If you gave or received an iPod or any other portable headphone-equipped digital media player as a gift this holiday season, listen up. When used unwisely, they can result in permanent hearing loss.

Our colleagues over at the Consumer Reports Health Blog reported on a new medical study from the European Union which found that 5 to 10 percent of MP3 listeners are at high risk of developing hearing loss after five years of exposure. This latest study's findings fall in line with what researchers have previously reported with U.S.-based studies.

Obviously, headphone users can reduce the risk of hearing loss by managing the amount of time and volume they use with their portable media player. And some MP3 players feature “volume limiters” that can be set to prevent overly loud sound from reaching the headphones. (Our Ratings of MP3 players, available to subscribers, denotes which models have this feature.)

In their post, iPods can be a hazard to your hearing, the health experts at Consumer Reports have listed other helpful safe listening tips.