Hearing : no significant loss in teens since the 1980s

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Published the 29.07.2017 to 08: 45

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Adolescents would they become responsible ? Since the arrival of the first walkmans cassette up to the generalization of listening to music on a smartphone, specialists have been alert about the risks related to exposure to a high intensity sound in the headphones and the headphones of the young people.

But it would seem that their hearing in general is not going down. At least, not in the United States. Maybe listen to the advice to preserve their ears, finally. A study conducted at UCLA (United States), and published in the medical journal JAMA, shows that between 1988 and 2010 the prevalence of hearing loss has not changed overall. Even if some variations were found depending on the cohort tested.

The noise exposure is still superior today. Concerts, night clubs, but especially headphones should have an influence. But it is not significant, say researchers in the us, even if it remains still important. According to the data collected on the approximately 7 000 individuals to study, more than 15 % of 12-19 years old suffer from a hearing loss.

One hour per day

The association JNA, which every year organizes the national Day of the hearing in France, continues to warn of the risks, which include prolonged listening to music through the headsets, used more than helmets, and more dangerous. According to an Ifop survey carried out in France in 2017, 91 % of young people aged 15 to 17 years of age listen to music on their smartphone.

And the more they are young, the more they listen to for a long time. Among 15-17 year-olds, still listening to more than an hour per day in 71% of cases, compared to 54% for 18-24 year olds. An intensive exposure, either in volume or in time, can lead to irreversible damage. Hearing loss, tinnitus, hyperacusis : these injuries were felt, at least temporarily, in a quarter of the adolescents, according to the survey. In the 18-34 age group, this proportion rises to 40 %.