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Hearing Loss Rates Rising in Younger Generations
If you’re like most people, you assume that hearing loss is a problem that only seniors face. Perhaps a parent has hearing loss, and you believe many seniors started to lose their hearing on noisy jobsites before anyone was using proper hearing protection. But don’t get too comfortable. Did you know that you and your children also risk hearing loss? We live in noisy cities, attend loud concerts, commute to work on screeching subway trains, and listen to our favorite tunes with earbuds jammed into our ears. It’s time to face the facts. Hearing loss can affect anyone, and among younger generations hearing loss is on the rise.
Hidden Hearing Loss
While rates of hearing loss in younger generations continues to grow, a surprising number of people have no idea they have hearing loss. In your twenties, you never think about hearing loss, and are unlikely to notice gaps in your hearing, particularly in high frequency sounds like bird noises, or the sound of kids playing at the park across the street. In fact, a survey from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that around 20% of adults in their 20s have hearing loss, but most don’t notice!
Hearing Loss in Children and Teens
Teens are at high risk of hearing loss. Unaware of the dangers to their hearing, teenagers are more likely to attend dangerously loud music concerts, play in noisy sporting venues with their high school team, or listen to excessively loud music with headphones or earbuds. All it takes is one excessively loud noise, like a gunshot at the target practice range, to permanently damage hearing in one or both ears. Activities of daily life are the new cause of hearing loss, not just noisy jobsites.
How Many Teens Have Hearing Loss?
Around one in five teens who think they have normal hearing actually have mild or moderate hearing loss! With daily stressors like the school gym, the Saturday afternoon date with the lawn mower, or the emergency siren roaring past, these numbers continue to rise.
For teenagers who have damaged hearing, things don’t get any better. With ears already weakened from this early damage, they have a future of hearing loss to look forward to, since their ears won’t be able to withstand the strain of continued expose to loud noises. Age related hearing loss will exaggerate the problem started by noise-induced hearing loss.
Safe Listening Practices
Perhaps the greatest threat to hearing for younger generations is earbud use. Unlike past generations who didn’t have constant access to music, many teens have earbuds in their ears all the time. On the commute to school or work, at the gym, in the park, relaxing on the couch, or even hanging out with friends, it’s hard to catch them without earbuds dangling around their necks. While earbuds are a convenient way to listen to what you want when you want without disturbing the people around you, it’s critical to have safe listening habits. Many teens and young adults simply don’t realize they’re putting their hearing at risk with their listening habits.
Apply the 60/60 rule of thumb. Never listen at more than 60% of full volume, and take a break every 60 minutes. Listening at high volumes for long hours will cause permanent damage in a matter of hours or days, since your ears can’t withstand these loud sounds being blasted right into the delicate structure of your inner ears, often at the same noise level as a busy construction site. If you’re not sure how loud is too loud, ask the person sitting beside you if they can hear your music. If they can, turn it down! You are putting your hearing at risk.
How the Safeguard Your Hearing
If you often find yourself in noisy situations – whether it’s a concert or a loud train commute – the most important thing you can do for your hearing is to always wear hearing protection. When in doubt, pop in earplugs, and make sure to keep some in your bag wherever you go. It’s far better to be safe than sorry. Never take a chance with your hearing, because when it’s gone there’s nothing you can do to bring it back.
Getting Your Hearing Tested
For school-aged children, it is common that the district offers an annual hearing test. If you are concerned that your child or teen is experiencing hearing loss, give us a call at Orange County Physician’s Hearing Services. We offer comprehensive pediatric hearing texts.
If you have hearing loss, regardless of your age, it’s time to talk about treatment options. Living with untreated hearing loss will reduce your quality of life, have a negative impact on your social life, put a strain on your relationships, and affect your academic or career success.
