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Over a billion teenagers and young adults are at risk of losing their hearing due to the use of headphones or going to places with loud music.
The researchers led by Lauren K Dillard from the Medical University of South Carolina conducted a meta-analysis of previous studies with a sample of nearly 20,000 people.
Around 24% of teenagers listen to music louder than the recommended threshold, and 48% risk hearing when attending concerts and other music events.
When hearing is constantly or even isolatedly exposed to too loud sounds, it can cause damage to the auditory system associated with tinnitus or hearing changes.
The risk of hearing loss is affected not only by loudness, but also by the frequency and duration of exposure to sounds.
So the permissible noise level associated with entertainment and listening to music is usually calculated based on occupational noise exposure limits (about 80-85 decibels for 40 hours a week).
At the same time, the threshold for the duration of permissible exposure depends on the intensity of the sound.
For example, the permissible exposure time for noise of 92 decibels is 2.5 hours, and for a sound of 101 decibels - only 19 minutes.
Usually people listen to music with headphones at a volume between 75 and 105 decibels, in clubs or bars the sound level ranges from 104 to 112 decibels, and even more at concerts.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 1.5 billion people worldwide have some degree of hearing loss, and more than 430 million people suffer from hearing loss.
Despite the dangers of loud noise, previous research has not provided a clear answer to the link between unsafe listening practices and permanent hearing loss.
Some studies have shown that long-term use of headphones can lead to changes in hearing threshold, while others have not shown an association between entertainment-related noise and permanent hearing loss.
However, it is noted that frequent unsafe listening to music may be one of the reasons for the increase in the prevalence of hearing loss in children.
THE STUDY
Now, Dillard’s team and WHO, investigated the prevalence of unsafe listening practices associated with the use of personal devices for listening to music and visiting noisy entertainment venues and events.
This type of noise is one of the risk factors for hearing loss and is referred to as “unsafe listening practices”, but people can control it.
Based on the findings, the researchers estimated the number of adolescents and young adults who may be susceptible to hearing loss due to such disorders.
For analysis, the researchers selected 33 studies from 20 countries, which included data from 19,046 people.
The sample included people from 12 to 34 years old, who were divided into three categories:
- adults (18-34 years old)
- minors (12-19 years old)
- mixed group (12-34 years old)
The study included participants from regions and countries with high and middle incomes.
According to the results, the prevalence of excessive noise from personal listening devices was 23.81% .
Across age groups, the prevalence of listening disorders through personal devices was about the same:
- 23% for adults
- 27% for minors
- 21.5% for the mixed group.
In the high-income group, the prevalence of impairment was 24.5%, and in the middle-income group, it was 22.12%.
Noisy entertainment impairment prevalence was estimated for 3 of the 18 studies selected for this analysis, as they were the only ones that met the required intensity and duration of sound exposure.
Based on a quadratic model, an approximation was made for a noise intensity threshold of 80 decibels and an exposure duration threshold of 40 hours per week. The prevalence was 48.2%.
The results were used by the scientists to make a global estimate of the number of people who may be at risk of hearing loss due to unsafe listening to music.
They also took into account the estimated population of the Earth aged 12-34 in 2022.
The estimated number of adolescents and young adults who may be at risk of hearing loss due to voluntary exposure to unsafe listening ranges from 0.67 to 1.35 billion.
The authors call on the authorities of all countries to give priority to the prevention of hearing loss and the promotion of safe listening principles.
Sources:
- BMJ Global Health: https://gh.bmj.com/content/7/11/e010501
- Physician Weekly: https://www.physiciansweekly.com/high-prevalence-of-youth-estimated-at-greater-risk-for-hearing-loss/
- Pharmstoday: https://www.pharmstoday.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=319166
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Hola @sarahjay1:
I don't really agree, when I was a teenager they already said the same thing because we listened to AD/DC at full blast, 40 years later in general we haven't gone deaf, we still hear the same nonsense. :-D
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Haha you're right! I was told the same growing up now that I remember. Let's see if this time they're correct... I hope not.
And thanks for the valid criticism <3
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