http://www.boston.com/news/health/articles/2010/08/18/more_teens_suffer_from_hearing_loss/
More teens suffer from hearing loss Study shows 20% of youth affected By Karen Weintraub, Globe Correspondent | August 18, 2010 One in five teenagers has the kind of hearing loss typical of a 50- or 60-year-old, according to a new study by Boston researchers. That is about one-third more than the proportion of adolescents who could not hear quiet whispers in the early 1990s, according to the paper published in today's Journal of the American Medical Association. Though it is not clear why more youngsters have compromised hearing, researchers are examining whether cellphones and music blasted through earphones play a role, given that these devices have become ubiquitous in that time frame. Hearing naturally degrades across a lifetime of rock concerts, sledge hammers, target practice, and other aural assaults. In teenagers today, that decline is happening even faster. Most of the hearing loss measured by the Boston team was very subtle, on the order of quiet whispers that go unheard. But hearing loss follows a predictable progression. If it is already starting in the teens, by the time these youths are in their 30s and 40s, they will be having trouble listening to conference calls or will be offering the wrong answer at business meetings, worries Brian Fligor, the director of diagnostic audiology at Children's Hospital Boston, who was not involved in the research. The study - which included researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, and Harvard's medical and public health schools, - looked at data collected by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 1988 and 1994 and compared it with data collected by the same survey between 2005 and 2006. There was information about nearly 3,000 teenagers in the earlier survey and more than 1,500 in the later one. In the earlier survey, 14.9 percent of the teens showed hearing loss, compared with 19.5 percent in the more recent one. The percentage of teens who showed somewhat more serious hearing loss also increased, from 3.5 percent in the 90s to 5.3 percent more recently. These teens would have trouble hearing a normal whisper, whistling, certain musical notes, and high-pitched voices, said Dr. Josef Shargorodsky, a resident at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary and the paper's lead author. "High frequencies are usually the first affected with hearing loss,'' Shargorodsky said. "There are probably a couple of kids in every classroom in America who will have some level of hearing loss, and it's important for teachers to be aware of that and parents and physicians, as well.'' Boys were more likely to be affected by hearing loss, with 22 percent of boys and 17 percent of girls showing some hearing loss in 2005-06. Teens from families living below the poverty line were also more likely to suffer hearing loss, with nearly 24 percent showing some deficit, compared with 18 percent of teens from more affluent families. The study did not address the causes of that hearing loss. Other research has suggested a wide range of possibilities, from musical instruments to firearms, poor medical care, and headphones, said Fligor, who also teaches at Harvard Medical School. Fligor, who listens to his iPod at least an hour a day at the gym, said this study should be a clarion call for more ear protection, not less music. He suggests that people use ear plugs when around loud sounds and upgrade headphones to models that cancel out most background noise so that music can be played more softly. He also suggests getting children's hearing tested by an audiologist to get a baseline reading and to ensure there are not subtle problems going unnoticed. Parents should also get their hearing checked and use ear protection; your child will notice if you take your own hearing seriously, he said. "It's the combination of all the things that we do that are going to take a toll on our hearing, and it's entirely preventable,'' Fligor added. "Go ahead and do it: Enjoy yourself. Listen to music, go to that rock concert, shoot [recreational weapons], but take steps to enjoy it safely.'' Karen Weintraub can be reached at [email protected]. © Copyright 2010 The New York Times Company _______________________________________________ Medianews mailing list [email protected] http://lists.etskywarn.net/mailman/listinfo/medianews
