A recent study in the USA has found that as many as one in five Americans over the age of 12 are affected by hearing loss
(prHWY.com) December 26, 2011 - -, United Kingdom -- A recent study in the USA has found that as many as one in five Americans over the age of 12 are affected by hearing loss, and it is thought that it this could be due to listening to music too loud on portable music players.
The research was published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, and revealed that 20% of people in the US were suffering from hearing loss in one ear, with 12% having hearing loss in both of their ears.
This puts the number of Americans suffering from some form of hearing problem at 48 million, which is higher than the previous estimates of between 21 and 29 million. Experts believe this is due to the increase in popularity of mp3 players. The average mp3 player reaches volumes of about 115 decibels (dB), and hearing experts say that listening to music through headphones for just 15 minutes at 100dBs or for prolonged periods at 85dBs can cause damage.
Hearing loss can be a major problem as it can be many years before a person becomes aware of the problem and seeks out professional help or invests in hearing aids.
Dr Frank R Lin, lead author of the survey, told CNN: "Aging and genetics do sometimes play a role, but what we know now is that environmental exposures - like listening to music too loudly - can contribute to long term hearing damage over time.
"The tricky thing about loud noise exposure is that most people won't see the impact for many years later," continued Dr Lin. "So consumers aren't aware they are damaging their hearing until it's too late."
Once hearing is damaged it cannot be repaired, only be helped with devices such as hearing aids, so it is recommended that music fans choose headphones that cover the ear rather than ones that sit in the ear canal and turn down the volume to avoid permanent damage
For more information visit:
http://www.hearingaid.org.uk
Name: HearingAid.Org.UK
Company Name: HearingAid.Org.UK
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Telephone Number: 0808 149 7199
Email: info@hearingaid.org.uk
Language: English
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