Mexico. Adolescents and young adults are increasingly exposed to high-intensity sounds, coming from concerts, festivals, cinemas, video games and, especially, from the prolonged use of headphones.
These volume levels exceed safe limits for hearing, considering that a typical conversation reaches 60 decibels (dB), while a concert can go up to 140 dB. This trend, driven by daily habits and lack of information, is causing people under 35 years of age to begin to suffer irreversible hearing damage.
In addition, prolonged use of devices, such as smartphones and audio players, has normalized listening to music at sound intensities that exceed 90 decibels, when the recommended safe threshold is 85 dB. Exposure to the same or higher levels for prolonged or repetitive periods can cause irreversible damage. Despite this, many young people underestimate the consequences.
According to a study conducted by MED-EL, 31% of people between the ages of 18 and 24 have never had a hearing test. This figure reveals a lack of awareness about the importance of hearing care. Widespread carelessness and ignorance make this population especially vulnerable to hearing loss, a condition that affects hearing, emotional well-being, social inclusion, and academic performance.
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that approximately 1.1 billion young people between the ages of 12 and 35 are at risk of hearing loss due to unsafe hearing practices. The figure is alarming and requires immediate action, both by health systems and society in general, to raise awareness of the seriousness of this problem.
"It is essential that young people understand that hearing loss is not an exclusive condition of older adults; It can affect people of any age for a variety of reasons. We are exposed daily to noise sources that, although they seem harmless, can cause irreversible deterioration in our auditory system, either in the short or long term. Once the type of hearing loss has been identified, there are personalized solutions, such as hearing aids or cochlear implants of Austrian origin, which can improve or even recover hearing, depending on the diagnosis of each patient," says Dulce María García Jacuinde, Audiologist and Clinical Support at MED-EL Mexico.
The lifestyle of young people, which includes frequent attendance at concerts, clubs, sporting events in stadiums and festivals, has become a constant auditory risk. Many of these activities take place in environments with excessive sound levels, without any hearing protection and with a dangerous normalisation of loud noise as part of entertainment.
MED-EL lists some common symptoms that can identify a decline in hearing:
- Constantly requesting that they repeat words or phrases
- Headaches
- Ringing in one or both ears (tinnitus)
-Nausea
- Discharge or bleeding
- Hypersensitivity to sounds
- Not listening to common conversations, either in the classroom or in a group of friends
-Secretion
Hearing damage in young people has profound consequences, limits the ability to communicate and learn, as well as can emotionally isolate those who suffer from it. Children and adolescents with hearing problems that are not diagnosed or treated in time may experience difficulties in integrating socially or developing their full academic potential.
The specialist Dulce María García highlights the importance of carrying out periodic check-ups on people frequently exposed to high levels of noise. "This type of assessment allows us to identify possible damage in time and apply the most appropriate solutions according to each case. He added that cochlear implants can help restore hearing for people with severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss.
