By 2030, one in four English individuals will have hearing loss as a result of overly loud music listening, according to recent study.
According to recently released NHS statistics, approximately 50,000 admissions to hospitals are made by people under the age of 50 who have hearing issues.
People under 50 made up just 25% of hospital admissions for hearing-related conditions ten years ago.
According to researchers, if this pattern persists, a sizeable section of the population would suffer hearing impairment, with many of them needing hearing aids. And according to doctors, the rise in hearing issues is primarily due to people constantly using headphones while listening to loud music.
“It has become normal for people to walk around every day listening to music at a very high volume,” said Dr Luke Twelves, chief medical officer at clinical research firm Lindus Health, which conducted the study.
“As a result, we are now seeing a worrying number of young people damaging their hearing. Thousands of people in the UK will need hearing aids because of this damage.’
Recently published NHS figures show that more than a third of patients arriving at hospital with hearing problems are under 50, accounting for nearly 50,000 admissions
According to new research, one in four people in England will suffer hearing loss by 2030 from listening to music too loud
Hearing loss is a common problem in old age and nearly half of people over the age of 75 have difficulty hearing. This is because over time, the bones and nerve endings in the ear wear down, affecting the ability to hear properly.
However, there is a growing concern that these sensitive parts of the ear are being damaged at a much younger age than in previous generations due to the increase in the number of people regularly listening to loud music through headphones. Last year, the World Health Organization launched a campaign calling on technology companies to set limits on how loud music can be played from mobile phones and personal audio devices.
The recommendations also focused on loud music in venues, which can affect audience hearing.
Experts say damage to the ear can also lead to tinnitus, a ringing or buzzing sound that can last for months or even a lifetime. There are currently no effective treatments for tinnitus.
Lindus Health is now teaming up with health company Oto to conduct a clinical trial to see if therapy could be an effective tool for reducing the severity of tinnitus. ‘Tinnitus is very common in patients with hearing loss and can have a major impact on a patient’s well-being,’ says Dr Twelves.
“We haven’t had much luck developing new drug treatments for tinnitus, but therapy could be a very useful tool to help patients cope with the symptoms.”
According to Dr. Twelves, the best protection against hearing loss and tinnitus is to avoid regular exposure to loud noises.
He says, “People have to think very carefully about how loud their headphones are because once you lose your hearing it’s very unlikely to come back.”
Record number of under-50s lose hearing, NHS figures show