Study Shows 1-B Young People May Suffer Hearing Loss

Sound limits to protect against hearing loss depend on how long and how loud you are listening, experts say. Turning down the racket isn’t just for disgruntled parents — a new study has shown it could protect more than 1 billion people at risk for hearing loss.

Photo Insert: Turning down the racket isn’t just for disgruntled parents — a new study has shown it could protect more than 1 billion people at risk for hearing loss.

When it comes to phones, music, movies, and shows, it’s common for adolescents and young adults to listen too loud and too long, according to the study published Tuesday in the journal BMJ Global Health, Madeline Holcombe reported for CNN.

“We estimated that 0.67 to 1.35 billion individuals aged 12-34 years worldwide likely engage in unsafe listening practices,” and are therefore at risk for hearing loss, said lead study author Lauren Dillard via email.

Dillard is a consultant to the World Health Organization and a postdoctoral fellow at the Medical University of South Carolina.

Exposure to sound at too high a volume can fatigue the sensory cells and structures in the ear, Dillard said. If that goes on for too long, they can become permanently damaged, resulting in hearing loss, tinnitus, or both.

Researchers conducted a meta-analysis of scientific articles regarding unsafe listening practices published between 2000 and 2021 across three databases, the study said. The unsafe practices were tracked according to the use of headphones as well as attendance at entertainment venues, such as concerts, bars, and clubs, according to the study.

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