1.1 Billion Teenagers And Young Adults Are At Risk Of Hearing Loss

The World Health Organization (WHO) said some 1.1 billion teenagers and young adults are at risk of hearing loss due to the unsafe use of personal audio devices, including smartphones, and exposure to damaging levels of sound at noisy entertainment venues such as nightclubs, bars and sporting events.

Hearing loss has potentially devastating consequences for physical and mental health, education and employment.

Data from studies in middle- and high-income countries analysed by WHO indicate that among teenagers and young adults aged 12-35 years, nearly 50% are exposed to unsafe levels of sound from the use of personal audio devices and around 40% are exposed to potentially damaging levels of sound at entertainment venues.

Safe listening depends on the intensity or loudness of sound, and the duration and frequency of listening. Exposure to loud sounds can result in temporary hearing loss or tinnitus which is a ringing sensation in the ear. When the exposure is particularly loud, regular or prolonged, it can lead to permanent damage of the ear's sensory cells, resulting in irreversible hearing loss.

WHO recommends that the highest permissible level of noise exposure in the workplace is 85 dB up to a maximum of eight hours per day. Many patrons of nightclubs, bars and sporting events are often exposed to even higher levels of sound, and should therefore considerably reduce the duration of exposure. For example, exposure to noise levels of 100 dB, which is typical in such venues, is safe for no more than 15 minutes.

Teenagers and young people can better protect their hearing by keeping the volume down on personal audio devices, wearing earplugs when visiting noisy venues, and using carefully fitted, and, if possible, noise-cancelling earphones/headphones.

They can also limit the time spent engaged in noisy activities by taking short listening breaks and restricting the daily use of personal audio devices to less than one hour. With the help of smartphone apps, they can monitor safe listening levels. In addition they should heed the warning signs of hearing loss and get regular hearing check-ups.

Governments also have a role to play by developing and enforcing strict legislation on recreational noise, and by raising awareness of the risks of hearing loss through public information campaigns. Parents, teachers and physicians can educate young people about safe listening, while managers of entertainment venues can respect the safe noise levels set by their respective venues, use sound limiters, and offer earplugs and "chill out" rooms to patrons. Manufacturers can design personal audio devices with safety features and display information about safe listening on products and packaging.

To mark International Ear Care Day, celebrated each year on March 3rd, WHO is launching the "Make Listening Safe" initiative to draw attention to the dangers of unsafe listening and promote safer practices. In collaboration with partners worldwide, WHO will alert young people and their families about the risks of noise-induced hearing loss and advocate towards governments for greater attention to this issue as part of their broader efforts to prevent hearing loss generally.

Worldwide, 360 million people today have moderate to profound hearing loss due to various causes, such as noise, genetic conditions, complications at birth, certain infectious diseases, chronic ear infections, the use of particular drugs, and ageing. It is estimated that half of all cases of hearing loss are avoidable. To address this issue, WHO collates data and information on hearing loss to demonstrate its prevalence, causes and impact as well as opportunities for prevention and management; assists countries to develop and implement programmes for hearing care that are integrated into the primary health-care system; and provides technical resources for training health workers.

SHOTLIST:
2 MARCH 2015, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

WHO flag
Who staff measuring audio levels in headphone using an electronic audio-level meter
Phone playing music and audio-meter
Audio-meter

SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Etienne Krug, Director, WHO Department for Management of Noncommunicable Diseases, Disability, Violence and Injury Prevention:
"1.1 billion young people today are putting themselves at risk by listening to music too loud, either on their personal audio devices or in bars, discos, sports venues etc. Down the line they risk serious damage to their hearing. We know right now that 40% of the 12 to 35 year olds are listening to music too loud in those venues and 50% are listening to music too loud on their personal audio devices."

SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Etienne Krug, Director, WHO Department for Management of Noncommunicable Diseases, Disability, Violence and Injury Prevention:
"Young people themselves can take action by taking short listening breaks when they are in such noisy venues, or putting the volume down when they are listening to their personal audio devices. Wearing earplugs like the professionals in bars, discos, concerts are doing would also help a lot. Parents, teachers, doctors, have a role to play in helping to raise awareness and making those young people aware of the risks they are taking. And finally, owners of bars, discos, sports venues can also contribute by keeping the volume down to a much more reasonable level than they are often doing."

SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Etienne Krug, Director, WHO Department for Management of Noncommunicable Diseases, Disability, Violence and Injury Prevention:
"Hearing loss has a damaging effect all along the life span. Once people don't hear so well it becomes much harder to follow in school, it has an impact on education, therefore also on further employment and it has an impact on social life, not being able to listen very well to a telephone conversation or participate in a conversation is very debilitating for many, many people."

DURATION: 01:58