Hearing loss: According to a study published in the journal BMJ Global Health, over one billion teenagers and young people may be at risk for hearing loss because they use headphones and earbuds and frequent loud music venues.
The multinational team, which included academics from the Medical University of South Carolina in the US, underlined that in order to protect aural health, governments worldwide must give “safe listening” rules, a top priority right away.
Governments, business, and civil society must prioritise preventing global hearing loss by promoting safe listening habits, according to the study’s authors.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 430 million individuals worldwide today suffer from hearing loss that is incapacitating.
Also Read: UNGA: Increasing UNSC membership will improve its capacity to manage ongoing conflicts warns G4
Youngsters are particularly vulnerable
They said that due to their use of personal listening devices (PLDs), such as smartphones, headphones, and earbuds, as well as their attendance at loud music venues under conditions of lax regulatory compliance, young people are particularly vulnerable.
While the typical sound pressure levels at entertainment venues vary from 104 to 112 dB, prior study indicates that PLD users frequently select volumes as high as 105 dB.
Even if only for very brief periods of time, this is far louder than the permitted sound levels of 80 dB for adults and 75 dB for children.
To determine the whole population that may be at risk of hearing loss, the researchers measured the prevalence of risky listening behaviours among teens and young adults.
Also Read: New Delhi: Police clearance no longer necessary for visa. A major relief from Saudi
About the research
They combed through research databases looking for pertinent studies that involved 12- to 34-year-olds, reported on objectively measured device output levels and period of exposure, and were published in English, French, Spanish, and Russian.
The research used information from 35 records and 33 studies with 19,046 participants. PLD use was the subject of 17 records, and loud entertainment establishments were the subject of 18.
By taking into account the projected global population of 12- to 34-year-olds in 2022 (2.8 billion) and the best projections of exposure to unsafe listening practises from PLDs or loud entertainment venues, the researchers also estimated the number of individuals who could be at risk of hearing loss.
According to the report, attendance at loud entertainment venues and dangerous listening habits resulting from PLD use are both widespread around the globe, affecting teens and young adults at rates of 48% and 24%, respectively.
According to the researchers’ estimates, there are between 0.67 and 1.35 billion teenagers and young adults worldwide who may be at risk of developing hearing loss as a result.
Keep watching our YouTube Channel ‘DNP INDIA’. Also, please subscribe and follow us on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, and TWITTER
