One in five American teens now suffer from some form of hearing loss, according to a study by the Journal of the American Medical Association. In 1994 that rate was roughly one in eight.
Much of this rise in teen hearing loss is attributed to noise-induced hearing loss, a form of loss that develops when the mechanisms of the inner ear are damaged by prolonged exposure to harmful sound levels.
Hearing loss in adolescents and teens can be caused by common activities including concert going, hunting trips, or listening to headphones too loudly, wrote Dr. Megan Moreno in the journal Pediatrics.
Moreno singled out headphones in particular, saying, “The increase in hearing loss may be partly due to the popularity of headphones used by adolescents.”
It’s important to note that headphones themselves are not the culprits, but rather, common headphone usage, especially among young people.
Listening to music that is too loud for too long can damage hair cells in the inner ear that help the ear translate a sound wave into an electrical signal the your brain.
But for parents, the questions is, “How loud is too loud?”
Sound above 85 decibels, roughly the level of a lawn mower, is considered damaging. Below 75 decibels, akin to the din of heavy traffic, is considered safe for long-term exposure, according to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.
Most headphones max out at roughly 105 decibels. Also, the decibel scale is exponential in terms of intensity, meaning sounds at 105 decibels are 100 times more intense than sounds at the safe cut-off of 85 decibels.
However, while the volume difference may be noticeable, the effects may not be. The early signs of hearing loss may be unnoticeable, said Gordon Hughes of the National Institute of Deafness.
This is especially true in children.
“It’s more difficult for kids to perceive the noxious effect of pollution noise,” said Hughes.
While the culprits contributing to teen hearing loss are commonplace, the condition is extremely preventable.
Moreno recommends inserting earplugs at concerts, earmuffs for loud outdoor activities, and headphones that limit volume at or below 85 decibels.
Puro Sound Labs is a San Diego-based headphone startup created when the founder’s daughter developed noise-induced hearing loss. Its headphones for children limit volume at 85 decibels. The headphones can be found at puros
