Teen Ears May Be in Danger

Teens may be damaging their hearing, a new study suggests.

And that finding has prompted a warning from the researchers behind this study, who suggested that risky listening habits — like exposure to very loud music at concerts, at parties and even through headphones — could be to blame.

These McMaster University researchers interviewed and tested 170 Brazilian teens on their hearing abilities. They found that nearly all of these teens engaged in these risky listening habits and found around half of these teens reported tinnitus, a buzzing or ringing in the ears that usually affects older patients.

These researchers also found around 28 percent showed signs of tinnitus when a psychoacoustic exam was performed. 

The teens experiencing tinnitus had a lower tolerance for loud noise — something these researchers said may indicate damage to the nerves that process sound.

The simple answer? Reduce your loud noise exposure by turning the music down and doing whatever else your doctor recommends.

This study was published in Scientific Reports.

The Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo, Aché, Biosom, Sancout Electronic Technology, Fundação Companhia Energética de São Paulo, and Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada funded this research. The authors disclosed no conflicts of interest.