1 billion young people are at risk of hearing loss

[NJCher]

Nicole Luna/[e-mail] | Posted: Friday, March 6, 2015 1:00 pm

According to a new study, millions of young people risk hearing loss from loud music.

The World Health Organization reported Friday that 1.1 billion teenagers and young adults are at risk of hearing loss because of unsafe use of personal audio devices like smartphones.

According to the data, middle- and high-income countries show almost half of 12- to 35-year-olds are exposed to unsafe levels of sound from personal audio devices and around 40 percent are exposed to potentially damaging levels of sound at entertainment venues like nightclubs, bars and sporting events.


Dr. Etienne Krug, WHO director for the Department of Management of Noncommunicable Diseases, Disability, Violence and Injury Prevention, said the more young people go about their daily lives and listen to music at unsafe levels the higher the risk of hearing loss.

“They should be aware that once you lose your hearing, it won’t come back. Taking simple preventive actions will allow people to continue to enjoy themselves without putting their hearing at risk,” Krug said.

http://www.cleburnetimesreview.com/news/billion-young-people-are-at-risk-of-hearing-loss/article_fb397b14-c418-11e4-8222-eb205b254427.html?mode=print

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It isn't news that there will be hearing problems as a result of too high a level of volume with earbuds, but the number on the estimate is what staggered me.



Cher

[AngryAmish]

1. what?

[closeupready]

2. Sorry, but when I'm in line, I don't want to hear about your personal stuff.

You are not on stage, performing for others. The less I have to endure it, the better off we all are.

[SheilaT]

3. Baby Boomers, of which I am one,

got a head start of early hearing loss with loud music.

I NEVER liked overly loud music, and have been known to walk out of venues for that.

Another problem is that all music is amplified, even when played in very small venues, which I find highly annoying. Recently I was at a local brewpub (good beer, good food) and on Friday and Saturday nights local groups play. It's a very small room, and the loudspeakers distorted things enough that I could not begin to understand the words of what they were singing. Worse yet, it was difficult to converse with the friend I was there with. I want music in places like that, even the live performances, to be background, not the only thing I can possibly pay attention to.

I really hope this brewpub expands, and the music group is put in another room, so those who do prefer to listen can go in there, and I can be in a different room, eating and chatting with my friends.