Story at a glance
- More than 1 billion young people around the world could be at risk of hearing loss.
- Researchers note limiting exposure to loud noise is one way young adults can lower their risk.
- Loud volumes can lead to temporary or permanent tinnitus, or ringing in the ears.
As many as 1.35 billion teens and young adults around the world are potentially at risk of hearing loss due to exposure to headphones, earbuds and loud music venues like clubs or concerts.
That’s according to new research published in the journal BMJ Public Health, which compiled findings from more than 30 different studies. All studies were published between 2000 and 2021 and included individuals between the ages 12 and 34.
Of the 2.8 billion individuals in this age range around the world, it’s estimated 24 percent and 48 percent are exposed to unsafe listening levels from the devices and venue attendance, respectively. The percentages equate to between 0.67 and 1.35 billion young people exposed.
The results point to “an urgent need to prioritize policy focused on safe listening,” authors wrote, noting recreational noise exposure is a modifiable risk factor for hearing loss.
Findings also come one month after the United States permitted hearing aids to be sold over-the-counter at retailers like Walgreens, Walmart and CVS.
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Hearing loss in children has been linked with poorer academic performance and lower motivation and concentration, authors wrote, while unaddressed hearing loss has huge economic impacts.
In the United States, nearly 15 million people live with untreated, disabling hearing loss, costing the country around $133 billion annually.
It is also the third-most common chronic condition in the country behind high blood pressure and arthritis. According to the CDC, hearing loss is associated with heart problems and depression.
Both repeated and single instances of unsafe listening can be damaging to hearing and may lead to temporary or permanent tinnitus, or ringing in the ears. This damage can also compound over time while “noise exposure earlier in life may make individuals more vulnerable to age-related hearing loss.”
Hearing loss risk also depends on loudness, duration and frequency of noise exposure, researchers added.
Acceptable volumes for personal listening devices are around 80 decibels (dB) for adults and 75 dB for children. However, some users can choose to listen to content as loud as 105 dB. Meanwhile, the average sound levels at entertainment venues range from 104 to 112 dB, researchers said.
The 33 studies included data on device output levels and length of exposure among 19,000 participants.
Different study designs may have influenced outcomes, while several countries and regions have introduced recent policy changes on safe listening which were not taken into account in the current review. The studies also did not conclude whether hearing loss experienced was temporary or permanent.
To protect against hearing loss, individuals can take a break from exposure, wear earplugs in loud environments and listen to devices at lower volumes.
Published on Nov 16,2022