Turning down the racket isn’t just for disgruntled parents — a new study has shown it could protect more than 1 billion people at risk for hearing loss.
When it comes to phones, music, movies and shows, it’s common for adolescents and young adults to listen too loud and too long, according to the study published Tuesday in the journal BMJ Global Health.
“We estimated that 0.67 to 1.35 billion individuals aged 12-34 years worldwide likely engage in unsafe listening practices,” and are therefore at risk for hearing loss, said lead study author Lauren Dillard 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 fatigue the sensory cells and structures in the ear, Dillard said. If that goes on for too long, they can become permanently damaged, resulting in hearing loss, tinnitus or both.
Researchers conducted a meta-analysis of scientific articles regarding unsafe listening practices published between 2000 and 2021 across three databases, the study said.
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The unsafe practices were tracked according to 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 at around 85 decibels over 40 hours a week. If you are listening for only 2½ hours over a day, that is the equivalent of about 92 decibels, the study said.
Plugged into a smartphone downloaded with MP3 audio files, listeners often choose volumes as high as 105 decibels, and venues often range from 104 to 112 decibels, the study said.
Fortunately, policies, businesses and individuals can put measures into place to encourage safe listening and protect hearing from damage over time, Dillard said.
The analysis of the study was rigorous, and the evidence is compelling that hearing loss should be a public health priority, said De Wet Swanepoel, 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.”
