Headphone use is more common among teens and young adults, a group that is also mostly seen at venues with loud music. New research suggests that many of these people are at great risk of suffering permanent hearing loss.
DJ Loud Music
The study, which appeared in British Medical Journal (BMJ) Global Health, reveals that more than a billion young people could lose their hearing from exposure to loud music. It was an analysis of research focused on personal listening devices (PLD) use and presence at loud music venues.
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PLDs include devices such as smartphones, earbuds, and headphones.
The team of researchers found that many young people listen to music on PLDs at a level that is considered unsafe. These experts want governments to take action to prevent potential avoidable and permanent hearing loss from loud music.
Threats to hearing
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are more than 430 million persons globally who are experiencing disabling hearing loss.
Experts say the use of PLDs and frequent attendance at venues with loud music especially put young people at a higher risk of hearing loss. Poor regulatory enforcement further exacerbates the problem.
Previous research shows that people who use PLDs often listen to volumes that are as high as 105 dB. Also, scientists have estimated average sound levels at music or entertainment venues between 104 and 112 dB.
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These levels are higher than 80 dB and 75 dB which are suggested as safe thresholds for adults and children respectively. Such loud music or sound could be harmful even if it lasts only a little time.
Researchers say just a single instance of listening at an unsafe level may damage the auditory system. Also, damage from high volume levels could worsen over time. Loud music exposure in earlier life may increase the risk of age-related hearing loss, as per experts.
Potential hearing loss
The team in this study set out to gauge the prevalence of unsafe listening among young people across the world. It wanted to come up with a global estimate of those at a hearing loss risk as a guide to policies to prevent hearing loss.
The researchers combed through research databases for studies in English, Spanish, French, and Russian related to their inquiry. They came up with 33 studies including 35 data records – 17 on PLD use and 18 on loud venues – and more than 19,000 participants aged between 12 and 34 years.
From their analysis, the team estimated PLD use and presence at loud event venues among young people globally at 24 percent and 48 percent respectively.
The global population of persons aged 12 to 34 years was put at 2.8 billion in 2022. Using that figure along with their PLD use and loud entertainment venue attendance estimates, the researchers calculated that between 0.67 and 1.35 billion teens and young adults may be at risk of potential hearing loss.
This research has its limitations, however, and these were acknowledged by the team involved. These include study design variations and the lack of a standardized methodology for the studies included. Also, demographic details and certain other factors that are potentially significant were not factored into the researchers’ estimates.
All the same, the research team noted that their findings suggest a pressing need for governments and other relevant entities to prioritize policies for the promotion of safe listening to prevent hearing loss globally.
References
Dillard, L. K., Arunda, M. O., Lopez-Perez, L., Martinez, R. X., Jiménez, L., & Chadha, S. (2022). Prevalence and global estimates of unsafe listening practices in adolescents and young adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ Global Health, 7(11). Retrieved January 4, 2024, from http://gh.bmj.com/content/7/11/e010501
