Headphones and hearing – experts talk about "brewing crisis"

The data from a study by British specialists is disappointing: half of young people under 35 who use headphones experience hearing impairment from the influence of loud sounds.

The British company Eargym, which specializes in the health of the auditory system, analyzed clinical tests writes The Telegraph. The findings were confirmed by the Amsterdam Questionnaire on Hearing Impairments and Disabilities. The damage caused to young people’s hearing by long-term, loud noise exposure is a “crisis in the making”, experts say.

Data collected from June to October 2023 from more than 1,000 people in the UK, aged 16 to 35, found that 49% of people had “below normal” hearing levels, which affected their quality of life. A quarter of headphone wearers under 35 had hearing loss, and a further two in five had “probable” hearing loss, an analysis of clinical trials by Eargym has found conclusively. Only 40% had no signs of hearing impairment, and for the rest the diagnosis was unknown.

Former UK health chief Amanda Philpott noted that hearing loss in young people is mainly due to “dangerous listening”, as well as “urban noise” from construction, roads, trains or subways. She says:

“We see that the use of headphones is common, and we usually don’t take them off much. People tend to listen to music a little louder than they should and don’t take enough breaks. There are about 18,000 hair cells in our ears*, and once they get damaged, they can’t regrow.”

Ms Philpott suggested people follow the 60/60 rule, which means listening to music at 60% volume for no more than 60 minutes at a time. She said hearing loss leads to social isolation, which can cause mild cognitive impairment and even dementia.

*Hair cells are receptors of the auditory system and vestibular apparatus in all vertebrates. Hair cells are found on the basement membrane in the cochlea of ​​the inner ear. If sound reaches this part, the hairs bend and the cells convert the mechanical movement into electrical impulses that are transmitted to the brain. When we play loud music or are surrounded by hundreds of fans at a football stadium, the noise can cause the hairs to bend too much, causing damage and long-term hearing loss.

Source link