Ditching the racket isn’t just for disgruntled parents – a new study has shown it could protect more than 1 billion people who are at risk of hearing loss.
When it comes to phones, music, movies and shows, it’s common for teenagers and young adults to listen too loudly and too much, according to the study published Tuesday in the journal BMJ Global Health.
“We estimated that 0.67 to 1.35 billion people aged 12-34 worldwide are likely to engage in unsafe listening practices” and are therefore at risk of hearing loss, study lead author Lauren Dillard said via email. Dillard is a consultant to the World Health Organization and a postdoctoral fellow at the Medical University of South Carolina.
Exposure to sound at too high a volume can tire the sensory cells and structures in the ear, Dillard said. If this goes on for too long, they can be permanently damaged, resulting in hearing loss, tinnitus, or both.
The researchers conducted a meta-analysis of scientific articles on unsafe listening practices published between 2000 and 2021 in three databases, the study said.
Unsafe practices were tracked according to the use of headphones as well as attendance at entertainment venues such as concerts, bars and clubs, according to the study.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention limits safe noise levels to about 85 decibels for 40 hours a week. If you listen for just 2 ½ hours a day, that equates to about 92 decibels, the study said.
Connected to a smartphone downloaded with MP3 audio files, listeners often select loudness as high as 105 decibels, and spaces often range from 104 to 112 decibels, according to the study.
Fortunately, policies, businesses and individuals can take steps to encourage safe listening and protect hearing from damage over time, Dillard said.
The study’s analysis was rigorous and the evidence is compelling that hearing loss should be a public health priority, said De Wet Swanepoel, a professor of audiology at the University of Pretoria in South Africa. Swanepoel was not affiliated with the study.
“Music is a gift to be enjoyed for a lifetime,” said Swanepoel, who is also editor-in-chief of the International Journal of Audiology. “The message is to enjoy your music but safely.”
Whether you’re listening on your own device or at a concert, Dillard cautioned that ringing in the ears is a good sign that the music was too loud.
However, there are ways to prevent damage before you notice the results. Some devices allow people to monitor listening levels in the device’s settings, he said. Some will even alert you when you listen too loudly for too long.
“If your device says you’re listening at unsafe levels, lower the volume and listen to music for shorter periods of time,” Dillard said via email.
Experts can’t say for sure which headphones are the safest to listen to, Dillard said, but she recommended using ones that reduce background noise, which can help keep the volume down because you don’t have to drown out the noise around you.
But you don’t always have control over the volume dial. If you’re at a loud concert or venue, you can protect your hearing by standing further away from the speakers and taking breaks away from the noise if possible, Dillard said.
And it always helps to wear some earplugs — even foam earplugs will do, he added.
“Hearing is the sense that connects us to the people we love,” Swanepoel said in an email. “Taking care of our hearing is key to maintaining healthy relationships and overall health and well-being. Primary prevention in early adulthood is critical to prevent early onset and accelerated age-related hearing loss.”
