Are you someone who likes to blast their music loudly through their headphones? If so, then you may want to check out a new study that has been done pertaining to hearing loss caused by listening to loud music.
Per a new study done by BMJ Global Health, it has been found that over 1 billion young people are at risk of hearing loss due to listening to loud music; this study examines loud music that comes in the form of live concert experiences, as well as listening to loud music on one’s own personal listening device (“PLD”).
This study considers “young people” to be within the age demographic of 12 to 34. The study shares that “Recreational noise exposure is a modifiable risk factor for hearing loss and, in 2015, the WHO (World Health Organization) estimated that 1.1 billion adolescents and young adults were at potential risk of hearing loss from voluntary recreational noise exposure, referred to henceforth as ‘unsafe listening practices’.”
In going about their research, BMJ Global Health found that “Results from this study indicate that unsafe listening
practices from use of personal listening devices and attendance at loud entertainment venues are common (prevalence estimates 23.81% and 48.20%, respectively) and may place up to 1.35 billion young people at risk of hearing loss worldwide.”
This research also provides technical details regarding what level of decibels play into damaging one’s hearing. When it comes to listening to music on a personal device, the study found that folks listen to their music at around 104 decibels; music played in venues ranges from 104 to 112 decibels. With this information in mind, the study recommends that folks listen to their music at around 80 decibels for 40 hours a week.
As we have gotten older we have begun to implement more mindful practices into our music listening. We don’t blare music super loudly through our headphones as often, and when we attend concerts, we wear some sort of protection that allows us to still enjoy the music but makes sure our ears are safe.
If you are interested in reading the full study for yourself, you can check it out by following this link here.