Whether it is people on the metro or the ones out for a jog, headphones are now increasingly being used by all. But as per experts, the increased usage of headphones and pumping of high volumes can lead to hearing troubles especially amongst children as their auditory system maturation is incomplete.
During the 180th Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America, Daniel Fink, from The Quiet Coalition, and audiologist Jan Mayes spoke about recent research around the use of personal audio systems and the need for public health hearing conservation policies.
According to the Centres for Disease and Control, from listening to loud sounds over an extended period to one-time exposure to very loud sounds, can lead to noise-induced hearing loss. Which, in turn, can cause communication difficulties, learning difficulties, pain or ringing in the ears (tinnitus), distorted or muffled hearing, and an inability to hear some environmental sounds and warning signals.
Also Read: One in four people will have hearing problems by 2050: WHO
Fink observed that the 85 decibels of average noise exposure, recommended by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, is not actually safe. Also, a noise level that won't help protect factory workers or heavy equipment operators from hearing loss is just too high a noise for a child.
Experts recommend that less exposure to loud noise, especially at a young age can help protect against ear damage.