Young People Should Use Headphones Carefully To Avoid Permanent Hearing Loss
09 August 2024
In 2020, approximately 466 million people worldwide will suffer from disabling hearing loss, and up to 60 per cent of these cases are preventable. The most worrying finding is that the majority of hearing loss in young people is caused by the use of headphones and music player devices, and even worse, this type of hearing loss is permanent and irreversible.
“In today's digital age, the widespread use of personal devices such as smartphones, tablets and headphones, especially in children and young people, has raised concerns about Noise-Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL).” said by Dr Priatharisiny A/P Ponnai @ Velayutham.
A recent study in the United States found that 17 per cent of today's teenagers show signs of NIHL. With around 1.1 billion teenagers and young adults worldwide affected by NIHL, mainly due to the use of headphones and music player devices, prevention has also become crucial.
Sensorineural hearing loss affects nerve cells and is usually caused by exposure to loud noise and is permanent, bilateral and irreversible. This includes noise-induced hearing loss, in which high-frequency exposure from personal devices, concerts, and other sources can damage nerve cells in the inner ear, leading to hearing loss.
According to the World Health Organisation, in 2020, around 466 million people globally will suffer from disabling hearing loss, and this number is expected to almost double by 2050, but up to 60% of cases are actually preventable.
Early signs and symptoms of hearing loss in children are often easy to overlook, but parents should be aware of these early signs. By way of analogy, delayed speech and language development can also be a serious red flag, as children may have difficulty expressing themselves clearly or understanding others.
The key to noise-induced hearing loss is prevention. Parents play a vital role in monitoring children's personal device use and limiting exposure to noise. Take breaks during therapy sessions and consider using earplugs, or noise protection equipment for children in noisy environments.
Hearing loss can be caused when we are exposed to more than 70 decibels (dB) for long periods of time, so to avoid hearing loss or damage, it is recommended to listen or keep the volume at a moderate level and not to use headphones continuously for too long. Immediate hearing loss can also be caused by sudden loud noises, such as explosions, which can exceed 110 dB.
The less time spent in contact with headphones, the better, and parents may not realise that allowing teenagers to use headphones for more than 80 minutes carries a risk of hearing loss that is 4.7 times higher than those who use headphones for less than 80 minutes. One possible way to help prevent the risk of this type of hearing loss is to set a timer and allow your child to use headphones for a controlled period of time between 30 minutes and an hour.
Source: Sin Chew Daily
