Use of headphones and ear buds: 1 billion young people at risk of hearing loss, says study

San Francisco: According to a new research, more than 1 billion teens and young people are at the brink of hearing loss due to the use of headphones, ear buds and their attendance at loud music festivals.

"There is an urgent need for governments, industry, and civil society to prioritise global hearing loss prevention by promoting safe listening practices," the researchers said.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that over 430 million people worldwide suffer from disabling hearing loss.

The research was published in BMJ Global Health journal, which suggests that young people are particularly vulnerable because of the personal listening devices (PLD) they use, such as smartphones, headphones, ear buds along with their attendance to loud music venues amid poor regulatory enforcement.

The users of listening devices generally choose volumes as high as 105 dB, whereas levels at the festival venues ranges from 104 to 112 dB far exceeding permissible levels. (80 dB for adults; 75 dB for children). Even if listened for shorter period of time the sound up to these levels can cause serious damage to ears.

As per the analysis of data, 24 per cent of young people are involved in unhealthy use of listening devices globally. Further, 48 per cent are associated with unsafe listening practice at entertainment venues.

Based on these numbers, the researchers calculate that there are between 0.67 and 1.35 billion teens and young adults worldwide who may be at risk of hearing loss.

-IANS with Inputs