A study from the New York City Health Department finds a strong relationship between headphone-usage and hearing problems, especially among young people, according to a blog post on Hear-it AISBL, a Belgium-based nonprofit that keeps the public informed on current information related to hearing health.  According to the survey, 16% of NYC residents over 18 that participated in the study reported that they suffer from hearing loss. Even though hearing problems often impact elderly people, hearing loss and tinnitus are increasingly becoming more prevelant among young people.

Compared with respondents over age 45, a larger proportion of young people between 18-44 use headphones. Survey results indicated that only 1% of the group over 45 reported that they used headphones, on average, four or more hours per day, 5-7 days per week (defined as heavy use) while 5% of the 18-44 age group reported heavy headphone usage.

Listening at Too-High Volumes

The heavy use of headphones makes young American adults more susceptible to hearing loss and tinnitus. Among the respondents between 18-44 years old who reported a heavy use of headphones, 23% suffered from hearing problems.

Smartphones, MP3-players, and other electronic devices can produce very loud sounds, therefore, listening at high volumes can create serious damage to the ears. Exposure to sounds can lead to hearing loss and tinnitus, in particular, if the headphones are used over longer periods.

For more information from Hear-it on hearing loss, please visit the following links:

Causes of Hearing Loss

Noise and Hearing Loss

Tinnitus Causes

Source: Hear-it