subject: Hearing Loss On Rise Among Teen Girls [print this page] Girls are soon catching up with boys in terms of a particular type of hearing loss. The problem due to exposure to loud noise or music among girls has increased by 5 percent, which is similar to the hearing loss incidence in boys.
"The girls have kind of just caught up with boys," study author Elisabeth Henderson of Harvard Medical School in Boston told Reuters Health.
Depending on the volume as well as the duration of exposure, harsh noise damages the sensory cells present in the cochlea of the ear, resulting in hearing loss.
Accumulated effects of exposure [to too-loud music] may cause hearing deficits eventually. Noise-induced damage might not be evident by 12 to 19 years of age, but might become increasingly evident in the mid-20s., Henderson stated.
The study details
The study looked at 2,519 teenagers between the years 1988 and 1994 along with 1,791 teenagers between 2005 and 2006.
The following three types of hearing loss cases were taken into account by the researchers: low-frequency loss wherein people have difficulty hearing sounds in the low end of the sound spectrum, high-frequency hearing loss in which the ability to hear high pitch sounds is affected and noise-induced hearing-threshold shifts(NITS) wherein sounds in the middle of the sound spectrum cannot be heard by the sufferer.
The hearing loss disorders were equally common all the teenagers.
The study results
There was a 17 percent rise in the rate of NITS in the second study group as compared to a 12 percent increase in the previous group.
Almost 1 in 6 teenage girls and boys suffer from hearing disorders, which affects their ability to hear speech and some high-pitched sounds.
Although no clear reason has yet been stated, researchers are of the view that exposure to more loud noises is the main factor behind the rising trend.
"We're seeing a lot more kids being exposed to music recreationally," Henderson said in an interview. "A general rule of thumb is you should be able to hear someone talking to you even if you have your earphones on."
The reports of the findings will be published in the January issue of 'Pediatrics'.
by: Priyanka Verma
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