates, or simply the volume level, researchers say cellphone users can lessen the risk of hearing problems by:

• Switching ears regularly
• Using an ear piece, which would eliminate the risk of magnetic waves from the phones themselves
• Or better yet, using a speaker phone.

“If you listen to a speaker phone or hands-free system as opposed to using the cell phone in one ear, that essentially means the potential damage is one-quarter of what it would have been,” says Chasin.

“My rule of thumb is moderation — if you listen to anything loud enough, long enough, it can cause hearing loss.”

How do doctors diagnose ear, nose and throat disorders?
A doctor may perform a physical examination to determine if a person suffers from an ear, nose or throat disorder. More definitive tests may follow to evaluate the type and severity of the disorder. Doctors use specific tests to diagnose specific conditions.

Can any ear, nose or throat disorder be fatal?
Different ear, nose and throat disorders may affect people in different ways. Cancer and infection of the ear, nose or throat are considered potentially fatal conditions. Various other ear, nose and throat conditions can also lead to death. However, ear, nose and throat disorders are not typically life threatening.

How do I know if I suffer from an ear, nose or throat disorder?
A doctor may perform a physical examination along with various diagnostic tests as part of a patient’s routine check up or in response to a particular complaint to determine if the patient may suffer from an ear, nose or throat disorder. In this case the examination would focus on the ear, nose and/or throat. It is important to schedule regular visits to your doctor and to alert the doctor if you believe that you may have an ear, nose or throat disorder.

Can an ear, nose or throat disorder indicate a problem in another part of my body?
An ear, nose or throat disorder may be the result of another problem in the body or the cause of another problem in the body. Doctors are familiar with determining the significance of an ear, nose or throat disorder. A thorough examination of the patient’s body accompanied by other diagnostic tests can help a physician diagnose any potential problems related to an ear, nose or throat condition.

Who is at risk of developing an ear, nose or throat disorder?
Different ear, nose and throat disorders occur more frequently in different people according to the disease, the individual and the environment. While everyone may be at risk of developing an ear, nose or throat disorder, diseases such as throat cancer occur with greater frequency in people who smoke or consume alcohol. This is just an example of factors that increase a person’s risk of developing throat cancer. You should consult a doctor to see if you are at risk of developing an ear, nose or throat disorder.