Over 1,000 million young people are at risk of losing their hearing due to loud noise exposure
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has issued an international standard for safe listening at recreational venues and events.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), over one thousand million young adults, especially between the age of 12 and 35, are at risk of suffering from total or partial deafness due to continuous exposure to the noise produced by their music devices and coming from other recreational activities. Thus, the WHO has issued the international standard for safe listening at recreational venues and events which underlines the need to avoid noises above 100dbs, to use personal hearing protection devices and to provide silent areas for ear rest, amongst others.
A special mention is made to the misuse of earphones, which promote exposure to intense noise and contribute to deteriorate the hair cells within the ears, which are responsible for carrying the signals to the brain. As Carlos O´Connor Reina, the Codirector of the Otolaryngology Unit of the Quirónsalud Marbella and the Quirónsalud Campo de Gibraltar Hospitals
explains "when the electrical signal of the sound does not reach the neurones, a hearing loss is caused".
One of the warning signals of a potential deterioration of our hearing is the appearance of tinnitus. Tinnitus is presented as frequent episodes of hearing noises inside your ears without an external source causing it. Our expert points out that these "appear and remain present in spite of switching off all devices. In the event of these episodes taking place, you are always recommended to visit a specialist since early detection is key and hearing loss in these cases can be irreversible".
These cases can derive in deafness, hearing loss or hearing impairment, a sensorial disorder consisting of the inability to hear sounds. "This condition has a major repercussion in the working and social spheres of people who suffer from it, as it directly affects their ability to communicate with others. It irremediably impacts on their quality of life", establishes Dr O´Connor.
In order to protect our hearing, we should reduce the time of exposure to intense noise and be extra careful when the noise comes from headphones. Doctors recommend to restrict the use of these devices to 50 minutes a day and for the volume to be under 50 decibels.
And finally, our expert states that it is very important to visit a specialist as soon as there is a symptom warning of a loss of hearing, as for example when we cannot understand what others say to us or when we can hear beeping inside our ears when there is no external source involved.
