One BILLION Young People at Risk of Going Deaf Due to Loud Earphone Use

Millions of people around the world are at risk of losing their hearing due to listening to loud music, according to a new study.

A new report by the World Health Organization says 1.1 billion teenagers as well as young adults are at risk of losing their hearing because of unsafe use of personal audio devices such as smartphones.

The report, which was published on the organization's website on February 27, pointed to the potentially grave consequences facing this generation of young music fans as a result of constant exposure to loud music.

The data shows that from middle as well as high income countries around half of 12 to 35 year olds are exposed to unsafe levels of sound from audio devices.

Unsafe levels of noise is considered to be 85dB for eight hours or more, or 100dB for more than 15 minutes and many clubs surpass what could be considered as "safe".

"As they go about their daily lives doing what they enjoy, more and more young people are placing themselves at risk of hearing loss. They should be aware that once you lose your hearing, it won't come back. Taking simple preventive actions will allow people to continue to enjoy themselves without putting their hearing at risk," wrote Dr. Etienne Krug, WHO's Director for the Department for Management of Noncommunicable Diseases, Disability, Violence and Injury Prevention in the report.

"Data from studies in middle- and high-income countries analyzed by WHO indicate that among teenagers and young adults aged 12-35 years, nearly 50% are exposed to unsafe levels of sound from the use of personal audio devices and around 40% are exposed to potentially damaging levels of sound at entertainment venues."