One billion people, aged 12 to 34, may be at risk of hearing loss.
Listening to the music we like loud and singing out loud is liberating as well as beautiful, but be careful! A new study published in the journal BMJ Global Health has found that an estimated 0.67-1.35 billion adolescents and young adults worldwide are regularly exposed to unsafe listening practices. The sensory cells and structures in the ear can become fatigued from exposure to excessive volume. If left unchecked for too long, it can cause permanent damage, such as deafness or tinnitus.
The study monitored risky behavior by monitoring headphone use and attendance at clubs, bars and concerts. Researchers reviewed 33 studies published between 2000 and 2021 involving a total of more than 19,000 people over the past two decades, found that young people regularly listen to music at unsafe noise levels, and concluded that promoting better listening practices safer is ” urgent “.
“The harms from unsafe listening can be compounded over a lifetime, and noise exposure early in life can make individuals more vulnerable to age-related hearing loss,” the researchers said in their study. .
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends exposure to no more than 85 decibels of noise.
The study found that if you listen to loud music through headphones for just 2.15 hours a day, you are exposed to the equivalent of 92 decibels and listed some reference sound levels:
rain: 50dB;
noisy restaurant: 70 dB;
loud music through speakers: 80dB;
electric drill: 95dB;
football game: 115dB;
thunder: 120dB;
According to research, the average volume level of people listening to music on headphones or speakers ranges from 104 to 112 decibels , while the average volume level at a concert is 105 decibels.
- Vital Signs: Noise-Induced Hearing Loss Among Adults — United States 2011–2012. (cdc.gov)
